Jermaine Swinton followed heart to decade-plus in pros

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Jermaine Swinton 1991 Asheville Tourists baseball card

Taken in the second round of the 1989 draft by the Astros, it took 16-yea-old New York City high schooler Jermaine Swinton until that September to sign, Newsday wrote.

The delay in choosing between college and the pros meant he missed the 1989 season, first hitting the field in 1990.

"I would have been happy either way," Swinton told Newsday in July 1990 of his decision. "But it turned out to be a good decision ... I just followed my heart to play pro ball."

Swinton's pro career ended up spanning more than a decade. He spent more than half of that in independent ball. He topped out in the minors at high-A.

Swinton's career began that year in 1989, taken by the Astros 42nd overall out of Fort Hamilton High School in Brooklyn.

After his selection in 1989, his coach spoke to Newsday.

"It didn't surprise me at all," Fort Hamilton coach Jim Apicella told Newsday. "He has good speed and some tremendous power."

Swinton started for the Astros in 1990 in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .320 in 39 games, 

He then moved to single-A Asheville, where he hit .219 in 110 games. He played 1992 at single-A Burlington and 1993 back at Asheville. In 89 games in 1993, he hit just .188, his last year with the Astros.

Swinton isn't recorded as playing in 1994, but he returned in 1995 at independent Dakota and Yuma. For 1996 and 1997, he played with the Brewers at high-A Stockton.

He moved to independent ball for good in 1998, with Canton. He then played with Madison in 1999 and 2000, and with Sioux Falls in 2001. With Sioux Falls in May 2001, Swinton drove in seven runs in a game, after a 1 for 16 start, The Sioux Falls Argus-Leader wrote.

"I felt like the globe was off my back," Swinton told The Argus-Leader of his output. "I've been trying to contribute in other ways so far this year. Tonight, I finally did it with the stick."

Swinton played 2002 at Gary and Brockton, then 2003 at Brockton and Coastal Bend to end his career.

Jermaine Swinton 1991 Asheville Tourists baseball card


1990 Minor League Tally 
Players/Coaches Featured:4,506
Made the Majors:1,431-31.8%
Never Made Majors:3,075-68.2%-X
5+ Seasons in the Majors:581
10+ Seasons in the Minors:358-X

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