Major League Baseball

Swisher makes new Yankees teammates feel at home

Published Mar. 15, 2010 10:51 p.m. ET

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Take a look at the far end of the Yankees' clubhouse and there are outfielders Curtis Granderson, Randy Winn and Marcus Thames, all laughing.

The reason? Nick Swisher is camped in front of the locker at the end of their row.

The slugging right fielder with more that 1.2 million Twitter followers is all energy and effusiveness. He also happens to be the veteran in the World Series champions' outfield now that Johnny Damon, Hideki Matsui and Melky Cabrera are gone.

And Swisher is a natural at helping his new teammates feel as welcome as he felt when he arrived in New York in a 2008 offseason trade with the Chicago White Sox after hitting a miserable .219.

``Swish is Swish,'' said Thames, using an oft-repeated phrase in the clubhouse. ``He's really made us feel comfortable. He's always smiling. When we get in the outfield doing drills he's always asking questions. He's always willing to learn more to make his game better and help us out. ... He's going to play hard and keep everybody loose.''

Last year, Swisher started the season as the fourth outfielder before Xavier Nady was injured early. He responded by hitting .249 with 29 homers, 82 RBIs and a .373 on-base percentage, thanks to 97 walks, second best in the American League. Even when he was benched for Game 2 of the World Series he remained upbeat, maintaining his usual role as the unofficial host of the clubhouse, with his locker covered in news clippings and photos next to the entrance.

Manager Joe Girardi think Swisher is a big reason the Yankees have shed their reputation as having a stiff, corporate locker room.

``I think his role in the clubhouse helps that I really do,'' Girardi said. ``He just enjoys what he does, enjoys being here.''

Despite the loss of Damon, a kindred spirit in demeanor, and Matsui, Swisher is confident the New York clubhouse will remain as personable as ever.

``Obviously losing Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui, who are great players, and they will be missed very well and we wish them very well, but you got to move on,'' he said. ``The acquisition of my three guys here Marcus, Randy and Curtis - we have some great faces in here. Good clubhouse guys and they're going to fit in here just perfect.''

Entering his sixth full big league season, Swisher, shorn of his fauxhawk, is doing his part to make that happen.

If he's not entertaining his new teammates, he's DJing the clubhouse tunes or chatting up the staff in the tunnels at George M. Steinbrenner Field or signing autographs down the lines.

Swisher in motion.

None of this is a surprise to Swisher's former Oakland Athletics' teammate, Mark Ellis.

``You need someone like him on your team. He loves to play the game of baseball,'' Ellis said in Phoenix. ``For some people he's over the top. For 162 games or 180 days that we're together, it can be over the top. But I'd take him as a teammate any day. He's got a good heart and he's a good guy. He likes being Swish. He likes being a good baseball player. He loves what he does.''

When the season opens Swisher will look to his right in the outfield and see either second-year player Brett Gardner or Granderson - Girardi still hasn't decided who will play where in the outfield.

There was some concern late last season with several of the routes to flyballs taken by Granderson, who played 160 games in center for Detroit. This year, he is trying out contact lenses.

And Granderson, another smooth talking, easy going ballplayer, has looked to Swisher for help navigating his new team.

``He's the guy we asked a lot of questions of. He's the guy we follow around because this is his second time around,'' Granderson said. ``He's very talented. He's a people person. Not everybody can do it.''

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AP Baseball Writer Janie McCauley in Phoenix contributed to this report.

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