Ba-Bye Jonny...

[Stoneman]

Fuck him. He'll NEVER be the player that he was at Fenway. Never. Now let's see how the brass responds...

[Stoneman]

Apparently, Damon's goals changed over the past eight months, as he told MLB.com in early May that money would not be the determining factor in his decision.

"There's no way I can go play for the Yankees, but I know they're going to come after me hard," he said on May 3. "It's definitely not the most important thing to go out there for the top dollar, which the Yankees are going to offer me. It's not what I need."

[mikeb]

he was a great player for us. now excuse me while burn my damon t-shirts

[bump909]

later pretty boy!

[Lucky13]

He may be a Yankee now, but he will always be an Idiot.

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by T-595 Greg
maybe he'll get a haircut.

Believe it or not, he has to now. No long hair, no beard. That's their policy...

[Brian_C6]

The guy was talking retirement 4 years ago. He's getting old, his stolen base #'s are down, he's getting slower, and his arm is petite. He's a quality bat... that's all. DH = Power. The Red Sox were very repsectable and responsible for offering him 10/4. He can join the rest of the retiries in NY. I'm waiting for Steinbrenner to move his team to Florida.... after all, Florida is the place everyone moves when they get old, isn't it?

Brian

[SWEET_Z]

Don't blame Johnny. The real Idiots on the Red Sox are in the front office. All they needed to do was give him a 5th year and he'd been locked down.

[Legion1440]

I don't blame the sox for not giving him 5 years. I think the yankess will be regretting this contract after two years. Although Damon has been a hell of a player for the sox, he has no arm left and is starting to slow down. Not to mention the fact that center field in new york is a lot bigger than at fenway.

[Brian_C6]

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
Don't blame Johnny. The real Idiots on the Red Sox are in the front office. All they needed to do was give him a 5th year and he'd been locked down.

5th year... LOL!! Would you pay 13 million to a 38 year old man who leads off in the upper .200's, can't steal a base anymore, can't run down a ball, or reach a cut off man? 38 is old for a man primarily known for his speed. Speed deteriorates fast in your upper 30's and he knows it.... that's why he wanted a 5 year deal.

Just like Nomar. Nomar just took a 6 mil contract to play 1st base for LA. He took 8 mil last year and ended up the DL. The "old" Sox management offered that bozo 15mil/yr and the new management told him to fly a kite.

They have no clue what they are doing? FUNNY FUNNY FUNNY.

[Brian_C6]

Oh, and losing Theo isn't the end of the World. Although he was a good media / relations man, he wasn't the one pulling the strings as it appeared. Lucchino was always the ship captain.
Brian

[Stoneman]

The Yankees didn't give him 5 years either. It was clearly a money (=ego) thing. For that, he'll fit right in with the Yankee's egoes which certainly hasn't gotten 'em very far in recent years...

And is there some time/space thing in New York? He STILL claims it isn't about money, it's about length of contract. Four years is four years, right? Unless of course, there's an extra $50 million involved...

True, he's been a good lead-off hitter FOR BOSTON - and it's obvious he'll help any team's offense. But when you're batting in front of two guys that hit a combined (almost) 300 RBI's and 100 HR's annually, you're bound to cross the plate a few of those times...

As pointed out, he's not a great fielder. He certainly GETS to the ball, but he's never had an outstanding glove and his arm is poop (and that shoulder isn't getting any better). The Sox were more than fair offering him $10 million/year for 4 years. Unfortunitely, the Yankees offered him more and he took it without giving the Sox a chance to counter (from what I've read)...

I like Damon and I'd have liked to seen him stay in Boston. But like so many Red Sox players do, he priced himself outta 'our' market. Personally, I don't think he gave the Sox a fighting chance to resign him. I think he knew before the season was over that he was leaving...

I don't think the Yankees are gonna get four GOOD years outta him. I'd be willing to be he'll be trade bait in a coupla years when his contract won't seem so outta reach (rising contracts, etc) for a lot of teams...

I hate to see him go, and it stings that much more that he's going to New York. But it's not the end of the world. There's a pretty good OF free agent market right now and I'm sure the Sox have been exploring this possibility for some time now...

The Yankees have been building this seemingly powerhouse for years, adding player after player after player. It hasn't gotten 'em very far, has it? Although this'll no doubt make things interesting...

[Brian_C6]

Can't agree more with Stoneman.

I beg to differ about the Yanks getting 4 GOOD seasons out of Damon though. I say they get 2 solid seasons and by the 3rd he's struggling in the outfield... imagine him chasing a well hit ball into deep left center of Yankee Stadium and trying to throw into Jeter. LOL!!!

He will probably bat with more power in Yankee stadium because right field is so short. I think last year Johnny posted 8 of his 10 homeruns in Yankee stadium.

meh... whatever. He's a bozo just like Nomar. We can replace him with anyone IMO.... especially with an extra 12-13 million to find someone. Our offense is just plain out retarded.. it's the Pitching I worry about.

And what's happening at SS?

Brian

[SWEET_Z]

So no Pedro, no Theo, no Damon, no Mueller, no Renteria.

You are right, they are brilliant!

Yes he's gonna lose some speed as he gets older and he's got an average arm. He still has great range. Scores a ton of runs year after year. The stolen bases are down more because of the sluggers behind him than loss of speed. He was 18/19 last year, it's not like he's getting gunned down all of the sudden. Even if he slows down as much as you guys think after 2 years the yanks can just move him over to right.

