Indians Rumors: Nick Swisher’s enthusiasm was irritating teammates

As his production declined over the last two season, new reports claim Indians’ teammates found veteran’s energy intolerable

It wasn’t just Cleveland Indians’ fans who were thrilled to see Nick Swisher sent out of town at the deadline.

According to Zack Meisel of the Northeast Ohio Media Group:

"Not all teammates shed a tear when Swisher packed up his belongings and jetted to Georgia. His relentless enthusiasm wore on members of the clubhouse and the fan base, as they longed for numbers in his stat line worthy of those on his paychecks.The energy and over-the-top bubbly attitude helped eliminate any lasting effects from a defeated team that amassed a 58-94 mark in 2012. When his performance went south, however, his insistence on being the club’s commander and cheerleader didn’t carry much weight."

When Swisher and Michael Bourn signed with the Indians ahead of the 2013 season, their large paychecks and service time made them immediate leaders in the locker room.

Swisher, in particular, embraced his role as a more vocal leader. With the Tribe coming off a terrible 2012 season, his energy undoubtedly provided a significant boost. He deserves a large chunk of the credit for having had a great second half that catapulted the team into the postseason. The absurd energy, at that time, was fun and tolerable given his production.

Then 2014 happened.

The veteran first baseman hit just .208/.278/.331 in 97 games last season and clubbed just eight home runs, missing the 20-home run plateau for the first time since his rookie season.

Despite it all, Swisher continued to bring his ceaseless energy into the clubhouse each and every day — and, understandably, his efforts to motivate may have transformed into an irritant to at least some of his teammates. While the most productive players aren’t always necessarily the best captains in the clubhouse, it’s easy to see why Swisher’s brand of leadership could be perceived as abrasive given it was coming from a guy who wasn’t living up to his end of an abnormally high contract for the organization.

It was tough the way everything went down for Swisher in Cleveland. He had an undying desire to play well for fans in Northeast Ohio. Had he excelled, Swisher could have been the prince to LeBron’s king.

It didn’t go down that way, though. Instead, Swisher’s time in Cleveland — despite his excellent performance late in 2013 — will be remembered more for his constant injuries and lack of production.

And now, it may even be remembered for his irritating clubhouse antics. It’s too bad.

Next: Have the Indians set themselves up for success in 2015?