Pedro Swann facts for kids

Pedro Maurice Swann (born October 27, 1970) is an American former baseball player. He was an outfielder, which means he played in the part of the baseball field farthest from home plate. Pedro played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for parts of three seasons. He played for the Atlanta Braves in 2000, the Toronto Blue Jays in 2002, and the Baltimore Orioles in 2003. Before reaching the major leagues, Pedro spent 16 seasons playing in the minor leagues. He made his big league debut when he was 29 years old. After his playing career, Pedro also became a coach for college and independent baseball teams.

Playing Baseball

Pedro Swann was chosen by the Atlanta Braves in the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. This happened after he played baseball at Delaware State University. He spent 13 years playing in the minor leagues before he finally made his big league debut with the Braves in 2000. In his first game, he had two at-bats, which is when a player tries to hit the ball. He ended up with two strikeouts, meaning the pitcher got him out without him hitting the ball.

In 2001, Pedro played for the Braves' Triple-A team in Richmond. Triple-A is the highest level of minor league baseball, just below the major leagues. After that season, he became a free agent, meaning he could sign with any team he wanted. In 2002, he signed with the Toronto Blue Jays. He spent most of that year playing for their Triple-A team but also played 13 games for the Blue Jays in MLB.

For the 2003 season, Pedro signed with the Baltimore Orioles. He played a few games for them in the major leagues. One of his most memorable moments happened on September 18, 2003, at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It was a rainy day because of Hurricane Isabel. Pedro started the fifth inning with a double, which means he hit the ball and reached second base. Later, when another player hit a single (reaching first base), Pedro tried to score a run. But he got caught in a rundown, where players try to tag him out between bases. He was tagged out, and the Orioles didn't score. The game was later replayed because it was stopped early due to the rain.

After the 2004 season, Pedro became a free agent again. He signed with the Cincinnati Reds for the 2005 season. He played 127 games for their Triple-A team, the Louisville Bats. He had a good season, hitting for a .285 batting average, with 18 home runs, and 85 Runs Batted In (RBIs). RBIs mean he helped his teammates score runs.

In 2006, he played for different teams, including some in Double-A (another minor league level) and the Mexican League. He also played for an independent league team called the Camden Riversharks. Independent leagues are not connected to Major League Baseball teams. In 2007, he played for Double-A and Triple-A teams again. He announced his retirement from playing baseball before the 2008 season began.

Coaching Baseball

After his playing career, Pedro Swann started coaching. He now runs a place called Pro Swing Sports Academy in Middletown, Delaware. It's an indoor training center where young athletes can learn baseball skills. Other former major league players, like pitcher Dwayne Henry and former first baseman and catcher Carlos Mendez, also work there. Pedro teaches hitting, Dwayne teaches pitching, and Carlos teaches catching.

Before the 2013 baseball season, Pedro became the head coach for the Maryland-Eastern Shore Hawks college baseball team. He coached them for two seasons. After the 2014 season, he left to become the bench coach for the Camden Riversharks, the independent league team he once played for.

Film Career

Pedro Swann even had a small role in a movie! He played a character named Juan Vasquez in the 1999 film For the Love of the Game. The movie starred famous actor Kevin Costner.