Kuzul

Former Yankees manager Casey Stengel was photographed holding a baseball and gazing at it, as if it were a crystal ball, right after he was hired in 1949. Many Yankee staffers winced when they saw the pictures, but whatever he saw, it must have been good, because not only did he win the World Series his first year on the job, but he won the next four after that.

Stengel would win a total of seven World Series titles in his 12 years with the Yankees.

If it worked for Stengel then it could work for Brian Cashman now, who is about to embark upon what could be the most tumultuous offseason he has ever experienced. Three of the core four Yankees have expiring contracts, and Cashman must decide for how long and how much he is going to bring them back for, while keeping in mind that all three of them growing older by the day. He also has a manager to re-sign.

After the in-house duties are done, he must turn his attention to improving his team in the free agent and trade market, where Cy Young award winners Cliff Lee and Zack Greinke both await, along with Carl Crawford, Adam Dunn, Adrain Beltre and Jayson Werth.

After all of that, he has some more tough decisions to make regarding the starting catching job, with Jorge Posada, Francisco Cervelli and Jesus Montero all viable candidates.

He certainly has a lot on his plate and after gazing into a crystal ball, this is what he should see happen in the coming months.

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Via the NY Post:

Johnny Damon will be wearing a new hat next season and he is very open to it having NY on the front of it.

“I would love to have that as an option,” Damon told The Post when asked if Johnny II in The Bronx were a possibility. “It would be very exciting to go back there.”

Damon was informed by the Tigers they will look elsewhere to find a designated hitter and since they have young outfielders, it’s time for the 36-year-old with 2,571 career hits to move on.

“They told me they are looking for a prototypical type DH like Adam Dunn,” Damon said. “They said they need that type of bat in the middle of order. I am a No. 1 or 2 guy, so…”

Damon’s OPS dropped nearly 100 points this season, and he was limited to just 36 games in the outfield while DHing in 97 other games. He earned $8 million and repeatedly turned down offers to rejoin the Yankees at around $4 million.

He may want to rejoin the Yankees in 2011, but it’s hard to imagine them even offering him the $4 million they offered him a year ago. He may not even have a clearly defined role even if Lance Berkman, Marcus Thames, and Nick Johnson do not return, as Jorge Posada will probably have to DH more than ever with Jesus Montero coming up.

So realistically, Damon is probably only coming back to the Bronx if he accepts a bench role at much less money than he is accustomed to earning.

Related Stories

• October 9, 2010 — Yankees News: $40 Parking, Hughes, Sabathia, Pettitte, and More
• August 24, 2010 — Red Sox Claim Johnny Damon Off Waivers; Damon Rejects
• May 28, 2010 — Cashman Made A Mistake Signing Winn
• April 28, 2010 — Damon Gets His World Series Ring

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

We interrupt this 2010 AL East Division Chase to bring you this important update:

The Tampa Bay Rays are “All In” in 2010, and have no chips left for 2011.

Can we hit the pause button here?

Instead of focusing on how the Rays are defying logic, gravity, and every law possible by going neck-and-neck with the New York Yankees for 150 games, the attention in this huge final series showdown against New York is this:

The Rays will cut their payroll in 2011 and in turn cut their playoff chances as well.

The New York media swarmed around Rays owner Stu Sternberg, and as always the case, the conversation turned to payroll and attendance.  Sternberg reiterated the payroll will go down.  And with the Rays drawing less than 1.9 million fans for the season, it’s no wonder why.  The outgoing expenses must match the incoming revenues.

Imagine that:  An American living within a budget.

At first glance, it would appear that Sternberg is the one who is saying the Rays playoff hopes end this year.  Nay, nay!  National media such as ESPN’s Buster Olney and local media such as St. Pete Times John Romano have taken Sternberg’s comments about payroll and given the assumption of a step back forthcoming.  They have essentially told fans to enjoy what they have because after this year they won’t have it anymore.  And when these players leave, you should temper expectations of keeping up with the Joneses, or in this case, Boston and New York.

