Dansby Swanson Tells The Coolest Story About How He Became Obsessed With Playing Shortstop
We're back after the 4th of July break feeling dangerous and sexy because we talked to Dansby Swanson today. He tosses his hair a couple times and it's enough to get your old lady moist. He definitely fits the bill of the 1-1 overall draft pick/franchise leader.
To that point it's remarkable he sets the defense. All the talk of computers and shifts and yet it's actually just Dansby working off his pitcher, using his instinct and going through the data and history in his head. Turns out shifting against Bryce Harper is very stupid and he explains exactly why.
The whole time I'm just thinking this guy needs to be managing and I don't mean down the road. I'm talking right now. Like we need to get the first player manager going in some time and it should be Dansby Swanson whenever the Braves are good and ready. No rush on Brian Snitker - just pointing out what I think about Dansby's head. It's not just handsome and lush with flowing locks. It's actually there to distract you and play defense on how smart he is when it comes to baseball.
Anyways I'm burying the lead. Or lede. It's buried.
About halfway in the interview (1:00:00) we're talking about Dansby's passion for playing shortstop. And a lot of times you'd think these athletes are just born to be great. But it's actually crazy to hear that a 5-year old Dansby Swanson became enamored. No, OBSESSED - with an old VHS tape that played an hour worth of highlights and explained the best defensive SS's in baseball history. And why guys like Luis Apparicio and Rey Ordonez deserve the same kind of credit as the more traditional names. And how he watched the tape over and again until it just became drilled in his head, before he even graduated kindergarten.
That's the kinda shit that long goes unnoticed because it's obstructed by the player's raw talent and production. Like you don't see someone like Dansby Swanson come up and then think to yourself that he must have been utterly committed at such a young age to be the best player he could be. You hear the name and see the flow and you just think Fuck It Would Be Cool To Be That Guy.
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It still would be cool, no doubt. But it's nice knowing there's some crazy ass obsession and desire behind his success. Those guys deserve all the credit and Dansby is definitely on that list.
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