Swartwood played for the Buffalo Bisons (1881), Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates (1882–84, 1892), Brooklyn Grays (1885–87), and Toledo Maumees (1890).
Swartwood played for the Buffalo Bisons from 1881 to 1884. He also played for the Pittsburgh Alleghenys/Pirates, Brooklyn Grays, and Toledo Maumees between 1882 and 1892.