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Nick Swisher: Bringing the Positive Vibes to ATL

By John Buhler

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Nick Swisher had about as good of an Atlanta Braves debut as you could have ever imagined.  His unassisted double play at first got the Atlanta faithful fired up in the top of the seventh.  Then the crowd exploded with his RBI double in the bottom of the frame, cementing it with a Tomahawk Chop.

The move to get Nick Swisher, Michael Bourn, and close to $15 Million in cash from the Cleveland Indians for Chris Johnson was a stroke of genius for Atlanta Braves’ President of Baseball Operations John Hart.  Atlanta brings back a familiar fan favorite in OF Michael Bourn to bat leadoff, provide great defense in the outfield, and wreak havoc on the base paths.

-= Atlanta Braves, Nick Swisher Beat Marlins 7-2 =-

Acquiring Nick Swisher does several positive things for this young Atlanta Braves team.  Swisher is a switch-hitter with some pop that can play both first-base in Freddie Freeman‘s extended absence and in the outfield.  Swisher is a former All-Star and World Series Champion with the New York Yankees.  He loves the camera and most importantly making baseball fun all the time.

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    • Atlanta rarely brings in guys like Swisher into their organization.  The Braves are a bit straight-laced and see eccentric players like Nick Swisher as distractions in the past.  I’m sure John Schuerholz cringed when seeing Nick do the Tomahawk Chop at second base.  It’s not the “Braves Way”.

    Well, the “Braves Way” hasn’t advanced the ball club in the postseason since 2001, when Atlanta defeated the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS only to get completely buzz-sawed by Randy Johnson, Curt Schilling, Luis Gonzalez and the rest of the 2001 World Series Champion Arizona Diamondbacks.

    It’s been a long time coming but I’m glad to finally see an Atlanta Brave cut loose and have some fun on the diamond at Turner Field.  I want the Cameron Maybin Socks to come back soon.  We’re not fooling anybody this year, so let’s have some fun shall we.

    -= Michael Bourn: Why Did Atlanta Ever Let You Go? =-

    While I don’t condone Boston Red Sox batting practice with aluminum bats, I know Atlanta will play better down the stretch if they can play a little more relaxed.  I see Nick Swisher’s positive vibes as a major boost in morale in an otherwise melancholy locker room.  It can’t stay sad that Alex Wood is in Los Angeles or Freeman is on the DL once again.  There is still plenty of baseball left to play this season.

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    Nick Swisher is a breath of fresh air in a Braves locker room culture that was getting quite stale.  His interjection of positive energy and liveliness should get the Atlanta Braves out of their late-summer swoon and back to playing some good baseball.  Playoffs might still be out of reach, but hey, let’s have an absolute blast playing spoiler.

    I hope guys on the team start doing the Chop on second base after RBI scoring doubles.  Let’s call it the New Braves Way.  Or if Braves Way still makes you roll you eyes in the back of your head, let’s call it the Nick Swisher Effect.  All I ask from hims is to never call Atlanta “Hotlanta” ever again.  Literally anything else, just not that.

    Next: Mike Foltynewicz: Future Starter or Reliever?

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