Craig Swan
Encyclopedia
Craig Steven Swan was a Major League Baseball
pitcher from 1973 to 1984 for the New York Mets
and California Angels
. Swan's best season came in when he posted a 9-6 win–loss record and led the National League
with an earned run average
of 2.43. This was significant as the Mets were in the National League East cellar that year. Swan featured a fastball
between 90 and 95 miles per hour with good movement and an occasional slider
.
by the St. Louis Cardinals
. Rather than sign as a low-round pick, Swan attended Arizona State University
. In the 1972 College World Series
, Swan allowed only one run in 18 innings pitched
for a 0.50 ERA - tied for the best ever for 18 or more innings. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Tournament Team but Arizona State lost to the University of Southern California
in the championship game.
Swan was chosen by the Mets in the third round of the 1972 draft
. He spent most of to in the minor leagues with only brief (and poor) stints in the majors. One of his better early performances came on May 11, 1974 when he personally out-played the opposition by collecting a career-high three hit
s, knocking in one run
, and scoring another at the plate while allowing no runs on four hits over six innings on the mound. Later that season, he broke his elbow and missed significant playing time. He returned successfully and, in , was named the International League
Most Valuable Pitcher.
shutout with 11 strikeout
s. He was inconsistent for the season. After four terrible starts, the following three starts resulted in just a single earned run on 13 hits and four walks over 26 innings with 21 strikeouts — a fantastic 0.35 ERA.
In , Swan's numbers declined slightly but so did the rest of the team's as number one starter, Jerry Koosman
, lost 20 games and the Mets sank into last place in the division.
In 1978, the Mets struggled to a 66-96 record but Swan started the season with a five-hit complete game shutout, the third of his career. In the second game of a July 4, 1978 doubleheader
, Swan logged a career-high 13 strikeouts but surrendered two ninth-inning runs to lose the game 3-2. The loss dropped his record to 1-5 despite a very good 2.66 ERA. Swan's ERA continued improving and he won his next seven decisions. On September 16, he allowed one run and three hits over nine innings but was again denied a win. At season's end, Swan had the best ERA in the National League as well as the second-best WHIP
and second-best hits per nine innings. His ERA was only 1.67 at Shea Stadium
. Despite his excellent statistics, he finished with only a 9-6 record. The Mets were the third-worst pitching team in the league, and they finished with the worst record in the N.L.
was another good season for Swan and was also his most active. He set career highs in innings pitched, games started
, complete games, shutouts and BFP
. Swan was the lone bright spot for the Mets' pitching staff. His 14 wins were not only a career-best but were more than any two of his teammates combined. The Mets finished with 99 losses, again last in the National League.
After his two good seasons for the Mets, Swan signed a contract which made him the highest paid pitcher in Mets history at the time. In response, he began with an even better ERA than either 1978 or 1979. In mid-June, he was 5-4 with a 2.21 ERA for another terrible Mets team. After losing his next four decisions, Swan was placed on the disabled list
in mid-July with what turned out to be a torn rotator cuff
. He made two more starts a month later but pitched poorly in the first start, left the second start after only two innings, and was done for the season. He started with a loss but left his second game after only one batter in a freak play. Swan began the game by walking the first batter of the game on four straight pitches. On the fifth pitch of the game – also a ball – the runner on first base starting running to second base in order to "steal" second base. But Swan's rib was fractured when Ron Hodges—the Mets' catcher at the time—nailed him in the back with his throw towards second base when trying (unsuccessfully) to throw the runner out at second base. As a result, Swan landed on the disabled list. He returned more than a month later and made two relief appearances before the 1981 Major League Baseball strike cancelled the next two months. When play resumed, Swan was back on the disabled list and made only one more start the rest of the season.
After missing almost all of 1981 with a rotator cuff injury, and the aforementioned broken rib
and a baseball strike, Swan returned well in and finished second to Joe Morgan
for the N.L. Comeback Player of the Year Award
. His 11 wins were again the highest total on the team and he was the only pitcher on the team with a winning record and more than three decisions. For the first time in his career, he accumulated significant time as a relief pitcher
and managed a fantastic 1.30 ERA in the new role. Swan even hit the only home run of his career on August 4 (although the event was drowned out when his teammate, Joel Youngblood
, made history the same day by becoming the only player in major league history to play for two teams in two cities in one day).
game in . He pitched through the injury but it severely limited his endurance. He was again effective in relief but his ERA as a starter rose to a terrible 6.22. In , while the Mets were finally ending years of futility, Swan managed only ten awful relief appearances before being released on May 9. The California Angels
signed him two weeks later but he was benched for good after two more bad appearances which were the last of his career.
