Bill Swift
Pitcher
Born: (1961-10-27 ) October 27, 1961 (age 54)
Portland, Maine
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 7, 1985, for the Seattle Mariners
Last MLB appearance
September 11, 1998, for the Seattle Mariners
MLB statistics
Win–Loss record
94–78
Earned run average
3.95
Strikeouts
767
Teams
Career highlights and awards
William Charles Swift (born October 27, 1961 in Portland, Maine ) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher .
After graduating South Portland High School , Swift attended the University of Maine , where he played college baseball for the Maine Black Bears baseball team from 1981 to 1984,[ 1] making four consecutive College World Series appearances. Swift pitched for the 1984 U.S. Olympic team and was a first-round draft pick (second selection) by the Seattle Mariners following his senior year at Maine. In 1991 he was traded to the San Francisco Giants along with pitchers Mike Jackson and Dave Burba for outfielder Kevin Mitchell and pitcher Mike Remlinger . The Giants immediately moved Swift from the bullpen to the starting rotation, where he emerged as one of the league's best pitchers, leading the league with a 2.08 ERA in 1992 and winning 21 games in 1993.
Between 1995 and 1997 he played for the Colorado Rockies . While the Rockies had high hopes for Swift, he struggled with a shoulder injury, back pains, and the psychological difficulties of the thin air of Colorado, and never again put up numbers comparable to his days with the Giants. He was eventually released by the Rockies due to shoulder trouble and triceps tightness.
In 1998, Swift returned to the Seattle Mariners. He struggled, posting an 11-9 record with a 5.85 ERA and 1.62 WHIP. After the season, he retired from baseball.
On December 22, 1999, USA Today named Bill Swift as one of Maine's best athletes of the 20th century.[1]
Bill Swift now coaches High School Baseball for the school where his three daughters Aubrey, Mackenzie, and Brynlie attend Scottsdale Christian Academy in Phoenix, Arizona .
References [ edit ]
^ "University of Maine Baseball Players Who Made It to the Major Leagues" . Baseball-Almanac.com . Archived from the original on July 20, 2013. Retrieved July 20, 2013 .
External links [ edit ]
1977 : Henderson
1978 : Nanni
1979 : Chambers
1980 : Coles
1981 : Moore
1982 : Owen
1983 : Akerfelds , Bell
1984 : Swift
1985 : Campbell , McGuire
1986 : Lennon
1987 : Griffey, Jr.
1988 : Martinez
1989 : Salkeld , Burrell
1990 : Newfield , Manahan
1991 : Estes
1992 : Villone
1993 : Rodriguez
1994 : Varitek
1995 : Cruz, Jr.
1996 : Meche
1997 : Anderson
1998 : Thornton
1999 : Christianson, Heaverlo
2000: No first round pick
2001 : Garciaparra
2002 : Mayberry, Jr.
2003 : Jones
2004: No first round pick
2005 : Clement
2006 : Morrow
2007 : Aumont , Mangini
2008 : Fields
2009 : Ackley , Franklin , Baron
2010 : Walker
2011 : Hultzen
2012 : Zunino
2013 : Peterson
2014 : Jackson
2015: No first round pick