Swanson was one of the fastest men in baseball in his time. During a contest held on September 15, 1929, between games of a doubleheader, he circled the bases in 13.3 seconds and that record still stands. (Some sources claim his time was 13.4.) A year later, on September 21, 1930, in a minor league field meet in Columbus, Ohio, Swanson circled the bases in 13.2 seconds, giving him both the fastest time as a minor leaguer.[1]