. He graduated from the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado
and opened a practice in Connecticut
.
Swan lives in Stamford, Connecticut. In 2002, he had two children in college and he credits Mets executive, Fred Wilpon
, with helping to get his daughter into the University of Michigan
.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher from 1973 to 1984 for the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
and California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
. Swan's best season came in when he posted a 9-6 win–loss record and led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
with an earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
of 2.43. This was significant as the Mets were in the National League East cellar that year. Swan featured a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
between 90 and 95 miles per hour with good movement and an occasional slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
.
Early life and career
Swan was born in Van Nuys, California and, at age 17, was picked in the 23rd round of the 1968 Major League Baseball Draft1968 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Los Angeles Dodgers laid the groundwork for their championship clubs of the 1970s with an outstanding draft...
by the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
. Rather than sign as a low-round pick, Swan attended Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. In the 1972 College World Series
1972 College World Series
The 1972 College World Series was played at Johnny Rosenblatt Stadium in Omaha, NE from June 9 to June 16. The twenty-sixth tournament's champion was the University of Southern California, coached by Rod Dedeaux...
, Swan allowed only one run in 18 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
for a 0.50 ERA - tied for the best ever for 18 or more innings. For his efforts, he was named to the All-Tournament Team but Arizona State lost to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
in the championship game.
Swan was chosen by the Mets in the third round of the 1972 draft
1972 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1972 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :The Montreal Expos had perhaps their best draft in franchise history. The Expos grabbed outfielder Ellis Valentine in round two of the June regular phase and then...
. He spent most of to in the minor leagues with only brief (and poor) stints in the majors. One of his better early performances came on May 11, 1974 when he personally out-played the opposition by collecting a career-high three hit
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
s, knocking in one run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, and scoring another at the plate while allowing no runs on four hits over six innings on the mound. Later that season, he broke his elbow and missed significant playing time. He returned successfully and, in , was named the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Most Valuable Pitcher.
Productive years
Swan broke into the majors for good in . In the Mets' last good season of the decade, Swan was the fifth starter and posted statistics slightly below the league average with a 3.54 ERA and a 6-9 record. His highlight was his first victory of the season when he pitched a five-hit complete gameComplete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout with 11 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. He was inconsistent for the season. After four terrible starts, the following three starts resulted in just a single earned run on 13 hits and four walks over 26 innings with 21 strikeouts — a fantastic 0.35 ERA.
In , Swan's numbers declined slightly but so did the rest of the team's as number one starter, Jerry Koosman
Jerry Koosman
Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985...
, lost 20 games and the Mets sank into last place in the division.
In 1978, the Mets struggled to a 66-96 record but Swan started the season with a five-hit complete game shutout, the third of his career. In the second game of a July 4, 1978 doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
, Swan logged a career-high 13 strikeouts but surrendered two ninth-inning runs to lose the game 3-2. The loss dropped his record to 1-5 despite a very good 2.66 ERA. Swan's ERA continued improving and he won his next seven decisions. On September 16, he allowed one run and three hits over nine innings but was again denied a win. At season's end, Swan had the best ERA in the National League as well as the second-best WHIP
Walks plus hits per inning pitched
In baseball statistics, walks plus hits per inning pitched is a sabermetric measurement of the number of baserunners a pitcher has allowed per inning pitched. It is a measure of a pitcher's ability to prevent batters from reaching base...
and second-best hits per nine innings. His ERA was only 1.67 at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. Despite his excellent statistics, he finished with only a 9-6 record. The Mets were the third-worst pitching team in the league, and they finished with the worst record in the N.L.
was another good season for Swan and was also his most active. He set career highs in innings pitched, games started
Games started
In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter...
, complete games, shutouts and BFP
Batters Faced by Pitcher
In baseball statistics, Batters Faced by Pitcher , also known as Total Batters Faced , is the number of batters who made a plate appearance before the pitcher in a game or in a season....
. Swan was the lone bright spot for the Mets' pitching staff. His 14 wins were not only a career-best but were more than any two of his teammates combined. The Mets finished with 99 losses, again last in the National League.
