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The tale end: first-person September stories reflect the diverse experiences of a rookie call-up, a player on a team going nowhere, a gifted hitter ending his career and two veterans finally thrust into pennant races

Sporting News, The, Sept 20, 2004

Outfielder Nick Swisher, one of Oakland's 2002 draft picks featured in the book Moneyball, made his big-league debut on September 3 and wasted no time showing off his penchant for reaching base. He posted a .583 on-base percentage in his first four games after being called up from Class AAA Sacramento. His A's teammates, meanwhile, wasted no time indoctrinating Swisher into life as a rookie.

Nick Swisher

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When I got the opportunity to be called up, the feeling was phenomenal. I called my dad (former major league catcher Steve Swisher) first, but I couldn't get ahold of him because he was being inducted into the Parkersburg (W.Va.) South High School football Hall of Fame and he didn't have his cell phone on. The next person I called was my 73-year-old grandmother. My grandma is the closest person to me in my life, and calling her was an emotional time. The only thing she's wanted to see me do is play major league baseball, and I can give her that. Just being able to do that is a goal in itself. After I called her, the phone started ringing off the hook. Everybody was calling me from back home. That was one of those days I'll never forget.

My minor league team was playing in Tacoma when the news came. My manager, Tony DeFrancesco, told me the Rainiers were throwing a lefthander like Ted Lilly but that he didn't throw as hard as Lilly. He asked me if I thought I could hit Lilly, and I told him I'd give it a shot. He said I will have my chance.

I left at 11:30 that night to join the A's in Toronto and showed up at 8:48 the next morning. I had a layover in Cleveland, and I didn't sleep because I didn't want to miss my connecting flight. I fell asleep at the team hotel, but it was more just tossing and turning. Regardless of how much sleep I had, I didn't need any because it was my major league debut. I was super excited about being where I was.

As soon as I stepped on the team bus heading to the stadium, I heard, "Rookies don't ride the bus" I assumed that was what I was supposed to do, but I learned fast. The next day I walked to the ballpark.

My dad surprised me by coming to Toronto. I didn't even leave him tickets. Then as I come out of the dugout, ! hear this voice, and I'm thinking, "It's my dad." All of a sudden I saw him, and it was nice. My college buddies were there. My stepmom. We took a big group picture on the field right after the game. That picture's going up in the trophy case.

Everything is different from Triple-A to the big leagues, from the candy bars to the fruit drinks you get in the clubhouse. One of the biggest differences playingwise is consistency. I walked in my first at-bat and doubled the next time up against Lilly, but I'll never forget my fourth at-bat. After Bobby Crosby walked on four pitches, I was sitting dead red, and I got a first-pitch breaking ball. When I went back to the dugout after striking out against Kevin Frederick, I was thinking, "That's the difference." I spun myself right into the ground.

My teammates razzed me before and after the game. I got fined $1,100-$100 for 11 offenses--by the team's kangaroo court. I've got the list taped in my locker now. The best one was for "getting called up to the big leagues just because you work the count."

All I want to do is come up here and try to help the team. I'm just enjoying time up here. If you look at me, I'll probably have a smile on my face 24/7.

This September isn't unusual for Rockies first baseman Todd Helton--he's on a team that's out of contention. But that doesn't mean he changes his ways as the season draws to a close.

Todd Helton

This is my seventh full season in the major leagues, and I'm still waiting to play in my first pennant race. But that doesn't mean the September games I've played in have not been important. In fact, it bothers me when I hear broadcasters and read in the papers about "meaningful games" at the end of the season. They're all meaningful! That's why we play them.

We're very lucky to have this opportunity to play major league baseball, so I'm going to go out and play every game hard. It's not like we take a copy of the standings on the field with us. When the game starts, the score is 0-0 and both teams have the same record for that day. Nobody's going to go out there and try to embarrass himself and not do well. My level of concentration is going to be the same always.

I've heard other people talk about the Rockies being a spoiler, as if our only motivation now should be to help the Dodgers by beating the Giants and help the Giants by beating the Padres. I couldn't care less about being a spoiler. What kind of sick guy is going to get satisfaction out of making sure somebody else doesn't win the division?

I'm more worried about us winning than who makes the playoffs. I would rather just concentrate on figuring out how to get us to that point. Because of that, you really don't change your routine based on the standings. You try to keep everything the same and be consistent all through the year.

The tale end: first-person September stories reflect the diverse experiences of a rookie call-up, a player on a team going nowhere, a gifted hitter ending his career and two veterans finally thrust into pennant races

Sporting News, The, Sept 20, 2004

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