Inductees

He basically grew up in Kansas City’s old Municipal Stadium, where mom, Betty, worked for the Athletics and later for the Chiefs and where he himself later helped the Chiefs’ equipment manager in the locker room.

In fact, in his final two years of high school, Mike Swanson traveled with the Chiefs in the 1970 and 1971 seasons and carried the suits of coach Hank Stram (MSHOF Legend 2004) from the cleaners to the plane and then to the stadium. But it was in between those seasons, in the summer, when he realized he better find a career in sports.

“My dad (Bob) worked in construction and, during my senior high school summer, he had me working with him from 6 a.m. until 4 p.m. on construction sites,” Swanson said.

Swanson went on to a 43-year career in Major League Baseball as a go-to media relations executive, and it’s why the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame  proudly inducted Swanson with the Class of 2022.

A 1972 graduate of Raytown High School, Swanson retired after the 2021 baseball season, having spent the previous 15 seasons with the Kansas City Royals as Vice President-Communications & Broadcasting who helped tell the story of the Royals’ rise back to prominence. He also worked for the San Diego Padres (1984-90), the Colorado Rockies (1992-1997) and Arizona Diamondbacks (1998-2006).

Put it this way, Swanson is the owner of several rings: World Series (2001 Diamondbacks & 2015 Royals), two league championships (1984 Padres, 2014 Royals), a World Baseball Classic (2013 Dominican Republic) and 2012 All-Star Game.

Swanson was also a TV statistician, starting in 1977 on college football and Monday Night Football while attending the University of Kansas. Which set him up to work six Final Fours, six Super Bowls, four NFC Championship games, five Sugar Bowls, six Cotton Bowls, three Fiesta Bowls, the 2007 BCS national championship game, 23 Maui Invitationals and the Battle 4 Atlantis basketball tournament.

This from a media pro who climbed from the bottom.

You see, after high school, he helped Royals PR director Bob Wirz and spent six  years interning while attending Longview Community College and Avila College. Soon, broadcaster Fred White (MSHOF 2010) encouraged Swanson to attend a Big Eight Conference school in order to enhance his prospects.

Did it ever.

On the first day working for KU’s sports information department, college football & MNF broadcaster Keith Jackson called and was in need of a statistician.

Swanson had helped Jackson prepare for the 1976 Royals-Yankees playoff series, and the stats role eventually led to Swanson to work with the MNF crew of Howard Cosell, Frank Gifford and Don Meredith.

In 1982, he signed on with CBS for more than 60-plus events, working alongside Pat Summerall, John Madden and Brent Musburger.

And that’s how his career meandered over the next 40-some years.

In 1984, former Royals employee and Padres media relations director Bill Beck needed an assistant. In 1991, he was off with ESPN Sunday Night Baseball’s crew of Jon Miller and Joe Morgan for 26 broadcasts. In 1992, Rockies assistant GM and former roommate Randy Smith brought him aboard as PR manager.

In 2000, he was the PR liaison for the MLB All-Star team in Japan. The Royals’ Kevin Uhlich and Dayton Moore (MSHOF 2021) brought him home before the 2007 season. He also oversaw Dominican Republic’s 2013 and 2017 World Baseball Classic teams.

In essence, the industry saw Swanson as a pro’s pro.

“You have to work around so many obstacles during the course of a day, from cage times, to meal times, to training room, to weight room, to BP and fielding drills, not to mention film and coaching meetings,” said Swanson, the 2002 recipient of MLB’s Robert O. Fishel award.

Swanson understood how to tell the team’s story and use the team’s profile to help communities. In 2001, for instance, he arranged for the Diamondbacks to visit Ground Zero before the World Series and thank first responders.

Many others made his career possible, none more important than his wife, Renee, and daughter Rachel.

“There are no words to adequately describe the life I’ve gotten to live,” Swanson said. “More important than the rings and the accolades of the last 43 years in baseball and all of the other jobs I’ve been given the opportunity to do are the relationships. It’s been a true honor for this kid from Raytown, Missouri to be able to work with and get to know all of these people over the years.”