After his two good seasons for the Mets, Swan signed a contract which made him the highest paid pitcher in Mets history at the time. In response, he began with an even better ERA than either 1978 or 1979. In mid-June, he was 5-4 with a 2.21 ERA for another terrible Mets team. After losing his next four decisions, Swan was placed on the disabled list
Disabled list
In Major League Baseball, the disabled list is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players.-General guidelines:...
in mid-July with what turned out to be a torn rotator cuff
Rotator cuff
In anatomy, the rotator cuff is the group of muscles and their tendons that act to stabilize the shoulder. The four muscles of the rotator cuff, along with the teres major muscle, the coracobrachialis muscle and the deltoid, make up the seven scapulohumeral muscles of the human body.-Function:The...
. He made two more starts a month later but pitched poorly in the first start, left the second start after only two innings, and was done for the season. He started with a loss but left his second game after only one batter in a freak play. Swan began the game by walking the first batter of the game on four straight pitches. On the fifth pitch of the game – also a ball – the runner on first base starting running to second base in order to "steal" second base. But Swan's rib was fractured when Ron Hodges—the Mets' catcher at the time—nailed him in the back with his throw towards second base when trying (unsuccessfully) to throw the runner out at second base. As a result, Swan landed on the disabled list. He returned more than a month later and made two relief appearances before the 1981 Major League Baseball strike cancelled the next two months. When play resumed, Swan was back on the disabled list and made only one more start the rest of the season.
After missing almost all of 1981 with a rotator cuff injury, and the aforementioned broken rib
Rib
In vertebrate anatomy, ribs are the long curved bones which form the rib cage. In most vertebrates, ribs surround the chest, enabling the lungs to expand and thus facilitate breathing by expanding the chest cavity. They serve to protect the lungs, heart, and other internal organs of the thorax...
and a baseball strike, Swan returned well in and finished second to Joe Morgan
Joe Morgan
Joe Leonard Morgan is a former Major League Baseball second baseman who played for the Houston Astros, Cincinnati Reds, San Francisco Giants, Philadelphia Phillies, and Oakland Athletics from 1963 to 1984. He won two World Series championships with the Reds in 1975 and 1976 and was also named the...
for the N.L. Comeback Player of the Year Award
MLB Comeback Player of the Year Award
The Major League Baseball Comeback Player of the Year Award is presented by Major League Baseball to the player who is judged to have "re-emerged on the baseball field during a given season." The award was developed in 2005, as part of a sponsorship agreement between MLB and Viagra...
. His 11 wins were again the highest total on the team and he was the only pitcher on the team with a winning record and more than three decisions. For the first time in his career, he accumulated significant time as a relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
and managed a fantastic 1.30 ERA in the new role. Swan even hit the only home run of his career on August 4 (although the event was drowned out when his teammate, Joel Youngblood
Joel Youngblood
Joel Randolph Youngblood III is a former Major League Baseball player for the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, Montreal Expos and San Francisco Giants from to . Youngblood was a versatile player who could play many different positions, as well as pinch hit...
, made history the same day by becoming the only player in major league history to play for two teams in two cities in one day).
Winding down
After his good comeback year of 1982, Swan felt something pop in his arm during a spring trainingSpring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
game in . He pitched through the injury but it severely limited his endurance. He was again effective in relief but his ERA as a starter rose to a terrible 6.22. In , while the Mets were finally ending years of futility, Swan managed only ten awful relief appearances before being released on May 9. The California Angels
Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
signed him two weeks later but he was benched for good after two more bad appearances which were the last of his career.
Post-retirement
After numerous injuries forced the end of his career, Swan used the medical knowledge he obtained from his ordeals to invest himself in the technique known as RolfingRolfing
Rolfing is a therapy system created by The Rolf Institute of Structural Integration and is a system whereby the alleged manipulation of the fasciae by specific methods is theorized to yield therapeutic benefit....
. He graduated from the Rolf Institute in Boulder, Colorado
Boulder, Colorado
Boulder is the county seat and most populous city of Boulder County and the 11th most populous city in the U.S. state of Colorado. Boulder is located at the base of the foothills of the Rocky Mountains at an elevation of...
and opened a practice in Connecticut
Connecticut
Connecticut is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Rhode Island to the east, Massachusetts to the north, and the state of New York to the west and the south .Connecticut is named for the Connecticut River, the major U.S. river that approximately...
.
Swan lives in Stamford, Connecticut. In 2002, he had two children in college and he credits Mets executive, Fred Wilpon
Fred Wilpon
Fred Wilpon is a real estate developer, baseball executive and the majority owner of the New York Mets.-Biography:...
, with helping to get his daughter into the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
.
External links
- Craig Swan at RetrosheetRetrosheetRetrosheet is a non-profit organization whose website features major league baseball box scores and play-by-play narratives for almost every contest from 1871–1872, 1874, 1911 NL, and 1918–2010...
.