In
baseball, a swingman is a
pitcher who can work as either a
reliever or a
starter. To thrive in this role, pitchers must possess the stamina of a starter as well as the flexibility to work out of the
bullpen. It may be difficult for swingmen to settle into the same type of routine as pitchers used exclusively in one role.
History In 19th century baseball, since the vast majority of games were finished by the starting pitcher, the swingman role did not exist. In the early 1900s, as the percentage of
complete games fell, relief appearances became more common, and pitchers began to be used in this mode. Early examples included star pitchers such as
Mordecai Brown and
Ed Walsh (both in the
Baseball Hall of Fame) as well as pioneers of the relief role such as
Doc Crandall and
Firpo Marberry. In the 1950s and 1960s, strict
starting rotations and specific roles for relief pitchers became standard; these trends reduced the prevalence of swingmen. From through the present day, the usage of swingmen has continued to decline due to the increased specialization of pitchers. During this era, pitchers may be deployed as swingmen early in their careers to ease their transition to the major leagues, move to a permanent starting role once they are deemed ready, and transition back to a swingman/bullpen role as they decline with age, a career arc exemplified by
Rudy May. Swingmen are also valuable in the postseason, when they may be needed to replace a struggling starter early in a game and pitch multiple innings while keeping the score close. ==Other sports==