Can it be true? Johnny Damon, arguably the best lead-off hitter in baseball, bad-boy icon of the 2004 curse-of-the-Bambino-breaking-Bosox, and head instigator of Francona's clubhouse of pranksters, is getting a haircut..and a shave to move to the Bronx???!
Oh wait, this isn't much of a suprise. The Red Sox have never come close to knowing how to manage big-name, vitally important talent. Remember Wade Boggs, Roger Clemens, Pedro, Epstein?
So now Boston's without a first baseman, shortstop (Atlanta got a steal with Rentiria), and center fielder. Do you think Manny wants to be there any more acutely with this development (we'll take him in Baltimore)?
Steinbrenner gets another star, and Torre proves once again that he's a genius at courting big ego players and keeping them manageable once he gets them. Granted you get the occaisional Gary Sheffield mouth-off, but by and large he's masterful.
This trade hurts Boston more than it helps New York. Damon is a more natural lead-off man than Jeter, but only marginally. Boston, however, has got their work cut out for them trying to fill the hole. And I'm not just talking about hit-generation. Damon was the face of that rejuvenated franchise. The fans can whine all they want, but Damon was justified in leaving, and the management dropped the ball. But maybe it's not so bad, Red Sox fans need a certain amount of loss to function.
2 comments:
This summer at Fenway I saw him play - and 'twas good.
If you read his autobiography, you realise he's got few brains (not that that is anything to do with reasons to admire great players in any sport), but only a few months ago he said he would never go to the Yankees.
Hopefully the enforced tonsure will have Samson-like effects...
Yeah, the excerpts of 'Idiot' that I've come across are powerfully bad. And in that interview he also tried to play the 'it's not about money' card. BS....
I also think he just wants to be a regular on Regis and Kelly.
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