Craig Swan Opens Up on Pain, Perseverance, and Playing for the Mets

About this episode

Craig Swan shares his experiences and reflections on his career with the New York Mets, highlighting the human side of baseball.

Former New York Mets pitcher Craig Swan joins Amazin’ Conversations to reflect on his career, the reality of pitching on struggling teams, and the friendships that defined his time in baseball. Swan shares unforgettable stories about playing alongside Bobby Valentine and Lee Mazzilli, the pressures of being a local star in New York, and his deep friendship with Tom Seaver. From wild clubhouse memories and road-trip stories to battling injuries, reinventing life after baseball, and finding joy through unexpected hobbies, this is a candid, funny, and heartfelt conversation about the human side of the Mets’ history. This episode is a reminder that not every legacy is defined by championships — some are defined by character, resilience, and the people you shared the uniform with. Chapter Timestamps: 00:00 Craig Swan joins Amazin’ Conversations01:00 First impressions of joining the Mets in 198002:30 Pitching well on bad teams and the frustration of wins04:45 Memories of Lee Mazzilli and being a hometown star06:40 Family, fans, and playing in front of sparse crowds08:10 Bobby Valentine stories from college to coaching10:15 Bobby Valentine’s baseball mind and future success12:00 Getting…

People in this episode

Host: Jay Horwitz

Guest: Craig Swan

Topics covered

• baseball career
• New York Mets
• friendship
• injuries
• life after baseball
• resilience

Keywords

• Craig Swan
• New York Mets
• Bobby Valentine
• Tom Seaver
• baseball injuries
• friendship
• resilience
• pitching
• life after baseball

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: New York Mets

More episodes of Amazin’ Conversations with Jay Horwitz

• St. Johns Baseball Breakdown With Mets/St Johns Alumni John Franco, CJ Nitkowski and Frank Viola · June 11, 2026 · 14 min
• Mookie Wilson on Family, Food and the Friendship Nobody Expected · June 2, 2026 · 21 min
• How the Mets Drafted Dwight Gooden and Built a Champion | Joe McIlvaine · May 26, 2026 · 17 min
• Cleon Jones on the 1973 Mets Miracle Run, Willie Mays & Saving Africatown · May 19, 2026 · 20 min
• Daniel Murphy Reflects on 2015 Mets Run, Broadcasting & Baseball History · May 12, 2026 · 17 min
• Remembering Marc Levine Ahead of Mets Hall of Fame Induction · May 5, 2026 · 15 min