Is it 2008 again?  Have I taken a nap and somehow went back in time instead of forward?  Have I fallen and hit my head? 

The Rays’ Cinderella ’08 season was considered a fluke. One-year wonder.  And national media used the 2009 season as the evidence.  But then a funny thing happened:

The Rays started winning again.

Never mind that this is the Rays’ third consecutive winning season.  Never mind that this is the Rays’ second division crown chase in three years.  Never mind this is the Rays’ second postseason berth in three years.

It cannot be sustained.  The Rays cannot win without Carl Crawford, Rafael Soriano, and Carlos Pena.  The Rays cannot win by trading Matt Garza, B.J. Upton, and Jason Bartlett.  The Rays cannot win by reducing their payroll.

The national pundits sure like to be proven wrong.

Consider them wrong again.

Here are six reasons why the Tampa Bay Rays will contend for their third postseason berth in four years in 2011:

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If you’ve wondered why a former baseball team is calling and begging, why the large-market Red Sox franchise is finally targeting the hitting specialist in a return that seems very valuable and useful in the friendly confines of Boston, it’s because he had been classified as a hero in a place where the enthusiastic fans idolize and worship baseball.

Suddenly, Johnny Damon knows he needs the Red Sox, but he is rebuffing interest where he ripened as a savior in a town that is accustomed to winning and, more than anything, snapping one of the more dreadful curses in recent memory.

Suddenly, the Red Sox need Damon, a bygone caveman who once resembled the Geico creatures from its commercial ads.

But Damon is leaning towards remaining a member of the Detroit Tigers. He has no desire to return to Fenway Park, arguably the friendliest and oldest ballpark in America, a structure that sells out a capacity crowd nearly in every game. It would be a return to the team he called home, the team with the wildest celebration of the last decade. It was a decade when the Red Sox cured lapses of hopelessness and snapped an unpleasant curse.

Damon helped the team’s cause and infatuated a fervid baseball town.

If he can return to his former locale, this is a precept of considerably good fortune, welcomed back to aid his former team in pursuit of a postseason chase. Never mind that he left the town behind for its bitter rival the New York Yankees, abruptly departing a population that adored and empowered him. Never mind that he was viewed as an enemy for representing pinstripes and sadly erasing all the indelible moments of 2004, the historic moment in sports when the Red Sox trailed 3-0, but came back to defeat its nemesis the Yankees in the ALCS.

In the end, however, it didn’t matter. The Red Sox had captured their first World Series title in 86 years.

These days, the fans are willing to forgive the past betrayal and welcome Damon back to Beantown with loud cheers and warm receptions. The most recent news is that the Red Sox placed a waiver claim on Damon, the famous savior that once relived the dinosaur age, and caused vital damage in a mesmerizing postseason in the last decade.

It’s telling that he has a no-trade cause that specifically reveals the Red Sox as potential contenders of claiming sole possession of the outfielder. What seems plausible is that Damon, once known as the villainous icon, unfavorably for the heartbreaking departure that angered the Green Monster devotees in Boston, is that he will return in a Red Sox uniform.

All he would need to electrify the crowd sitting in the Monster seats or the coziest ballpark seats is productivity.

What we do know is that Damon’s recent comments on how the Yankees organization and fans treat players respectively is inanely insulting to Red Sox Nation, filled with animosity and disgust.

His penchant for neglecting the Red Sox is surely creating much buzz and drama these days, comfortably abandoning his former club when they are trying to amiably welcome him back.

As confusing as it seems, the Red Sox’ strategy is to lure the temperamental outfielder back into the organization where he can elevate his legacy, all while catering to Boston’s postseason surge.

Thus far, Beantown’s team is devoid of a World Series title and robust outfielders, and can fittingly add some depth on a depleted roster by snatching Damon from the inferior Detroit Tigers, a team that is under .500 and 10 games out of the AL Central picture. It’s time for everyone to realize that in a depressed town, where the auto industry has taken a drastic plunge, where unemployment rates have increasingly risen, and where the Tigers aren’t close to contending, Damon shouldn’t be hesitant on opting to leave Motown.

