Background and career
William Charles Swift (born October 27, 1961) is an American former professional baseball right-handed pitcher. Swift played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners, San Francisco Giants, and Colorado Rockies from 1985 to 1998. Known for his exceptional control and sinker, Swift achieved his greatest success with San Francisco, leading the National League in earned run average in 1992 and finishing as runner-up for the Cy Young Award in 1993.
Swift was born in Portland, Maine, and raised in nearby South Portland as the 14th of 15 children born to Herb and Dorothy Swift. His father Herb, a former semi-professional pitcher who played for the Portland Pilots in the New England League, supported the large family by making billboards for a living. Despite financial challenges, Swift later reflected that his parents "did good for as many kids as they had to feed". Herb Swift taught his son to pitch using unorthodox methods, including having batters stand on each side of home plate while Bill pitched between them to develop control. The family patriarch named his son William after Ted Williams, explaining, "We'd used up all the names of the saints. I wanted William for Ted Williams."
Swift attended South Portland High School, where he played as an outfielder in baseball while also competing in basketball and cross country. He played American Legion Baseball, notably throwing a shutout and batting 17-for-21 during a championship series. After graduating from South Portland High School, Swift attended the University of Maine, where he played college baseball for the Maine Black Bears baseball team from 1981 to 1984. Originally recruited as an outfielder, Swift was converted to pitcher by head coach John Winkin, a decision that transformed his athletic career.
Swift compiled impressive statistics during his four years at Maine, posting records of 3-1 (3.56 ERA) as a freshman, 10-1 (2.58 ERA) as a sophomore, and 9-3 (2.81 ERA) as a junior. He was named a Second-Team All-American and earned selection to the Eastern Coast Athletic Conference (ECAC) North All-Conference team three times. His career totals of 27 wins and 26 complete games remained school records as of 2017. Swift helped lead Maine to four consecutive College World Series appearances from 1981 to 1984, compiling a 3-4 record in 70 innings pitched with 54 strikeouts and a .400 batting average (6-for-15) in CWS play. The university later retired his number 8 jersey in recognition of his achievements. In 1983, during an ECAC playoff game, Swift threw 199 pitches over 13 innings in a contest Maine eventually won in the 18th inning, demonstrating the durability that would mark his professional career.
Swift represented the United States in several international competitions, earning bronze medals at the 1982 Amateur World Series and 1983 Pan American Games, as well as a silver medal at the 1983 Intercontinental Cup. His success in international play led to his selection for the 1984 U.S. Olympic baseball team. Initially reluctant to participate in the Olympics, Swift eventually joined the team and pitched six shutout innings against Nicaragua in his only appearance. The team won the silver medal after losing to Japan in the final. Among his Olympic teammates were future MLB stars Will Clark, Barry Larkin, Cory Snyder, and B. J. Surhoff.
After his junior year at Maine, Swift was selected by the Minnesota Twins in the second round (29th overall) of the 1983 Major League Baseball draft. However, he declined to sign, opting to return to college for his senior year despite warnings that he might not be drafted as highly again. His decision to consult an agent while still a junior led to NCAA sanctions, resulting in Swift being suspended for one-third of his senior season. Despite the suspension limiting him to a 5-3 record with a 1.77 ERA in his senior year, Swift was selected second overall by the Seattle Mariners in the 1984 Major League Baseball draft, validating his decision to return to school.
Sources
Net-worth figure: Celebrity Net Worth (October 2026), in USD. Biography and career facts: the person's Wikipedia article and linked reporting. Snapshot date for all StarWorth figures: 28 October 2026.
