Swisher: Hair today, gone tomorrow

He's involved in a program that makes wigs for women who lose their hair to cancer treatment.

Nick Swisher plans to find a barber's chair soon to trim that shoulder-length hair he's been wearing all camp.

The haircut will serve a pretty good purpose.

Swisher is growing out his hair so he can cut it and donate it to a program that makes wigs for women who lose their hair to cancer treatment.

The issue strikes a chord with Swisher because he lost his grandmother, Betty Lorraine, to cancer in 2005. She had experienced partial hair loss during treatment.

"Her hair was so important to her," he said last week. "It's one thing she had to have (done) every week. She had to get her hair done."

The right fielder decided to get involved in the cause this offseason and hooked up with Pantene Beautiful Lengths and the Entertainment Industry Foundation, which finds athletes and celebrities to donate their hair.

Swisher is unsure when he will finally get the trim but estimates it might come at the end of April.

"A man can get away with shaving his head, but when a woman loses her hair it's a little tougher," Swisher said. "I've got good hair. Hopefully I can make somebody smile, maybe give somebody the confidence to leave the house more. To beat a terrible illness like this, you have to have the fight to do it."

Working harder

Rich Harden wasn't as dominant Tuesday as he was in his previous three outings, but he had to work himself out of trouble, which may have helped him more than anything as he prepares for the regular season.

Harden stranded a runner on second in three innings against the Chicago White Sox, getting strikeouts to end the threat each time. He went five innings in the 5-3 victory, his longest outing of the spring, and gave up one earned run while striking out seven and walking two to get the win.

He rang up Chicago's No. 3 hitter, Paul Konerko, three times.

"I was happy. I had a chance to work through some things," Harden said. "I had a few command issues."

Though Harden said last week that he planned to mix in all four of his pitches for the first time against Chicago -- fastball, changeup, slider and split-fingered fastball -- he didn't bother with the splitter.

"I don't even throw it that much anyway. It's usually there for me," Harden said. "It's not something I try to work on every day, (I work) more (on) command with my fastball location and changeup."

The right-hander estimated his pitch count at 85 and said his arm felt good afterward. He has 25 strikeouts in 13ª innings this spring with a 1.32 ERA.

Short hops

Bobby Crosby went 2-for-6 and played seven innings at shortstop in a minor-league game Tuesday. He's set to play in his first Cactus League game tonight against Kansas City in Surprise, Ariz. Manager Bob Geren estimated Crosby would play three to five innings. ... Lou Merloni started at third base and hit a three-run homer in the second inning against Chicago. ... Lefty reliever Jay Marshall pitched a scoreless inning. ... Left-hander Brad Halsey, in contention for the fifth starter's spot, pitched the final three innings and gave up two runs and five hits while earning the save. He struck out Josh Fields looking to end the game with runners on the corners. Geren characterized the battle for the last rotation spot as "wide open."

By Joe Stiglich
Via: www.contracostatimes.com