The Loop
Watch World Series hero Kyle Schwarber crush a golf ball using his baseball swing
Freakish hand-eye coordination and prodigious power got Kyle Schwarber to the majors. Those things also make him pretty darn entertaining when hitting a golf ball.
In October of 2015, a video of Schwarber crushing a drive went viral -- not just because of how far the Chicago Cubs star hit it (supposedly 370 yards), but because of the way he hit it. Schwarber took his normal batting stance and just swung with a slightly more pronounced uppercut:
A year later, after missing nearly the entire season due to a torn ACL and LCL he suffered from an outfield collision with teammate Dexter Fowler, Schwarber returned to action in the Fall Classic and helped the Cubs win their first World Series title since 1908. Schwarber is off to a slow start this season, but he was the subject of a recent Sports Illustrated profile by Ben Reiter. You should read the entire feature -- which also focuses on the tragic death of the scout who found him -- but in the meantime, check out Reiter's video of Schwarber crushing a 5-iron at Scottsdale's Topgolf in January:
Impressive, although Reiter notes that Schwarber "can't putt; finesse is not his thing." The story also includes this exchange between Schwarber and Rickie Fowler, who happened to be on hand for a promotional event the week of the Waste Management Phoenix Open:
“I’m sure you could crush a baseball with your golf swing!” Schwarber said, admiringly.
“Uh, I’m O.K,” Fowler replied. “I got to take batting practice at Fenway once. Hit a couple off the wall.” When they parted, Schwarber wished Fowler the best thing he could wish for anyone. “Keep crushin’ balls!” he said. “Keep crushin’ ’em!”
Not too shabby, Rickie! And keep crushin' 'em yourself, Kyle. Just maybe spend a little more time on the practice green.