Nick Swisher, All-Star?
It could happen for the first time, today.
“Would it be an honor? Absolutely, man. I would be so juiced,” the Yankees right fielder said after the Yankees’ 11-3 win over the Blue Jays yesterday. “But hey, we’ll have to wait and see.”
Swisher, along with teammates Brett Gardner and Phil Hughes, will get to see if they earn their first All-Star nods this afternoon when the squad is announced.
Robinson Cano and Derek Jeter were leading the voting at second base and shortstop yesterday, so they should be starters. Mariano Rivera and Andy Pettitte are extremely strong bets to make the team, and CC Sabathia could find himself in the Midsummer Classic as well.
As for Swisher, his case is in the books: he’s batting .287 with 13 homers, 47 RBIs and a .370 OBP. They’re strong numbers, but he probably still is a longshot due to his outfield competition.
The group includes Josh Hamilton, Ichiro Suzuki and Carl Crawford (the three leading outfield vote-getters as of yesterday), as well as Vernon Wells, Shin-Soo Choo, Torii Hunter, Alex Rios, Magglio Ordonez, Nick Markakis, David DeJesus and Gardner.
Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who will skipper the AL team, said Gardner (.316, 24 steals, .398 OBP) is a candidate. Swisher, however, has numbers to rival Gardner’s.
“This past offseason was a huge growing up period for me. With now the things that are going on in my life outside of baseball, that would be just a great honor,” Swisher said. “My dad’s [Steve Swisher] got one [1976, with the Cubs] and I’ve yet to get one, but I feel that I’m coming into my own and it would just be an honor . . . .”
Hughes (10-2, 3.58 ERA) is still uncertain of his fate.
“I guess [I’m] a little hopeful,” Hughes said. “[I] haven’t pitched well lately so I’m not sure what my chances are or anything like that.”