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Jimmy Scott's High & Tight: The Craig Swan Interview

By Jimmy Scott - Posted on 16 March 2009

It's always exciting to speak with a former MLB player who has no reason to hold back. Former New York Mets pitcher Craig Swan is one of those guys. Not that he has anything to hold back. He never did HgH or steroids, was never arrested, didn't get into any dugout fights with Dave Kingman, and claims he did not grow marijuana in the old Shea Stadium bullpen garden with former Mets coach Joe Pignatano.

That's what he claims. We'll believe him because we like him so much.

Wait a sec, you don't know him. At all. Don't worry, you're going to get to know him very well in a moment. Craig is one of those warm personalities that you just want to keep listening to. He jokes. He laughs. He knows his place and his accomplishments. And, outside of baseball, he's carved a pretty good life for himself. Outside of baseball, Craig became a Rolfer.

"What you talkin' about, Jimmy?"

Rolfing. Surely, you've heard of it. Here, watch this short video about how the NFL's Minnesota Vikings use Rolfing. Then you'll get it and we can move on:

Interesting? Craig thought you'd like it. That's why he became a certified Rolfer 22 years ago. He's got his own practice in Grennwich, Connecticut, suitably called Greenwich Rolfing. He's helped thousands of patients get through pain and fatigue and live better lives.

Craig Swan: Making Lives Better, One Day At A Time.

If that's all Craig had ever done, then that would have been a great byline for his practice. He's done more than Rolfing, however, and you know it. Craig pitched. And what a pitcher he was. At a time in the later-1970s and early-1980s, Craig was one of the few bright spots on the New York Mets, a team with no offense and great pitching that slowly let the great pitching get away, including Hall of Famer Tom Seaver. In our Jimmy Scott's High & Tight interview, Craig tells an interesting story about how he Rolfed Tom Seaver, about Seaver's initial trepidation, and how Seaver's shoe size grew as a result.

Interested in the Mets of that era? Craig delivers. From talking about the demise of manager Joe Frazier in 1977 to pitching against the Big Red Machine, from being only the 2nd starting pitcher ever to win the ERA title and not win 10 games to his outfield garden grown with the help of former coach Joe Pignatano, Craig Swan spins stories and anecdotes you never heard before. Plus he tells us about his injuries, how his career ended, and how his life after baseball started while he was still in the game. This is a fascinating interview from a fascinating guy.