The Heart of the 2009 New York Yankees

On November 13th, 2008 the New York Yankees traded utility man Wilson Betemit and two minor league prospects to the Chicago White Sox for a minor league pitcher and outfielder/first basemen Nick Swisher. The Yankees at the time thought they were trading for someone to fill in their need at first base with the departure of Jason Giambi. After a late off-season move by the Yankees, they signed Mark Teixiera, filling the need at first base. That left Swisher in competition for the starting job in right field with Xavier Nady. After spring training, Joe Girardi named Nady the starting right fielder, leaving Swisher to start the season on the bench.

Swisher's bench time would only last a short time, after a few pinch hit at bats, and few starts in right field and first base, Nady went down with an severe injury meaning that Swisher was now the starting right fielder for the Yankees. From that part of the season on, the Yankees were a different team; they just didn't no it yet. Right away Swisher became a fan favorite, with his signature salute to the bleacher creatures during the roll call. Also his very famous Swish-hawk, and his outgoing personality.

Since 2000, the last time the Yankees had won a world series championship; the Yankees never seemed to put together a team. Granted the put players on the field every year expecting to win, but you could tell they starting to shy away from what made them winners in the late 90's and early 2000's. The teams that won the championships in '96, '98, '99, '00, they were teams; they worked together to achieve the ultimate goal which was winning championships. Guys like Joe Girardi, Jim Leyritz, Chuck Knoblauch, Chad Curtis, Shane Spencer, Scott Brosius there are many more, they were team players. They put the word "team" before individual statistics. From 2002-2008, the Yankees went out and tried to put a juggernaut team together every year and the results stayed the same, losing in the World Series, losing in the playoffs and even in 2008 they missed the playoffs completely, they were basically a mess.

Not saying the 2009 Yankees aren't a juggernaut team, because they did spend a ridiculous amount of money to bring in the likes of CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett and Mark Teixiera. But when you watched the '09 Yankees there was different something about them, they had a certain swagger, a very Swishelicious swagger.

I have read many articles about how the Yankees in 2009 were a very loose team, having fun, playing as if baseball was a game, and not their jobs. That I feel all started with that November 13th, trade with the White Sox. The Yankees not only got a proven hitter in the major leagues, but they got the old Yankee swag back on that day. Not only did Swisher bring his power bat, his eagle eyes, he brought fun back to the Yankee clubhouse.

One article I read about Swisher was that one of the first days into spring training, he took control of the radio, and the rest was history. If you watched a Yankee game, you couldn't help but notice Swisher at whatever he was doing. Whether it was fooling around in the dugout keeping everyone loose, or talking to the fans out in right field, or even when he was called on to pitch against the Rays, you knew he was there.

During the regular season, Swisher put up good numbers batting .249 29 homeruns and 82 runs batted in also added 97 walks and a very healthy .371 on-base percentage. But those stats aren't what made Swisher important. He was, and still is the heart of the New York Yankees; the fun he brings to the table cannot be match by any numbers that any of the other players on the team put up. It wasn't just Swisher who made the Yankees believe that baseball was fun again, Melky, Cano, Burnett and CC helped but Swisher was the leader.

If I had a vote for the 2009 AL MVP, my vote would have gone to Nick Swisher, because MVP stands for most valuable player, not greatest stat guy. Value can be defined differently, but the value that Swisher has, is immeasurable. Is it up there with Jeter, Posada and Rivera, no...not yet at least. Swisher won't bat .340, hit 50 homeruns in a season, but he will give the team his best effort day in day out and no one can take that away from him. The Yankees as a team might belong to Jeter, but the clubhouse belongs to Swisher.