[5] In 19th century baseball, since the vast majority of games were finished by the starting pitcher, the swingman role did not exist.
Early examples included star pitchers such as Mordecai Brown and Ed Walsh (both in the Baseball Hall of Fame) as well as pioneers of the relief role such as Doc Crandall and Firpo Marberry.
[6] In the 1950s and 1960s, strict starting rotations and specific roles for relief pitchers became standard; these trends reduced the prevalence of swingmen.
[9] Swingmen are also valuable in the postseason, when they may be needed to replace a struggling starter early in a game and pitch multiple innings while keeping the score close.
In ice hockey, a swingman is a player that could play both defenseman and forward, such as Brent Burns of the San Jose Sharks, Dustin Byfuglien of the Winnipeg Jets, Brendan Smith of the New York Rangers and Calder Cup Champion Paul Bissonnette.