The thing is, he represented Boston as the renaissance man for his timely hitting and presence in the outfield and was resilient as a clutch performer in arguably the greatest series in baseball history, an event that epically cemented the beauty of the game. Damon’s accomplishments should have never been overshadowed, subsequently by his uncivil departure, leaving a beloved town in anguish for an archenemy.

Whatever else is on his mind, he’s leery about putting on a Red Sox uniform and distraught by the way he was treated in his return to Boston when the boorish fans serenaded unpleasantly. With all apologies, a large cult would be amped because of his return and once again applaud the savior of a classic rebirth, one that has become indicative of a cultural standpoint that baseball is the realm of all humanity.

He who was once known as Johnny Demon can now be characterized as Johnny Damon, only if he accepts the offer and erases the images of pinstripes by pleasing the citizens of Red Sox Nation.

An American trait is to view sports teams as a brand, with iconic symbols. Damon was such an icon as he refined his style and game, produced wins and fueled the hearts of fans. He benefited the Red Sox with aggressive base running and solid hitting.

The elements that define the culture of Boston baseball are Curt Schillings’ bloody sock and Damon’s fluffy beard and wild hairstyle, a stylish fad at the time.

Those days are gone when Damon was superstitious, and wouldn’t shave off his hair or beard, which resulted in a breakable curse and a title many believe should be asterisked for the recent revelations of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz steroid scandals.

Either way, the Red Sox won it all that year and now are prepared to embrace the return of Damon.

What is obvious, of course, is that Boston is hindered by defensive flaws and uncontrollable injuries. Without the explosiveness of Jacoby Ellsbury, the Red Sox are degenerating in the outfield. Mike Cameron isn’t as effective, but signed with Boston to qualify for an outfielder’s position.

If Damon comes back to home sweet home, it’s a smart move. If he comes back, the Red Sox benefit by adding a veteran bat to solidify the batting order and enhance the productivity of each at-bat. If he comes back, it cures all the outfield woes and installs a sense of belief.

If he mends an awful relationship and comes back by accepting the fans that endeared him, then Damon will be greatly forgiven.

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Johnny Damon was a larger than life figure in Boston after the Red Sox won their first World Series in 2004 after an 86-year drought.

On Tuesday, Damon declined an opportunity to return to Boston after the team claimed him on waivers from Detroit.

The Red Sox could use a spark, as they are six games behind the Rays and Yankees for first place in the AL East, and Damon seemed like a logical fit.

However, Damon is a much different player and person now than he was in 2004 while playing in Beantown.

In 2004 Damon was a bearded, long-haired member of the “idiots” while playing for the Red Sox, but he is now a clean-cut member of the Tigers youth movement. Damon batted .304 with 20 home runs for the Red Sox, but he is hitting .273 with seven home runs this season for the Tigers.

Damon set the pace for the Red Sox league-leading offense in 2004, leading the team with 189 hits and getting on base so that Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz could drive him in.

Manny is gone and Ortiz is no longer the .300 hitter that came up clutch every time the team called on him.

Had Damon returned to Boston he would have encountered a much different team and atmosphere than the one he played for in 2004.

On Tuesday, Damon said “I love Detroit,” and he also said that he didn’t want to send a message to his Tigers teammates that he was giving up on their season by rejoining the Red Sox.

Realistically the Tigers’ season is over as they are nine games back of the AL Central-leading Minnesota Twins.

Damon is 36 years old and says that he likes being a member of a young team that is working to get better.

You have to admire Damon for turning down the opportunity to return to the Red Sox and a team in a better position to make the playoffs. Instead, he chose to stay with a Tigers team he enjoys playing for, in a city he enjoys playing in.

Damon knows what kind of spotlight he would be under playing in Boston, and the spotlight is something Damon and his laid-back personality prefer to avoid.

Detroit is the perfect city for Damon to play in. He is on a contending team that doesn’t face nearly as much pressure and scrutiny as the Red Sox do each and every day.

