Swisher donation: his hair

PHOENIX – You look at Nick Swisher, whose dark hair is nearly shoulder length, and you wonder how the New York Yankees would react to such a sight. But we should all be thankful that Swisher, the Oakland Athletics first baseman/outfielder, is not in New York.

With his long locks, Swisher, who enjoyed a breakout 2006, isn’t making a mere fashion statement. He wants to raise attention for a pet cause, in a most noble way.

The 26-year-old said he hasn’t cut his hair in six months and that he’ll probably wait until late May. At that point, he will shave his head and donate the hair to a program called Pantene Beautiful Lengths, which will turn Swisher’s hair into a wig for a woman who has lost her hair to chemotherapy.

Swisher’s idea stemmed from the death of his grandmother, Betty Swisher – “my number-one lady,” he calls her – on Aug. 14, 2005, of a cancerous brain tumor. He is working with the Women’s Cancer Research Fund, which is an Entertainment Industry Foundation program.

“My grandma didn’t lose all of her hair, but she lost some,” Swisher said. “For kids and guys, they can get away with shaving their heads. For women, I think they lose a lot of self-confidence. Sometimes it keeps them inside the house.

“For me, if I can help someone get out of the house a little more, start to feel more confident about themselves, I’m all about that.”

Swisher already has begun spreading the gospel in the ever-friendly A’s clubhouse. He wants his teammates to donate both hair and money to the cause.

In covering baseball, just like any industry, it’s easy to get caught up in the many negatives. Sometimes it’s nice to take a step back and celebrate how much good is being done.

Mets arms don’t impress

You’d be hard-pressed to find a competing baseball executive who likes the New York Mets’ starting rotation. From East to West, people question their lack of experienced arms and the absence of an innings-eating horse, which Tom Glavine, for all his strengths, is not.

Given how difficult it will be to acquire a top-flight starting pitcher during the season, the Mets’ best hope might be for Mike Pelfrey to blossom this season. One American League scout considers that a bona fide possibility.

“He is a beast,” the scout said on the condition of anonymity. “I saw him pitch in the Arizona Fall League All-Star Game. He was throwing 95, 96, but it looked like 200.”

The primary criticism of Pelfrey has been that he doesn’t have strong secondary pitches, but the scout said his slider is “usable.”

Rockies sign Finley

The Colorado Rockies signed veteran outfielder Steve Finley to a minor league contract.

Finely is a non-roster invitee at the club’s spring training camp.

Finley, 41, has played 18 seasons in the majors. He hit .246 last year with San Francisco, including six home runs and 40 RBIs.