View source for Bill Swift

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1961)}}
{{for|the pitcher who played from 1932 to 1943|Bill Swift (1930s pitcher)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Bill Swift
|image=1988 Mother's Cookies - Bill Swift.jpg
|caption=Swift with the [[Seattle Mariners]] {{circa}} 1988
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1961|10|27}}
|birth_place=[[Portland, Maine]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=June 7
|debutyear=1985
|debutteam=Seattle Mariners
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 11
|finalyear=1998
|finalteam=Seattle Mariners
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=94–78
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=3.95
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=767
|teams=
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|1985}}–{{mlby|1986}}, {{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1991}})
* [[San Francisco Giants]] ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1994}})
* [[Colorado Rockies]] ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1997}})
* [[Seattle Mariners]] ({{mlby|1998}})
|highlights=
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual ERA leaders|NL ERA leader]] (1992)
|medaltemplates=
{{MedalSport|Men's [[baseball]]}}
{{Medal|Country|{{bb|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball at the Summer Olympics|Summer Olympics]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Baseball at the 1984 Summer Olympics|1984 Los Angeles]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball at the Pan American Games|Pan American Games]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[Baseball at the 1983 Pan American Games|1983 Caracas]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Baseball World Cup]]}}
{{MedalBronze | [[1982 Amateur World Series|1982 Seoul]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | [[Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|Intercontinental Cup]]}}
{{MedalSilver | [[Intercontinental Cup (baseball)|1983 Brussels]] | [[United States national baseball team|Team]]}}
}}

'''William Charles Swift''' (born October 27, 1961) is an American former professional [[baseball]] [[handedness#Types|right-handed]] [[pitcher]]. Swift played in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Seattle Mariners]], [[San Francisco Giants]], and [[Colorado Rockies]].<ref name="bbrefswiftmaj">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/swiftbi02.shtml|title=Bill Swift Stats|date=2019|publisher=Sports Reference LLC|work=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>

==Scholastic career==

After graduating from [[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,<ref name="uofmaine">{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-almanac.com/college/university_of_maine_baseball_players.shtml|title=University of Maine Baseball Players Who Made it to the Major Leagues|publisher=[[Baseball Almanac]]|work=baseball-almanac.com|access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref> making four consecutive [[College World Series]] appearances. Swift pitched for the [[Baseball at the 1984 Summer Olympics#United States|1984 U.S. Olympic]] team.

==Professional career==

Following Swift’s senior year at Maine, he was a first-round draft pick (second overall selection) by the Seattle Mariners in the [[1984 Major League Baseball draft|1984 MLB draft]], making his MLB debut with the 1985 Mariners.<ref name="bbrefswiftmaj"/>

In 1991, Swift was traded to the San Francisco Giants, along with pitchers [[Mike Jackson (right-handed pitcher)|Mike Jackson]] and [[Dave Burba]], for [[outfielder]] [[Kevin Mitchell (baseball)|Kevin Mitchell]] and pitcher [[Mike Remlinger]]. The Giants immediately moved Swift from the [[bullpen]] to the [[Starting pitcher|starting]] rotation, where he emerged as one of baseball’s best pitchers, leading the [[National League (baseball)|National League]] (NL) with a 2.08 [[earned run average]] (ERA) in 1992 and winning 21 games in 1993.<ref name="swiftmlb">{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/player/bill-swift-123053|title=Bill Swift Stats, Fantasy & News|date=2019|publisher=[[Major League Baseball]]|work=mlb.com|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>

Between 1995 and 1997, Swift played for the Colorado Rockies. While the Rockies had high hopes for him, 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. Swift 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. Swift retired during spring training, the following season (1999).<ref name="swiftmlb"/><ref name="swiftsabr">{{cite web|url=https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/a6c63772|title=Bill Swift Society for American Baseball Research|date=August 15, 2018|last=LeMoine|first=Bob|publisher=[[Society for American Baseball Research]]|work=sabr.org|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>

Swift's career numbers were extremely similar to those of 1930s pitcher [[Bill Swift (1930s pitcher)|Bill Swift]].

==After playing==

On December 22, 1999, ''[[USA Today]]'' named Swift as one of Maine's best athletes of the 20th century.<ref name="usatodaymainesbest">{{cite web|url=https://www.usatoday.com/sports/century1.htm|title=Swift one of Maine's best athletes of the 20th century|date=December 22, 1999|last=Gould|first=Lance|publisher=[[USA Today]]|work=usatoday.com|access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="nehof">{{cite web|url=http://www.gsacsports.org/SIDHelp/m/a%7C1454.php|title=Bill Swift Elected to New England Baseball Hall of Fame|date=December 8, 2014|location=Springfield MA|publisher=[[Golden State Athletic Conference]]|work=gsacsports.org|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref> He was inducted into the inaugural class of the New England Baseball Hall of Fame on January 25, 2015.<ref name="nehof"/>

Swift and wife Michelle have three daughters, Aubrey, Mackenzie, and Brynlie; while the children attended [[Scottsdale Christian Academy]] in [[Phoenix, Arizona]] (and for years beyond), their father coached High School Baseball for the school.<ref name="swiftsabr"/>

Following the end of the 2013 baseball season, Swift accepted the position of head baseball coach at [[Arizona Christian University]];<ref name="acubegin">{{cite web|url=http://www.gsacsports.org/SIDHelp/m/a%7C475.php|title=Swift Hired as Arizona Christian Baseball Coach|date=June 30, 2013|location=Phoenix AZ|publisher=[[Golden State Athletic Conference]]|work=gsacsports.org|access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="swiftsabr"/> after five progressively successful seasons, he resigned following the 2018 season.<ref name="acuend">{{cite web|url=http://www.acufirestorm.com/SIDHelp/m/a%7C1291.php|title=Swift Resigns, Search Begins for New ACU Baseball Coach|date=May 17, 2018|publisher=[[Arizona Christian University]]|work=acufirestorm.com|access-date=July 28, 2019}}</ref><ref name="swiftsabr"/>

==References==
{{reflist}}
==Further reading==
* Betit, Paul. "[https://web.archive.org/web/20070311235815/http://sports.mainetoday.com/highschool/stry.html?id=0404170091 He´s got them all making their pitch]". [[Portland Press Herald]] pressherald.com. April 17, 2004.

==External links==
*{{baseballstats|mlb=123053|espn=1611|br=s/swiftbi02|fangraphs=1012788|brm=swift-001wil|retro=S/Pswifb001}}
*{{SABR Baseball Biography Project|a6c63772}}

{{United States baseball roster 1984 Summer Olympics}}
{{1984 MLB Draft}}
{{Seattle Mariners first-round draft picks}}
{{NL ERA champions}}
{{San Francisco Giants Opening Day starting pitchers}}
{{Colorado Rockies Opening Day starting pitchers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swift, Bill}}
[[Category:1961 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Cumberland County, Maine]]
[[Category:Calgary Cannons players]]
[[Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players]]
[[Category:Colorado Rockies players]]
[[Category:Colorado Springs Sky Sox players]]
[[Category:Maine Black Bears baseball players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1984 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:National League ERA champions]]
[[Category:Olympic silver medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from South Portland, Maine]]
[[Category:Salem Avalanche players]]
[[Category:San Bernardino Spirit players]]
[[Category:San Francisco Giants players]]
[[Category:Seattle Mariners players]]
[[Category:South Portland High School alumni]]
[[Category:Baseball players at the 1983 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Medalists at the 1983 Pan American Games]]
[[Category:Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in baseball]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]