Damon has decided to stay a member of the Tigers for at least the remainder of this season, and has said that he would like to finish his playing career in Detroit. Damon should be a solid player for at least a few more years as the Tigers continue to develop their young talent.

Red Sox Nation took a big hit on Tuesday when Damon spurned them to stay in Detroit.

Boston needed Johnny Damon, but Johnny Damon didn’t need Boston.

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The Detroit sports fans are an easily scorned bunch.

When they’re happy and when it’s moved them, the Detroit sports fans have long cheered the miscreants, the black sheep types. They’ve leapt from their seats to yell themselves hoarse for pugilistic, alcoholic, drug-taking hockey players. Players coming off suspension have been greeted like returning war heroes.

They’ve also booed mightily at some of the most talented athletes to ever roll through this town.

The basis for this is quite simple: work hard and show that you want to be here, want to be one of us, and we’re behind you through thick and thin.

But display a desire to be elsewhere, and you’ll get a swift kick between the back pockets.

The Detroit sports fan is fiercely loyal, maybe to a fault. And he/she expects that same loyalty from the athletes wearing the city’s uniform colors.

I’ve seen them go mad for Bob Probert, when Probie was living in an apartment close enough to Joe Louis Arena so he didn’t have to drive—because he couldn’t, thanks to legal issues. I’ve seen them rise and roar for him when he battled the Blackhawks, the bottle, and cocaine.

I’ve also seen them mercilessly boo Sergei Fedorov, a player infinitely more talented than Probert who defected from Russia and helped the team win three Stanley Cups, because Fedorov had the temerity to flee as a free agent.

Because of this insecurity that the Detroit sports fans have ingrained in them, Johnny Damon should forever be a member of their fraternity.

Damon has rejected a trade to the Boston Red Sox. He’s turned his back on a better playoff race, and playing for a higher profile team. He’s said no to chasing the Yankees and the Rays, being on ESPN every week, and a chance to rekindle old, strong teammate relationships.

Damon has pulled a reverse from the playbook. Normally it’s the Detroit teams that lose players to the brighter lights of fame and relevance.

Damon, 36, was placed on waivers and the Red Sox claimed him. He had roughly 48 hours to approve a trade to Boston, since the BoSox were not one of the eight teams to which Damon would consent being traded.

The Red Sox wanted him for real. They say it wasn’t merely a procedural move to keep the Yankees and Rays from making a play for him. Red Sox players of the magnitude of Jason Varitek and David Ortiz reportedly reached out to Damon, campaigning for him to return to Boston, where he spent some of his finest years.

This is where it usually goes against the Detroiters. This is where the celebrated player wont to tell us it’s been nice and all, that we have a decent town, but that the allure of the Red Sox, or the Celtics, or the Lakers, or the Patriots is too damn much to resist.

Except when it comes to the Red Wings.

But these are the Tigers, and they’re 63-63, nine games out of first place, and seem to be nothing more than destined to finish behind the Twins and White Sox.

This is Detroit, with its hardscrabble town and its beleaguered, unemployed fans, and a baseball team that’s never on ESPN and has fallen out of the playoff race faster than a sinking lead balloon.

No matter. Damon is staying.

“I’m not jumping ship,” he says.

Damon loves the city, the organization, the fans, and being a mentor to all the Toledo Mud Hens surrounding him.

“I’m almost a player-coach,” he said recently, and it was with pride, not prejudice.

Damon likes the Tigers so much that he is making early overtures to come back in 2011, putting some pressure on the front office. He even went so far as to say that had he been traded elsewhere this season, he’d still like to come back next year. And he’d only agree to a trade to a team not on his list of eight if he could be guaranteed that the Tigers would get good young prospects in return.

When was the last time you heard a player say that?

Damon says in his heart he’s a Tiger. And he’s only been a Tiger since February.

The Detroit sports fan eats that stuff up. Damon is exhibiting that desire to be here in spades, belying his relatively short time in town.

