Some would argue that the Sex Pistols don’t belong in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but that’s really more a case of personal taste than it is merit. The Malcolm McLaren-managed anarchists didn’t fit the mold that most record company executives look for, nor did they cater to conventional radio-friendly musical tastes, but there’s no denying that they left a lasting impression. And then you have R.J. Swindle.
A misfit lefthander with the Double-A Reading Phillies, Swindle is the Moneyball version of the Sex Pistols. An amalgamation of Lenny DiNardo and Casey Fossum on the mound — and Chris Coste if he makes it to the big leagues — Swindle throws a fastball that tops out in the low 80s and a curveball as slow as 52 mph. Because of his radar gun-averse scouting profile, the 2004 draft pick has bounced around from the Red Sox to the Yankees to the Phillies with a pair of Indie ball stints thrown in for good measure. Keeping a job has proven to be a challenge for Swindle; retiring hitters hasn’t.
Swindle’s numbers in organized ball (Indie ball stats NOT included):
In 11 Double-A games with Reading this season, Swindle is 1-0, 0.54 in 16.2 innings. He has allowed 8 hits and one walk with 16 strikeouts.
Swindle probably isn’t heading to the Hall of Fame, but if he keeps putting up eye-popping numbers he’s deserving of some big league airplay. It’s a matter of Pat Gillick becoming a baseball version of Malcolm McLaren and recognizing that you don’t need to fit a traditional profile to hit the top of the charts — or to get hitters out. Swindle’s numbers rock pretty hard.
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