Michael Schwimer

Michael Fredarick Schwimer (born February 19, 1986) is an American businessperson and former Major League Baseball (MLB) relief pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Phillies in 2011 and 2012.

In high school, Schwimer played baseball and was 9–0 in 2004 with a 1.04 ERA while earning the 2004 Alexandria Sportsmen Player of the Year award, and being named the Virginia Independent School League Player of the Year and Second Team All-Metro at St. Stephen's and St. Agnes School. He was an Honorable Mention All-Metro pick in 2002, and was named an All-Interstate Athletic Conference selection in 2002–04. He also played high school basketball, and was a basketball All-Metro pick in 2004 and an All-IAC pick in 2003 and 2004. His senior year in high school, Schwimer averaged 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists per game. He shot 43% from the 3-point line that year, and led the team to the Sleepy Thompson Championship where he was named MVP over Roy Hibbert. Out of high school Schwimer was offered Division 1 scholarships to play football, basketball, and baseball. He was offered a full basketball scholarship to Duke and Louisville.

Schwimer attended the University of Virginia (UVA), from which he graduated in 2008 with a degree in sociology. He interned for a hedge fund while in college, and says that he would be working in that business if he were not a baseball player.

He also played for the Virginia Cavaliers baseball team. In 2006, Schwimer set a UVA single-season record for appearances (36), as he held batters to a .212 batting average in 60.2 innings. In 2007, in 23 appearances he held batters to a .229 batting average. In the summer of 2007, he pitched 33.1 innings for the Orleans Firebirds of the Cape Cod Baseball League, going 2–2 with 3.51 ERA. He was named to the 2007 Jewish Sports Review All American Team.

He was not drafted in the 2007 Major League Baseball draft, as he warned a number of interested teams as the draft approached the 10th round that he would not sign if drafted, because he would rather return to college for his senior year and attain his degree from UVA than sign for the amount of money offered in the later rounds of the draft. In 2008, he was 3–1 with a 1.72 ERA and 14 saves as the closer for UVA. His pitching repertoire included a "lively" fastball, a late-breaking "knee-buckling" slider, and a change-up.

Schwimer was drafted out of college by the Philadelphia Phillies in the 14th round of the 2008 Major League Baseball draft.

In the minors, he was a relief pitcher; primarily a closer. Schwimer averaged 12.1 strikeouts per 9 innings in his minor league career, as he was 20–10 with a 2.51 ERA, and gave up 184 hits and 79 walks, while striking out 313 batters, in 233 innings through his August 2011 call-up to the major leagues.

In 2008, he had a 1.96 ERA for the Williamsport Crosscutters of the Low-A New York–Penn League. On July 7, he was named the NY-Penn League Pitcher of the Week. He averaged 13.5 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched.