Recently, the Baltimore Orioles acquired left-handed pitcher Cole Irvin from the Oakland Athletics, along with prospect pitcher Kyle Virbitsky, in exchange for infield prospect Darell Hernaiz.
Entering his prime, Irvin looks to bring a veteran presence to the Orioles’ rotation and clubhouse. Of course, moving across the country, Irvin will be transitioning from West Coast life to East Coast Life.
Irvin is a player who has quite an adventurous life outside of baseball. From charities to a YouTube channel, working with athletic apparel companies and interacting with fans on all platforms, Irvin finds things to keep engaged with the community around him.
One of Irvin’s biggest joys is fishing. When he was younger, Irvin created a business called Swirvin Limited that was going to sell custom rods and athletic apparel. He donates 10 percent of his proceeds to a veterans foundation and then takes 80 percent of his proceeds and reinvests into his apparel.
But Swirvin Irvin is more than just a name. It’s his brand.
“My name is Swirvin Irvin for a reason, and it’s because I don’t do things very traditionally. There’s probably other ways you can take away from Swirvin, but it’s a way for me to really kind of show people I’m more than just a ballplayer, and I love having casual conversations with people.”
– Cole Irvin on his unique name
Though it appears his business did not follow in his initial desire, he has since partnered with Hardcore Fish & Game to help promote their outdoor apparel. Most of his fishing adventures showcase their apparel, and he makes sure to give a shout out to them in his videos and posts.
Of course, with rods comes fishing, and Irvin’s Instagram account is full of different adventures of fishing around the country, sharing the moments with friends, teammates and his fiance Kristen.
One of Irvin’s newest pastimes is helping Kristen in the rescue of animals, most recently adopting a formerly-abused horse they aptly named Hope. They are big in working with animal shelters and would drop off donations to Tony LaRussa’s ARF Animal Rescue while also promoting animals for adoption.
In fact, Irvin and his fiance are so devoted to saving animals that they adopted their dog Rocky from Save A Yorkie Rescue.
Irvin will admit that Kristen loves animals more than him, but they work together and are sure to thank the rescues and shelters they work with, making sure their followers are aware of places to help.
Speaking of followers, Irvin’s YouTube channel dives into pitching videos and lessons, gaming with his fans, golf, fishing and even tours of baseball equipment factories. It’s a chance to interact one-on-one with him.
“I’m only doing things where I know I can. It’s not overwhelming. It’s all about fan interaction for me, trying to do my best to give people happiness and joy about coming to a ballgame or interacting with a player.”
– Cole Irvin on fan interaction and experiences
The 2023 season is just around the corner, but Irvin wasted no time reaching out to fans and making his presence known on Orioles Twitter. Of course, as fans, we are anxious to see what he brings on the mound.
“One thing I will leave you with is this. A coach once told me to STAY BALANCED, and he was not referring to baseball. In life, we have challenges awaiting us every day, and the better we do at keeping our life needle in the middle, the more enjoyment in life we will have and spread to those around us. Meaning, never get too high or too low. Balance is the key to baseball but also in life.”
– Cole Irvin on wisdom and advice handed down to him
Welcome to Birdland, Cole. May you bring balance and success, not only on the field but in life as well.
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