The mystery of interim leadoff hitter has been solved. Nick, um, Swisher. May as well be A.J. Pierzynski. I have no idea how this makes sense. A .250 career hitter, with 4 stolen bases LIFETIME. Not exactly a spark plug. I’m all for the swisher signing, but to bat 6th or 7th and be a clubhouse spark plug. As I’ve said before, the options with Owens out are slim, but this is not the answer. My personal choice would be to start Ramirez at second and let him lead off. I’m not exactly keen on Swisher in center, left field would be dandy, but that doesn’t smell as bad as the batting order. Fortunately, under the guise of "good numbers against Sabathia" but the reality of, we need to get off on the right foot, Pablo Ozuna will start at second on opening day and hit in the lead off spot.
It should be noted that I have heard people expressing delight in Swisher's shot at the top and think that his Gordon Bombay (everybody have FUN!) attitude will translate to success in his new hitting position. It should also be noted that I do not know why these people think that.
Keywords: A.J. Pierzynski, Alexei Ramirez, C.C. Sabathia, Jerry Owens, Nick Swisher, Pablo Ozuna
