I could never figure out what kind of pitching motion someone could have that would leave them with such an awkward follow through. A big prospect with the Mets Swan was always injured but when he was healthy he could be brilliant. After four years of sporadic appearances he had his breakthrough in 78 when he went 9-6 with a league-leading 2.43 ERA and reached 200 innings (207.1), though 1979 would be the only other time he would reach those numbers.
The rest of his career was spent bouncing up and down on the numbers until 1984 when the Mets released him in May and he signed on the Angels where he only made a couple of appearances one of which was the NBC Game of the Week where he was smacked about by the Baltimore Orioles. (Oddly enough I remembered the game being played in September and I was getting clothes for college, just another example of how memory plays tricks on you.) Speaking of memories I also remember Braves announcer Ernie Johnson (the father not the Emmy winning son who hosts TNT's NBA games) would always pronounce Swan as 'Shawan.'
The card's pic was probably taken at Shea Stadium since there is the blue wall in the background and Swan is wearing his home pinstripes.
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