NICK Swisher loves the stars and stripes of the United States even more than he adored playing in Yankees pinstripes.
Swisher, 44, described winning the World Series with the New York Yankees in 2009 as “life changing.”
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But his eyes were really opened after that when he took a trip to Afghanistan.
Swisher and his wife JoAnna Garcia visited the US military on the front line in what he described to The Sun as “the trip of a lifetime.”
“It was absolutely amazing. I just remember we were in the locker room, everybody was getting dressed for the game.
“And this gentleman walks in with what looked like four Navy SEALs standing right behind him.
“These dudes were yoked – they were just absolutely just in shape, guys.”
Swisher was one of the Yankees team members who was offered the chance to visit the US military in Afghanistan.
“There was a lot of conversations about who was going to go,” he recalled.
“And the only two people that showed up on that plane was me and my wife.
“I’ve always been raised military – my grandfather fought in the Korean War.
“Whether you believe in the war or you don’t, it doesn’t matter what political side you stand on, you need to back our military.
“It was one of the scariest trips I’ve ever taken.
“I got to meet some of the most powerful people in the military, travel around with four-star generals, and jump on meetings.
“I mean, it was absolutely just a blessing to be able to go and to see exactly what happens.”
Swisher’s trip came months after he won the World Series with the Yankees.
He was part of the 2009 Bronx Bombers side that featured the likes of Derek Jeter and CC Sabathia.
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Swisher said, “To be able to be part of an iconic organization like the New York Yankees – how blessed am I?
“Never in a million years in my wildest dreams when I was a kid did I think all of these amazing things would happen.
“That blue collar folk in New York, the person that works that crazy hour just to be able to afford that one ticket to come to the game – those are the people that I played for.
“That’s where the Swisher salute came from to salute them.
“Coming from a little small town out of West Virginia to end up being a World Series champ with the New York Yankees – never in a million years did I think something like that would happen.”
Major League Baseball returns to the BBC this summer with a dedicated UK show, Bases Covered Live each week. Tune in to BBC iPlayer from 7pm on Sunday 10th August to watch New York Mets take on the Milwaukee Brewers.