The 5th year would have been a long deal but we now know the Sox could have had him for 4. All they had to do was go after him.

[Brian_C6]

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
So no Pedro, no Theo, no Damon, no Mueller, no Renteria.

You are right, they are brilliant!

You said it, not me. I agree completely!!
National League is much different than American.... just ask Clemens and many others who make the switch later on in their career. Theo wasn't pulling strings and left because of it. Damon is getting old and is too expensive. Mueller's knees are DONE and isn't he getting old? Actually, I liked Mueller and I'm sure we would have signed him but Lowell was an upgrade... and basically came free with Beckett. And who's Renteria? You mean ERRORIA!!

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
Yes he's gonna lose some speed as he gets older and he's got an average arm. He still has great range. Scores a ton of runs year after year. The stolen bases are down more because of the sluggers behind him than loss of speed. He was 18/19 last year, it's not like he's getting gunned down all of the sudden. Even if he slows down as much as you guys think after 2 years the yanks can just move him over to right.

The 5th year would have been a long deal but we now know the Sox could have had him for 4. All they had to do was go after him.

I think you may have a valid argument there. But, don't you think that after spending $13million on a player, that last thing you should be doing is be planning to move him later if his performance is in question? Paying 13 million... his performance shouldn't even be a thought. Why flirt with that possibility for top dollar? I honestly feel the Johnny Damon of 2002-2005 is worth $10-11 million TOPS.... and I don't expect him to get better with age... exspecially considering what his strengths are.

Brian

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by Brian_C6
Can't agree more with Stoneman.

I beg to differ about the Yanks getting 4 GOOD seasons out of Damon though. I say they get 2 solid seasons

Ya dink! Read what I said...

...that's pretty much what I said...

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
Yes he's gonna lose some speed as he gets older and he's got an average arm. He still has great range. Scores a ton of runs year after year. The stolen bases are down more because of the sluggers behind him than loss of speed.

The sluggers behind him are also a BIG reason he scores 100+ times every year. At .300+ AVG, he obviously played a huge role there too. But he had a TON of help getting pushed across by the big guys...

FWIW-I don't recall questioning his speed...

[Stoneman]

Originally posted by SWEET_Z
...Even if he slows down as much as you guys think...

That wasn't me...

My point(s) were simply that:

A) In MY view, he's BARELY a '$10 million/yr for 4 years' player...

B) It obviously WASN'T about the length of the contract-as he's claimed all along. It was about an extra $2.5 million/yr for the SAME FOUR YEARS the Sox were...

[SWEET_Z]

Baseball salaries are a lot like home prices. Your home is worth what your neighbor sold his for.

Furcal signed with the dodgers for 13 mil for 3yrs. Giles signed for 10 mil for 3. Konerko signed for $12 mil/yr for 5. I think Damon's is at least as good if not better than all those guys. Add in the fact that there are basically no more center fielders on the market and Damon got the contract he deserved.

I don't understand how the sox can offer him 10/mil a year and say take it or leave it. Damon should have been the number one priority for the Sox this off season. He is the catalyst for that offense. When he got hot last year he carried the team with him. They probably could have had him for less than 12 a year if they would have just gone after him.

[Lucky13]

The sluggers behind him are also a BIG reason he scores 100+ times every year. At .300+ AVG, he obviously played a huge role there too. But he had a TON of help getting pushed across by the big guys...

He'll have plenty of help where he's going now...arod, giambi, sheff, mastsui...they have one hell of a line up now.

[Lucky13]

A) In MY view, he's BARELY a '$10 million/yr for 4 years' player...

I think that's exactly what he's worth.

Did Damon ever counter offer the 10mil/4yr deal? I bet if he went to the sox and said the yankees offered 52min/4yr, they could have worked something out..46/4yr or something. I don't think he wanted to comeback or else he would have counter offered. Isn't that how negotiations work?

[benVFR]

Funny thing with speed.. personally I don't think there is a valid reason for baseball players to lose their speed in their 30s. I think it is a combination of them not knowing how to train to keep their speed and just the fact that speed is not the #1 thing baseball players work on.

There are lots of stinking fast runners at 40, who can probably beat almost any MLB player. The fastest baseball players of any age are not that fast if you look at them purely as runners.

Also they could care less cause by the time they're 35 they are so loaded with money they have no motivation to train hard for anything anymore.

[SWEET_Z]

Originally posted by Lucky13
Did Damon ever counter offer the 10mil/4yr deal? I bet if he went to the sox and said the yankees offered 52min/4yr, they could have worked something out..46/4yr or something.

From what I've heard on sports radio his agent contacted the Sox after the yanks offered 48/4 and Boston said they didn't want to go anywhere near that. Then Damon said he wanted 52/4 and they had a deal.

[Lucky13]

hmmm... I heard on weei the yankmees offered him 52/5 on Tuesday, and he said make it 52/4 and we have a deal.

We'll never know the truth anyway..I'm not heartbroken he's gone, but now the sox are in a real pickle. Everyone knows they need a centerfield. The Sox will probably end up overpaying for whatever they can get.

[Karaya One]

Two words - guarenteed money.

He got the ring, now he gets paid. He's all set.