What Went Right: Nick Swisher

Looking at Nick’s plate discipline statistics on fangraphs it’s pretty remarkable how much he changed from 2009 (and his career as a whole) to 2010. The % of pitches he swung at outside of the strike zone rose from 17.3% in 2009 to 25.7% in 2010. The pitches he swung at inside the strike zone rose even more, 57% in 2009 to 68.4% in 2010. Swinging more, and at strikes, helped a lot.

Like you said, he seemed to trade walks for hits by swinging more often and taking advantage of his reputation of taking a lot of pitches. He also adjusted to the curve – something I know a lot of us noticed in the game threads this year – to keep pitchers honest.

While I did miss the Swish who worked full counts every time he got to the plate, the 2010 version works just fine for me as well.

Cahsman sure has a knack for acquiring right fielders for essentially nothing. Swish, Abreu, Justice, if he counts.

Swish and ARod now have an almost identical setup from the right side. The KLong factor.

Cashman — Let’s see – he missed on Ordonez (did not even try), Vlad, might have been more Steinboss’s fault, there were several awful’s after O’Neil retired, the wonderful trade for Reuban Sierra, and Swisher was to be a 1st baseman, and who can forget Buba Crosby – maybe a pass on that since Proctor was more important until St Joe destroyed his arm.

General managers and field managers are as a class not very god or bright by management standards — we fans are conditioned by a less than critical press and by our own hopes to give undeserved props. Swisher turned out to be a steal but he was awful with the White Sox and he was sought for 1B when there were few but better alternatives. After Texiera the Yankees were clueless on what to do with — PICK A DEITY OF YOUR CHOICE TO THANK but don’t thank Cashman. Thus far we have not seen the even the obvious average move for the next 3 years. One can only hope he is being totally secretive and working a truly inspirational deal. But don’t hold your breath — in 10 years Goldman or someone else will write a book and discover Cashman was “brilliant” — the strategy was never to risk a trade -do the obvious for the ARods, bu just wait to sign the free agent and give up the cash and a draft pick. Shop the “D” list for the piece parts. If so at least it is a Strategy. As long as the free agents can play above replacement level in their late 30’s the season will produce wins. But they will be joyless, expected – we will not again witness the growth of a Posada, Jeter, Pettit, William or Rivera. We will get the Sheffields, Pavanos, Johnsons, Wrights, et al.