Those of us who get to cover Royals baseball, whether full time or for special games only, know Mike Swanson well. He's the Royal's Vice President of Communications & Broadcasting. Everyone calls him Swanee.
He's the guy who manages the media for the Royals, and informs all of us so we can inform you.
Swanson has been very busy the last couple of years hosting two incredible postseasons here in Kansas City.
But what many don't know is, as a veteran MLB-experienced guy, he's helped MLB with 18 World Series runs - including this one. And if you know who to watch for, you're almost guaranteed to see him in postgame coverage no matter how hard he tries to avoid the cameras.
It's like Where's Waldo. Where's Swanee?
This picture is from Game 1 when the Indians shut out the Cubs.
He was assigned to manage Francisco Lindor and all of Lindor's postgame interviews on the field. MLB is contractually obligated to give interviews to the MLB partners for the games. After Game 1, Lindor had four interviews he had to do. As Swanson moves around the field to manage his guy, he inevitably shows up in the background during every postgame. I, for one, think it's hilarious. Especially when he realizes there's a camera and tries to get out of the shot.
Mike Swanson spotted during Game 1 postgame
And this one is from after Game 2, when Swanson was reunited with Ben Zobrist, the former Royal who was here in Kansas City just last year. Swanson made sure Zobrist made it to the media outlets he was supposed to visit: ESPN, Comcast and Tom Verducci with FOX Sports. And again, he showed up behind someone else'e interview.
Mike Swanson spotted during Game 2 postgame
In the 9th inning, four or five players are identified as the guys the media will want to interview and each is assigned a person to manage them during that time.
Swanson is very busy before the game, too. He helps get Fox and ESPN crews in with managers and players. Then takes some guys for interviews during batting practice.
Swanson has helped with 18 MLB World Series runs, and four of those were with teams for which he worked.
He was with San Diego in 1984, won the World Series in 2001 with Arizona, and then the last two years with the Royals -- one epic postseason run lost in the final game to San Francisco when they put their ace pitcher in AGAIN! (I'm still bitter) and then last year when the Royals won it ALL! (I'm still smiling).
"My '84 San Diego team is one of the reasons it took the Cubs this long. We lost the first two then swept last three," remembered Swanson.
When he works the World Series, Swanson picks a new favorite team just for the series. And how he picks that favorite team made me chuckle.
"My rule when I'm here working, whoever wins game one is my new favorite team," he said.
That means he's rooting for the Indians. But only for a short time.
"Then I come back home."
At which point he'll be a dedicated Royals fan once again.
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Christa Dubill can be reached at Christa.Dubill@kshb.com.
