David S.-David S.-
I thought I’d write about one trait that sticks out as truly important to me as a ballplayer. That trait is “CLASS”. Mariano Rivera, of the Yankees, is one of the biggest class acts in the game of baseball.
My least favorite word I know is”SWAG.” What is swag to me? Swag, an ugly four letter word, is cockiness and loud. It’s that annoying conceited walk and air of aloofness that says, “I’m the best and gonna show everyone.” It’s the “all about me” attitude.
Those players with “CLASS’” display confidence, not cockiness. You can hold your head very high, and let your actions speak for themselves. At least act intelligent….and PRACTICE….PRACTICE! -Allen Iverson (lol). Pick up your teammates, and nothing negative that would taint you or your team, other than critics. Stay out of trouble and act like a true gentleman.
I think sports and this country are losing class.
Sure, “Swag” gets you all the Chicks, sells jerseys to thugs, and may make you an absolute media frenzy. Their are even sites dedicated to ” who has the most swag.” Supposedly it’s “cool” to have swag. I say stop walking like you have a stick up your butt dude. Class, though is different; It is not loud and boisterous and in your face. Class is quiet: it separates the boys from true men. It may not get you as much attention up front, but it is lasting and you’ll earn respect and honor. Respect and honor are my most cherished qualities that I would like to see in people. It defines who you are. Ryan Braun and Mike Trout are the swaggiest men (is that even a word?). Can you say you respect them…. no, they are just great ball players with great stats. But in my world that is not enough. To prove my point, I went to a Brewers game versus the Angels. I wanted to get Mike Trout’s autograph. He did a cocky walk over to us, pretending to greet fans and then sprinted away with a “just joking” attitude. He was mocking the fans and loving getting flaunted over. Mike was not a nice man to us in any way, I saw no class in him. Ryan Braun, well……enough said.
Players like Trevor Hoffman, Chipper Jones and Prince Fielder = class. They are happy and grateful to their careers, teams and fans. Prince is a giant teddy bear. When I’ve met him he’s treated you like a true person. On the field and in the dugout, he was a leader and a team player.
The classiest man that just retired from baseball is Mariano Rivera. He has all of my respect. He is never dirty and there is nothing to trash about him. As much as I hate the Yankees, he is just one of the best.
The point of this is that class is becoming a lost trait. We need more of it. At the end of the day who do you look up to? An honorable man is timeless. You earn honor, don’t give it away.
Class truly beats swag. It defines who you are.
What are your thoughts on this topic? Who are your favorite “swaggy” players and “classy” ones?
Bleacher Boy 
This is the second time this week that I’ve heard Swag used with baseball. Brandon Phillips said “Baseball Swag” means you enjoy the game, the fans, and you play for fun, not for the money. What you said is the complete opposite. I guess swag has no official meaning. I do, however, agree that players need to respect the game and its fans- “Class”- people like Rivera, Jones, etc., and I think we need to honor them.
– Josh
Well I agree but having a sertant amount of confidence and swag and being loose is part of professional sports today. I mean trout may have been wrong in a lot of things he does…. But is a .320 hitter? So I’d say you have to have both to play the game of baseball. Swag+class=confidence
Well, in the sport of baseball, yes I agree you definitely need some class. Just having class isn’t going to get you all of the fans. You have to have a certain amount of swag. Having swag does not mean you are completely full of yourself and no ones better than you. Having “swag” is the 21st century version of “class”. You have confidence. You show it in your walk and talk. It’s showing self-confidence and it expresses you.
Swag can get out of hand, but players with true swag are cool and collected. At the same time they are nice and outgoing. Just because you have swag doesn’t mean you’re a bad person. It just means you’re cool, hip, and smooth. If you’re all cocky, rude, and just not a good person you don’t have swag. Those people that are said to have swag have a thing I like to call swog. They think they are all cool but they are lame. Swag comes with cool but it also comes with politeness.
What I am trying to say is swag can be a good thing and is not just being cool with all the girls. It is truly the 21st century of class. We just call it something cooler this day and age
You have a very good point Ryan. From reading all of these comments, swag can mean whatever you want it to mean. There’s no right or wrong answer.
-David S.