va_techfootball 10 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Yankees prove to be Johnny on the spot By Buster Olney ESPN The Magazine Scott Boras, the player's agent, initially asked for seven years, and the Yankees said no way. Six years? Nope. Five years and a vesting option for a sixth year? No. As recently as Monday, some Yankees' officials were convinced that they really didn't have a shot at Damon, that eventually, the Boston Red Sox would take control of the bidding; Damon had become such an important player to the Red Sox, particularly in a winter in which slugger Manny Ramirez had indicated he wanted to be traded. But as Boston maintained its stance of a four-year offer, the contract term asked for by Boras gradually came within range of the Yankees. Boras indicated Damon would talk about four years. "It was like we were hunting duck," said a New York official Tuesday night. "We were not going to go to five years or beyond, but if he wanted to talk about four years, we were going to be aggressive and take our shot." On Tuesday, Yankees officials told Boras they needed an answer by midnight, because there was a possibility that another center fielder would become available -- maybe someone like Corey Patterson of the Cubs. If Damon wouldn't take their four-year, $52 million offer, they were going to go in another direction. For the Damon camp, this was crucial: If the Yankees had gone out and made a deal for Patterson or some other center fielder, Damon's leverage in dealing with Boston, and getting the Red Sox to move off of their four-year offer, would have been gone. Without any indication that Boston was going to budge to a fifth-year, Damon and Boras bit on the Yankees' offer, immediately shifting the balance of power in the American League East. Damon is, for now, exactly what the Yankees needed: A center fielder who could hit leadoff. Last year, Damon had 197 hits and 53 walks, including 51 extra-base hits, and now he will bat ahead of three players who might be Hall of Famers, eventually -- Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Gary Sheffield. He'll hit ahead of Jason Giambi and Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada and Robinson Cano, and give the Yankees improved athleticism at a time when the team is starved for speed. At the same time, the Damon deal is devastating for the Red Sox. They've seen other parts of their lineup undergo change, with the departure of Bill Mueller, the change at shortstop with the departure of Edgar Renteria. They had added proven veterans in Mike Lowell and Mark Loretta, but the lineup that had begun to take shape was filled with a lot of guys who can't run. As long as Damon was re-signed, to hit in front of David Ortiz and Ramirez, the key components of an offense that averaged six runs per game would remain in place. Now, however, the Red Sox are left to scramble, having seen one of their best players defect to their hated rival. Now it's Boston that will be left to sift through imperfect solutions -- perhaps a deal for Seattle center fielder Jeremy Reed, a talented but unproven player, or the acquisition of Patterson. Now it is the Red Sox who don't have a center fielder. The loss of Damon will be cast against the backdrop of Boston's front office alterations this offseason. Whoever was calling the shots in the last week -- John Henry, or Larry Lucchino, or co-general managers with an advisor whispering in their ears -- the failure to re-sign Damon can't be viewed, within the current market, as anything other than a colossal mistake. Boston had the power and the resources to control these negotiations, in the end, to take the Damon bidding out of range of the Yankees, and the Red Sox needed to keep Damon. In a winter in which Rafael Furcal got three years and $39 million, and in the first winter after J.D. Drew signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the Dodgers, a five-year contract for Damon would have been reasonable -- and that's about where the Yankees thought Boston would take the bidding, and win it. But one of the game's best leadoff hitters fell into their laps, and they are happy to take him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluefield_Rules 46 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Disgusting! I HATE baseball and will until a salary cap is put into place... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beaverbaseball 10 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Disgusting! I HATE baseball and will until a salary cap is put into place... [/ QUOTE ] I love baseball and I agree a salary cap needs to be put in... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zach 10 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 Well, there goes another one of our good players thats actually under30!!! Or is he 30? Well still, he had more years outta him, no we have to rely on Mark Loretta for leadoff?!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted December 21, 2005 If you beat the yankees The next year they'll go out and buy you... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee 10 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 if the yankees dont win this year im going to be ticked ... we have the all-star team bassically lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 How could you feel any pride if the Yankees do win? Their payroll is more than double the average and about 7 or 8 times as much as the lowest payroll. Every other team out there is nothing but a farm club for them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
va_techfootball 10 Author Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 [ QUOTE ] Well, there goes another one of our good players thats actually under30!!! Or is he 30? Well still, he had more years outta him, no we have to rely on Mark Loretta for leadoff?!?! [/ QUOTE ] Damon is 32. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee 10 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 I cant help it that there is no cap and they are rich and can afford the players. ive always liked them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH31 2,518 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 Back when i actually liked mlb baseball red sox were my fav team, i always hated the yankees. Kinda still makes me mad to see em go, but anyway mlb is a joke to me anymore.. can't stand to hear about it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigD4VT 11 Report Share Posted December 22, 2005 It isn't about rich and poor. It's about destroying the game. Stienbrenner can spend more on one player than some teams can spend on their entire roster If baseball doesn't find parity soon it won't survive. People are going to get tired of buying tickets, hats, shirts etc., only to see their favorite players take the money and run to the Yankees. You may be too young to remember, but baseball was on it's way out before Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa and Barry Bonds brought in a new generation of fans by "juicing" their way into the record books. Baseball is on thin ice right now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bulldogs52 483 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 Well its the same as last year with the people they have they should win the big one every year!!! But thats why you play the game. Yankees just suck!!! lol Ted please come back and buy the Braves please!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zach 10 Report Share Posted December 23, 2005 My bad, but with the sucky years in KC, I didn't think he owuld count them lol. Yeah, I think its a NY thing now, with the Mets getting alot of Red Sox, and now Dodgers..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uscgamecocks 10 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 Isn't Roger Clemons considering signing with the Yankees also? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluefieldRocks 14 Report Share Posted December 24, 2005 Only thing i can say about this is johnny damon is a traitor to the red-sox nation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EH31 2,518 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 johnny looks completely diff. w/o his hair and beard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deleted Account 5,203 Report Share Posted December 25, 2005 He went from Neanderthal to girly-man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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