What Johnny Damon did this week, nixing a trade to a better team with a more grandiose near future just so he could stay in Detroit and play as a Tiger, won’t soon be forgotten by the sports denizens in this town.

The love he gets here from now on ought to be the 180 degree opposite of the vile he has gotten from Red Sox fans ever since leaving Boston for New York some five years ago.

Damon left a good thing once, and it’s come back to haunt him.

He’s not about to make that same mistake again.

And Detroit will forever love him for it.

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Well, the Johnny Damon saga has ended here in Boston.

He is staying with the Tigers.

I, for one, am glad. Not for the fact that he’s staying with Detroit, but for the fact that I don’t need to hear about it anymore. The absolute foolishness of “Red Sox Nation” is absolutely staggering. It sometimes makes me ashamed to be a Red Sox fan.

Let’s look at this step by step, shall we?

First, you had the announcement of the possible trade (or waiver claim as the case may be). You had the requisite shock and awe by the fan base. This, of course, is not to be confused with the giddiness of Yankee fans by the whiff of desperation they detected coming from Boston with this announcement.

Red Sox fans truly didn’t know what to think. They had spent the last five seasons tearing him down for his supposed betrayal and were now close to having him rejoin the team. It’s a sticky situation.

During the 48 hour period in which Damon had been mulling over his options, Red Sox fans we’re trying to reconcile their feelings. I heard a few people say that he would be “just what the Sox are looking for.”

Maybe he wasn’t the traitorous scumbag everyone was making him out to be, maybe he was the sparkplug for another pennant run.

“Red Sox Nation” was close to lining up to buy their Damon jerseys and planning a Duck Boat parade through downtown that would mess with my commute.

Finally, word came out that Damon would not be coming to Boston.

It was like someone took away Keith Olbermann’s meds, with amount of inane vitriol that spewed forth. He was once again the traitor he always was. The fans started thanking God, since he would have been horrible for this team. All was now right with the world.

Seriously?

The swing from hatred, to rationalization, back to hatred in this 48 hour period was truly astounding. I never understood the hatred. His move to the Yankees was not done as a middle finger to Red Sox fans.

It was done for the money!

I can’t believe how many people took that as a personal affront. It’s not like he came over to your house, punched your mom in the face, took a crap on your bed, and poured sugar in your gas tank on the way out of town.

He went to a competitor who was offering more money for his services. If you leave your job for another job at a competing company for more money, are you a villainous traitor who deserves to rot in hell for all eternity? No!

Baseball is a business.

Like any right minded employee, Damon wanted to earn the maximum amount of money his skill set would bring. I cannot fault the guy for that. We need to stop treating our favorite teams as members of the family and realize that it is a game played by a group of guys who are only playing there because that is where they could receive the most amount of money.

Treating it as anything else just leads to heartbreak.

For me, it leads to a headache, since I need to hear a person make stupid, idiotic comments about how Player X is villainous monster who likes to drink the blood of children because he decided to play for other team.

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Top Five Stories Yesterday

1. Sidney Rice reveals he had hip surgery on Monday and he may miss the first half of the 2010 season.

2. Texas evens its series with Minnesota coming from behind twice to beat the Twins 4-3.

3. Bobby Bowden revealed he was essentially fired at the end of last season by the administration at Florida State in promoting his new book.

4. The Giants slug their way to a big win over Cincinnati and tie Philadelphia for the NL Wild Card after the Phillies lose for the second straight night to Houston.

5. Johnny Damon refuses to return to Boston, preferring to stay in Detroit despite being claimed off waivers by the Red Sox.

Top Five Games Yesterday

1. MLB: Rangers 4, Twins 3: Texas evens the three game series with Minnesota on a game-winning RBI single from Michael Young in the bottom of the seventh inning

2. MLB: Astros 4, Phillies 2: Houston scores two in the top of the 16th inning to beat the Phillies for the second straight night

3. MLB: Pirates 4, Cardinals 3: Neil Walker has all four RBIs for the Bucs as they withstand a ninth inning rally from the Cards who left the bases loaded to end the game

4. MLB: Cubs 5, Nationals 4: Chicago hangs on as Washington scored three in the ninth off of Carlos Marmol and the tying run on second base.

