India, Oct. 25 -- I woke up this morning, and said to myself, 'I think we need to party today'." That sums up the energy of former American baseball star Nick Swisher. The 45-year-old, who arrived in Mumbai on Friday for his first India visit, is here for Major League Baseball's (MLB) first MLBx event in the country, being held today at Mumbai Football Arena. The event will see baseball and softball stars team up with Indian cricketers for a three-on-three competition. The 2009 World Series champion with the New York Yankees has also earned himself a desi nickname, Swisher bhai! "I'll take it. Yes, that's me, Swisher bhai, baby. I'm hopefully going to come over here and make a mark," he says. Swisher, who has 245 career home runs, believes India can produce more baseball stars like Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel, who signed minor league contracts with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2008. "One of the things I've realised from being here is that it takes time for traditions. Any adjustments or changes take a little bit of time... Cricket is one of the greatest sports in the world. Obviously, it is massive here. We have had some Indian stars come over to our game, which is amazing. The movie, Million Dollar Arm (2014), really helped out," he says, referring to the film inspired by Singh and Patel. He believes young Indians need sporting heroes they can identify with. "If you see somebody on television that looks like you and is from where you are, you think it's possible. So, that's one of the things that I really think we need. More Indian stars must come out, start playing a little bit more of our game, just give us that exposure, because then the young kids will look up to them," he adds. Ask him what he'd tell Indian parents who consider sports a distraction from academics, and Swisher draws from his own experience. "Athletics and sports gave me everything that I have, gave me the roof over my head, the car that I drive, the food that I eat. But once again, it's about being able to find your time. Because one of the things that I tell my high school students is if you are an athlete, you are a leader. And that means that you have to be in the front of the classroom... You're getting good grades, setting the tone." The same rules apply to his daughters, Emerson Jay (16) and Sailor Stevie (10). Away from baseball, Swisher is keen to explore Indian cuisine: "I've noticed a lot of lamb dishes here so far... but I haven't really eaten a lot. I'm really excited to try all the local delicacies. To get an opportunity to come to India has been a blessing... I want to dig into everything - the culture, food, people." And what has impressed him most about Mumbai? "The heart of the people that are here! That's been the nicest thing. Because whenever you go to a big city, not everybody's always crazy nice. But being able to come to Mumbai, to be able to have the love shown to us the way that we have... I could not be happier to be here."...