Swisher, Bruney shed pounds this offseason

February 6, 2009 by Mike Axisa 27 Comments

One of the most common Spring Training cliches is “[insert player here] worked all hard all summer and is in the best shape of his life,” but how often is it true? Not often. Well, Nick Swisher reportedly lost sixteen pounds this offseason, ironically by incorporated chocolate milk into his post-workout regiment. Based on the photo in the linked article, it looks to be legit (here’s last year’s slightly thicker version of Swish). Reliever Brian Bruney also reportedly shed sixteen pounds off his frame this winter, which supposedly puts him under 220 lbs for the first time since high school. There’s no picture to verify Bruney’s new physique, but I’ll give him the benefit of the doubt after all the weight he lost last offseason. I’m sure Joe Girardi will be pleased.

http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal

I’m impressed with Bruney, two years in a row he worked his ass off to lose weight.
- Baseballnation
  
  Yeah, It’s hard not to love his dedication and Bull-like mound persona.
http://www.workwithpete.com Pete

Is Bruney sick or something? Didn’t he lose like 20 pounds or so before *last* season too?
- huuz
  
  naw, he’s just a happier guy without torre around…no more comfort food.
Dominik

What was great is that the Flat Stomach before and after ad was right under this post when I read it. Maybe Swish and Bruney obeyed.
Baseballnation

Swish losing weight and all is just fine but he was ok at the weight he was. What kind of impact does this have on his power…And I wonder if the weightloss is a premeditated attempt to solidify a chance for the full time CF gig? Or atleast a starting corner spot.
- A.D.
  
  Realistically its a move to try and not slug .740 again.
  
  If he’s working out to loose weight he shouldn’t be loosing muscle,just trimming some pudge
  - http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/CRsmithT1.jpg tommiesmithjohncarlos a/k/a Ridiculous Upside
    
    L-O-S-E.
    
    Lose. Not Loose. Bruney is working out to “lose” weight. The Mets may have a “losing” record this year. One “o”, not two.
    
    “Loose” is a different word. Your mother is “loose”.
    
    Sorry to go off, but like everybody has been making that error around here recently.
    - http://www.riveraveblues.com Joseph P.
      
      It’s like trying to get people to use “fewer” instead of “less.” It’s not going to happen.
- sabernar
  
  People need to get over the “Swisher in CF” thing. It’s not going to happen. Swisher hated CF and Yankee management said he’s not going to play there (and Damon either). Let’s move on already.
Lanny

Nothing more cliche than the player lost weight getting into shape.

Like he spent all those yrs working towards the majors sitting on his lazy ass or something.
JeffG

I just hope Damon doesn’t come in looking porked up… He looked like shit to start the 07 season and it seemed to mess with his defense/health. And I saw a picture of him the other day (forgot where) and he looked like he was packing the chub.
- steve (different one)
  
  he came in out of shape in 2007 b/c he played the entire 2006 season with a broken bone in his foot, and had to stay off it during the winter.
  
  but yeah, hopefully he comes into camp in great shape.
UWS

Bruney is angling to get into the Edwar weight division.
- A.D.
  
  seeing how much he improved 07 to 08… what could 09 bring
Rich

I think Bruney is capable of having the kind of season that will permanently silence the Joba to the pen chorus (assuming Mo can fully recover from shoulder surgery). I also think Melancon can make an important contribution there as well.
- Mike Pop
  
  Joba could win the Cy Young and Steve Philips will still be chanting 8th Inning!!!
  - http://www.riveraveblues.com Mike A.
    
    “I know he won the Cy Young Award and clinched the World Title with a complete game three hit shutout, but if the Yanks had Joba in the bullpen, they could have clinched the division a few weeks earlier, rested their players, and not have had to go to a seven game series in the Fall Classic. All that extra work took at least two years off the careers of CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez, Joe Girardi, Gene Monahan, Yogi Berra and the ANKSY guys. It’s just poor management of the team’s assets, and because of it it’s been 19 minutes since the Yankees won the World Series, and their fan base sees that as a failure.”
    - Mike Pop
      
      Hahaha
Mike Pop

Swish better not get traded, all I came here to say.
- http://nyfaninboston.blogspot.com/ Manimal
  
  hah, I still find it funny that we got him for only Betemit, Marquez and Nunez. If the yankees try to trade him I can’t see them getting much more than those 3. Atleast they should wait till midseason.
- Yank Crank
  
  I’m right there with you Pop, i’ll be extremely disappointed if Swish is dealt and it has little to do with his weight loss.
- http://incumbentgm.wordpress.com The Third Yip-Yip
  
  Sabermaticians constantly point to his line drive percentage and other stats from last year, indicating that he had one of the most unlucky seasons in recent memory. In his best year he was better than Nady, so I’d also be quite ticked off to see him leave.
Peter Lacock

Anthony McCarron reported that Albaladejo was slimmed down as well.
http://www.amazon.com/Greatness-Waiting-Illustrated-History-1903-1919/dp/078643211X/ref=sr_1_1/102-9585586-0514509?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1185023375&sr=8-1 Elston32

This is so bad but I had to do it: There’s a rumor Chris Britton has slimmed down to 275 and the Yanks might send Kei Igawa, Tim Battle and Eric Duncan to the Padres to re-acquire Britton.
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