5. MLB: Mets 6, Marlins 5:  New York wins on a walk-off single by Luis Castillo to climb back over .500.

Top Five Performances Yesterday

1. Freddy Sanchez, Giants 2B: 4-for-4 with a HR and an RBI in SF’s 16-5 win over CIN.

2. Rick Porcello, Tigers SP: No runs on two hits with four Ks over seven IP in DET’s 9-1 win over KC.

3. Brandon Phillips, Reds 2B: 3-for-5 with two HRs and two RBIs in CIN’s 16-5 loss to SF.

4. Pablo Sandoval, Giants 3B: 3-for-5 with a HR and four RBIs in SF’s 16-5 win over CIN.

5. Mark Teixeira, Yankees 1B: 4-for-5 with a HR and two RBIs in NYY’s 11-5 win over TOR.

Five Performances That Weren’t So Good Yesterday

1. Ryan Howard, Phillies 1B: 0-for-7 with 5 Ks and got ejected in PHI’s 4-2 loss to HOU.

2. Kyle Davies, Royals 2B: Seven runs on 12 hits in 4.2 IP in KC’s 9-1 loss to DET.

3. Marc Rzepczynski, Blue Jays SP: Six runs on eight hits in three innings in TOR’s 11-5 loss to NYY.

4. Ivan Rodriguez, Nationals C: 0-for-4 with three Ks in WAS’s 5-4 loss to CHC.

5. Brian Tallet, Blue Jays SP: 5 runs on 6 hits in 3 IP in TOR’s 11-5 loss to NYY.

Top Five Events to Follow Today

1. MLB: Braves (73-53) at Rockies (65-60), 3:00 PM: Colorado looks for the sweep of NL East leading Atlanta (Jurrjens (ATL) vs. Rogers (COL))

2. MLB: Rays (78-48) at Angels (62-65), 3:30 PM: Tampa Bay looking for the sweep (Niemann (TB) vs. Haren (LAA))

3. MLB: Reds (72-54) at Giants (71-56), 3:30 PM: San Francisco looking for an important sweep (Bailey (CIN) vs. Bumgarner (SF))

4. MLB: Yankees (78-48) at Blue Jays (65-60), 7:00 PM: Rubber match of the series; (Hughes (NYY) vs. Cecil (TOR))

5. MLB: Twins (72-54) at Rangers (71-54), 8:00 PM, ESPN2: (Good matchup: Duensing (MIN) vs. Wilson (TEX))

Don’t forget you can follow me on Twitter @TheSportsMac and go to www.thesportsmac.com for all of my previous posts.

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Does a bad break-up ever have a happy ending?
 
After being the poster boy for the Red Sox 2004 “Idiots,” current Detroit Tiger OF Johnny Damon could of gone back to the scene of the crime. Damon instead used it as an opportunity to give a subliminal middle finger to the Red Sox organization.
 
The Red Sox claimed Damon off the waiver wire in hopes of bolstering a stale lineup down the stretch. While his career average is down 14 points (.272), he still has provided the veteran leadership needed for a young team like the Tigers.
 
The Red Sox don’t necessarily need his leadership. But the experience of a two-time World Series champ is quite invaluable. Damon knows how to win, he isn’t intimidated by the six-game deficit with five weeks to go scenario the Sox currently find themselves in.
 
The waiver wire pickup could have been to block the two AL East teams currently ahead of the Red Sox in their quest for a seventh postseason appearance in the last eight years.
 
Boston was ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees in the waiver order and both teams (the Rays more than the Yankees) could of had a great deal of curiosity in adding Damon themselves.
 
Damon famously switched allegiances in the biggest rivalry in sports when he bolted from Boston to the Bronx after the ’05 campaign. The beloved Damon became the archenemy for Boston fans.

