Cubs shortstop Dansby Swanson stood next to Braves third base coach Ron Washington in a circle of his former Braves teammates Friday morning, chatting outside of the Wrigley Field visitor’s dugout.
“It was awesome,” Washington, Atlanta’s infield guru, said in a conversation with the Sun-Times. “Same old guy, jovial, always got a smile on his face, always ready to compete. That’s Dansby.”
As the red-hot Cubs meet the MLB-leading Braves this weekend at Wrigley Field, Swanson is facing his former team for the first time since signing a seven-year, $177 million contract with Chicago this offseason.
His friend Max Fried returned from the 60-day injured list to start Friday against the Cubs. Travis d’Arnound celebrated the milestone of 10 years of service time on Friday and texted Swanson ahead of time — “He made sure he let me know,” Swanson quipped. Before the Cubs lost 8-0 to the Braves Friday, Swanson caught up with guys he’d played with for years.
“He stabilized that position for us,” Braves manager Brian Snitker said, “and the leadership that he had, and the consistency, and everything that he brought was huge. He did a lot of really good things for our organization, was an integral part of us winning a world championship.”
After seven years in the organization, Swanson’s impact lives on through the guys he played with. Third baseman Austin Riley said he learned a lot taking the field next to “a true winner.”
“His selflessness,” Riley said. “It doesn’t matter what kind of day he has. I remember the times playing with him, it’s just like, ‘How can we get better? How can we be a better club? How can we be better teammates, be a better version of ourselves?’ I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve taken from him.”
Swanson has imparted that mentality on the Cubs. He’s also hitting .266 with 16 home runs this season and trending upward. But on the field, his defensive prowess sets him apart from his peers. He’s arguably the best defensive shortstop in the league. And though the Cubs have been on an offensive tear recently, their team is built on pitching and defense.
Washington’s introduction to Swanson’s defense came before the veteran coach landed with the Braves. When Washington was on the A’s coaching staff, he said the team asked him to look over some of Swanson’s Vanderbilt film.
“The first thing I saw, I said, ‘Man, this kid can play,’” Washington said. “You can see skill, but you can also see the intelligence of play. And I said, ‘This kid knows what he’s doing.’”
Swanson’s awareness stood out, and his ability to adapt mid-play. Washington saw qualities that were rare for players Swanson’s age at the time.
Then in 2017, the year after Swanson’s debut, Washington came to Atlanta.
“The biggest thing that he instilled in me was a really good routine,” Swanson told the Sun-Times, and understanding how if you want to be really good at something, especially at this level, you’ve got to work on the fundamentals each and every day — not that I’ve ever not understood that. But he set such a culture and precedent around the expectation of, ‘No, this is what we do. We do this every day.’
Washington is known for his system of daily infield drills — which progress from small glove, to flat “donut” glove, to regular glove — designed to make sound glove work second nature. At first, Washington said, Swanson was concerned that the high rep count would leave him tired before the game.
“Then he began to realize that the things that we were doing were really working his mind,” Washington said. “And he loved the fact that he was working his mind, because that’s who Dansby is. He’s always trying to be ahead of things. And then toward the middle of ‘17, he bought in, and the rest is history.”
Between the routine and Washington’s positivity, Swanson felt a difference in his own confidence in the field.
He’s tweaked Washington’s program slightly, personalizing it. And he brought it to the Cubs this year. They have a donut glove. And infielders line up to run through a version of the routine.
“When somebody learns something from you and they use it, it’s theirs,” Washington said.
He’s not just saying that. When Washington was on the Snitker’s National League All-Star coaching staff last year, he ran through infield drills with anyone on that squad who asked, no matter which team they represented.
“We gave him a really hard time about it,” Swanson said with a smile. “But that’s just how he is. He just loves the game, he wants to help anybody he can, and willing to work. He’s all about his work, that’s for sure.”
Swanson was making his first All-Star appearance that year. And it ended up being his last with the Braves.
“We miss him,” Washington said. “But the game moves on.”
