http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseb...,6589698,print.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines Heeeeeeere's Johnny Yanks sign Damon for centerfield BY JON HEYMAN AND KEN DAVIDOFF STAFF WRITERS December 20, 2005, 10:47 PM EST In a development that may stun followers of baseball's greatest rivalry, Boston's beloved Johnny Damon agreed Tuesday night to jump ship and join the hated Yankees, Newsday has learned. Damon and the Yankees were putting the finishing touches on a four-year, $52-million contract, according to multiple sources. The Damon deal is contingent upon him passing a physical, but considering he's never spent a day on the disabled list, there's no concern there. The signing represents a major coup for the Yankees not only because it finally fills their obvious void in centerfield but because they also weaken their despised rival with this bold stroke. Top-level Yankees people feared that the buzz that Damon would not leave Boston was correct, but that all changed in recent days when it became apparent to them that something was amiss in the negotiations between Damon and the team he'd spent four mostly glorious years with. The Yankees have been insistent all along that they would not go beyond four years for the 32-year-old Damon, and they may have surprised themselves by accomplishing their mission without wrecking their plan. Their concession was to pay Damon $13 million annually, which is actually slightly above his original asking price of $12 million. Damon is also to receive a no-trade clause as part of the deal. Damon is really the perfect acquisition for the Yankees, particularly after it became clear that other centerfield targets Torii Hunter and Vernon Wells were not on the market barring exorbitant pricetags in terms of player compensation. Damon only costs the Yankees money, and even adding his $13 million salary, their payroll should still drop from $205 million. Damon is an exceptional leadoff hitter who can track flyballs in centerfield with the best of them. His lone weakness is his throwing arm. Damon hit .316 in 2005 with 10 home runs, 75 RBIs and 18 stolen bases in 19 attempts. He is a .290 career hitter who's hit as many as 20 home runs in a season and stolen as many as 46 bases. Few thought he would leave Boston, where he became a World Champion, an "Idiot" and a best-selling author. However, he was upset that several of his friends were not re-signed, starting with Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe last year and continuing with Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller this year. In an interview two weeks ago with Newsday, Damon, obviously irritated with how his talks with Boston were going, said, "They're just one of the teams in the market right now. They've had all the time the world, and I've given them every chance before last season and during the season.'' He also warned, "They've got to step up … They've dragged their feet long enough.'' Apparently, Boston never did. They reportedly offered $40 million over four years. While Damon went into the offseason preferring to remain in Boston, a place he loved, he started to become annoyed at their unwillingness to pay close to what he figured the market told him he was worth. Apparently, the Red Sox were unwilling to break the bank for Damon. Perhaps their efforts in recent days to acquire Coco Crisp, a potential replacement, tipped off their belief that they would be unable to retain Damon. Damon had been hoping to receive a seven-year contract. His agent Scott Boras distributed a book comparing Damon's durability to Cal Ripken Jr. and projecting that Damon would get his 3,000th hit in exactly seven years, the term they sought. Copyright 2005 Newsday Inc.
Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I hate the Yankees! Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!
I hate thats hes going to the Yanks, but at least he'll shave, and not look like an ape anymore with all that hair
No need to flame. A couple points that still need to be considered is that he is not a guarantee to be the CF. It's very possible he could DH and have a guy like Bubba Crosby or trade for Jeremy Reed to fill the CF gap. I would actually prefer that. Doing this would fill the DH position as well as CF. DAMON!!!! Also the Dotel signing for the 7th kicks ass.
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Nice to see the Yanks payroll drop back down to only $205 million. $13 Mil for a weak armed slap hitter is a bit much. He's fantasy first half killer, typically batting .250 for 2 months out of the gate.
He is highly overrated... and now highly overpaid. The only reason he is even known is because he played in Boston. I'll take Taveras and his sub one million dollar payroll hit for the next 3 years.
Damon's OBP: 366, also one of the most patient hitters in the game Taveras's OBP: 325 Johnny Damon's AVG w/ RISP :331 Willy Taveras's AVG w/ RISP: 218 EDIT: I just noticed... slap hitter? Unless you consider Biggio a slap hitter as well I agree with that. They have very similar Slg %. Damon is an all around complete hitter that goes the other way and can pull the ball as well. He lead the league with hits with 2 strikes last year. Willy T does have a much better arm than Damon, I give you that. However Damon covers more ground which is evident by his zone rating. Damon's ZR: 88 Taveras ZR: 86 Damon's First Half:343, and who really cares what he does for a fantasty league? And as far as the payroll, it sits around the 170-180 million $ range. Lowered drastically by losing Kevin Brown's and Bernie Williams contracts.
I love seeing Boston losing something good....but I don't like seeing the Yankees having a good time either. Kind of mixed feelings. Oh well.
Go Yankees. I would have preferred Vernon Wells, but not having to give up any players is nice. Next on the wish list, a backup catcher that is not worse with the bat than the guys he's catching.
Kelly Stinnett, backup catcher, and Randy's personal catcher. He caught Randy when he was with the D-Backs.