The ironic part of the saga is that his ’05 season was statistically the best in his career with his .326 average and 35 doubles. Entering the free agent market, only the Yankees could offer him an eye-popping contract. So like most pro-athletes (and virtually everyone that finds themselves in this situation in their line of work) he jumped to the hated rivals.
 
He consistently was booed in his return appearances to Fenway as the fans looked at him in the same light as Benedict Arnold. When he returned to Yankee Stadium earlier this year as a member of the Detroit Tigers, he was showered with cheers and respect. Damon (without the beard) led the Yanks to a World Series in ‘09 and New York fans didn’t forget.
 
The question remains, would Sox fans have booed Damon if he had gone to any team besides the Yankees in ’06? Nobody knows for sure but the bitterness that is in the blood of Boston fans really resonated with Damon.
 
With all of the Red Sox injury problems, Damon’s .358 on base would have certainly bolster their lineup.
 
But would Sox fans learn to cheer him ever again? Maybe that’s a question that can never be answered. It does seem as if this had a part in Damon’s final decision. How big a factor is up for debate.
 
“My teammates are making this decision easier by saying they want me to stay,” Damon told reporters Monday. “My gut and everything else tells me Detroit’s the place for me.”
 
The 63-63 record of the Tigers defines mediocrity. Yet the Tigers are not a lost ship. They have been decimated by injuries and have a plethora of young, talented players on the roster. So don’t discount the patience of Damon as well. MLB should be cautious of the ’11 Tigers, Damon may just be looking ahead.           

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Johnny Damon is a touchy subject for the Red Sox nation even though it’s been almost five seasons since he wore a Red Sox uniform. Some of us are thankful for the 2004 World Series he helped win and some think he should be forever shunned for joining the Yankees. 

Damon clearly thinks that the Nation favors the latter. 

What happened after the 2005 season should be considered water under the bridge. The Red Sox won another World Series in 2007 and even though Damon and the Yanks won last year, it wasn’t like he hit a walk off home run off of Tim Wakefield to get them there. 

I don’t think many Red Sox fans still hold a grudge, and his past few appearances at Fenway seem to back that up. But I don’t think Damon has forgiven the fans and the Nation as a whole. 

Why else would he stay with the Tigers, a team that is clearly not going to the playoffs? They’re ten games back in the division and fifteen back in the wild card. Damon had the answer apparently.

Johnny said that he needed to stay because he needed to finish what he started. What exactly did he start? A playoff run? That doesn’t look like it’s going to happen, not to mention that the word playoff was never mentioned by Damon in his interview with MLB.com. Isn’t the goal of the season to make the playoffs? 

Well then Johnny, you failed. 

Damon also mentioned in an interview about how his teammates wanted him to stay. Well since Damon is regarded as a positive clubhouse presence, this isn’t too surprising. Who wouldn’t want a funny guy in the clubhouse, especially when you live in Detroit? 

It wasn’t about his family, they weren’t mentioned at all when he announced his decision. 

This move was personal. Damon is still mad about 2005. Which is pretty petty considering his declining arm in centerfield, and the fact that David Ortiz was firmly set in the DH slot. Remember that ’05 was his best season. No one but the Yankees were going to pay Damon that kind of money. No one can wipe their ass with hundred dollar bills but the Yankees. 

Damon forfeited a potential third ring with his veto. The Red Sox are surprisingly still in contention despite injuries to practically the entire roster. Their outfield ranks dead last in the AL East in home runs. Damon isn’t exactly a huge HR threat, but he would bring production up by a great deal. His charisma could’ve ignited a morally depleted team. 

Did anyone think the Red Sox were a World Series team during the first few games of the 2004 ALCS? Things might not be looking so great right now, but momentum is huge in baseball. Damon could’ve brought his spirit to Boston. 

Instead of seeing the perky, long haired, charismatic character we all knew and loved, all we can see is a Scrooge who’s content playing for a team that’s going nowhere. Damon is 36-years-old, and the opportunities for an aging DH who doesn’t hit HR’s are dwindling. 

But that doesn’t matter. As long as he gets to spite the Sox one more time. 

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