Posted in: Nerd Food, Pop Culture, Sports | Tagged: Angry orchard, Nick Swisher, yankees

Angry Orchard Gave a Local Rec Baseball Team a Yankees Ringer

Angry Orchard decided to help out the worst local baseball rec league team in the country with some help from Nick Swisher.

Published Wed, 12 Aug 2026 21:36:11 -0500

by Gavin Sheehan

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Article Summary

Angry Orchard searched the country for one of America’s worst rec softball teams and picked NYC’s Sons of Pitches.
To boost morale, Angry Orchard sent in former Yankees outfielder and World Series champion Nick Swisher.
The team carried a 14-game losing streak but kept showing up, matching Angry Orchard’s fun-over-frustration spirit.
Fans can watch Angry Orchard’s Super Sub surprise unfold on YouTube and social channels as Swisher joins the lineup.

Angry Orchard held a special promotion this month, deciding to give one of the worst local recreational baseball teams some help in the form of a World Series champion. The concept behind the promotion is simple: have you ever joined a rec league for fun, just to run into tryhards who make the game all about them and ruin the fun? The company decided to combat that by giving the rec league equivalent of the Bad News Bears some help with a ringer: former Yankees outfielder and World Series champ Nick Swisher. You can check out photos and more info about the promotion below.

Angry Orchard Teams With Nick Swisher to Give One Baseball Team a Ringer

After scouring the country for one of the worst rec softball teams in America, the brand sent in baseball legend Nick Swisher as its Angry Orchard Super Sub, a surprise stand-in player who suited up and joined the team for a game they'll never forget. Because when life hands you a tough inning—or a whole season—Don't Get Angry, Get Orchard. The team that earned the Angry Orchard Super Sub? Sons of Pitches, a rec team out of New York City that had plenty of reasons to get angry this season.

But instead of letting the frustration of a 14-game losing streak get the best of them, they kept coming back for more, proving that a bad season doesn't have to ruin a good time. Fans can watch the action unfold across Angry Orchard's YouTube and other social channels as Swisher surprised the team, stepped into the lineup, and brought some much-needed fun to a season that hadn't gone their way.

: Former Yankees champion Nick Swisher is seen at Angry Orchard Super Subs game with the Sons of Pitches softball team  at Central Park on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 in New York, NY. (Angelina Katsanis/AP Content Services for Angry Orchard)

: Former Yankees champion Nick Swisher raises an Angry Orchard cider in a toast with Sons of Pitches teammates following the Angry Orchard Super Subs game in Central Park on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 in New York, NY. (Angelina Katsanis/AP Content Services for Angry Orchard)

: Nick Swisher celebrates on the field with Sons of Pitches during the Angry Orchard Super Subs event in on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 in New York, NY. (Angelina Katsanis/AP Content Services for Angry Orchard)

: Nick Swisher takes the field with Sons of Pitches during the Angry Orchard Super Subs event in on Sunday, Aug. 9, 2026 in New York, NY. (Angelina Katsanis/AP Content Services for Angry Orchard)

"I've played in front of packed stadiums, in playoff games and in high-stakes moments with a lot on the line," said Swisher. "And every athlete knows the feeling of a tough loss. But if you're going to have a rough season, the least you can do is have some fun with it. That's what I loved about this team and what Angry Orchard celebrates: finding the good times, even when the scoreboard isn't on your side."

"Angry Orchard is all about finding the fun in life's frustrating moments," said John Dorman, senior director of marketing at Angry Orchard. "You can get angry about it, or you can laugh it off with a cold cider in hand. That's why we sent in Angry Orchard Super Sub Nick Swisher to surprise a team that never let a tough season get in the way of having fun."

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