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Johnny Damon News & Rumors

Johnny Damon starting to show signs of old self
May 21
Akron Beacon Journal
 
"While the Indians' experiment with Johnny Damon hasn't paid dividends to date, Tribe operatives believe the veteran slugger is beginning to come around. "It's been a process for Johnny to get reacclimated to major league pitching," Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti said. "I think we've seen over the week or so that the quality of his at-bats are continuing to improve. His command of the strike zone is continuing to improve. His swing mechanics are getting better and he's looking more comfortable in the batter's box. So I think we'll begin to see more results consistently as Johnny gets more at-bats." The Indians were hoping Damon, 38, would add an offensive spark in the absence of"
Grady Sizemore nears return; Johnny Damon under pressure
May 20
Akron Beacon Journal
 columnist Sheldon Ocker
"Grady Sizemore probably will be ready to make his 2012 debut in about three weeks, and the Indians will have another set of decisions confronting them. Where will manager Manny Acta slip Sizemore into the lineup, what position will he play, and what will happen to the composition of the roster, which will be overstuffed with outfielders when he is ready to be activated from the disabled list? The key to answering one of the questions lies in the performance of Johnny Damon, who has yet to catch fire at the plate after being added to the roster early this month. Damon still has time to show the Tribe's deep thinkers that he deserves that roster spot, but if doesn't start hitting in the next"
Johnny Damon will hit leadoff for Tribe in Wednesday debut
May 2
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Johnny Damon is scheduled to make his debut Wednesday night for the Indians. He'll be in left field, which is no surprise, and he'll be batting leadoff, which is at least a slight surprise. In fact, manager Manny Acta said that when Damon plays, he'll probably bat leadoff. When asked why, Acta said, "Other than the fact that he has a .355 lifetime on-base percentage in the leadoff spot, he's close to 3,000 hits and the fact that over the last three years he's hit lefties better than righties? What else do you want me to give you? "He's been very effective doing that in his career.""
Damon on Indians roster for White Sox series
May 1
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"First they signed him. Then they sent him to the Arizona desert for testing and sharpening. Now they're bringing him to the big leagues. Johnny Damon, 38, will officially join the Indians today at U.S. Cellular Field to open a three-game series against the White Sox. He'll wear No. 33, but it's questionable if he'll be in manager Manny Acta's starting lineup because Chicago is starting left-hander Chris Sale. When Sale beat the Indians April 9 at Progressive Field, Acta used five right-handers in the lineup. It didn't matter, as Sale cruised through 6 innings on the way to a 4-2 victory, so perhaps the left-handed-hitting Damon will get a start."
Johnny Damon expected to join Tribe on Tuesday
April 30
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"Johnny Damon is expected to join the Indians on Tuesday when they open a three- game series against Chicago at U.S. Cellular Field. The Indians signed Damon to a minor-league deal worth $1.25 million on April 17. He's been playing games in extended spring training at the team's training site in Goodyear, Ariz., for the past two weeks. When Damon was signed, the Indians said they expected him to go from extended spring training to Class AAA Columbus before coming to the big leagues. Those plans have changed."
Johnny Damon has deal with Indians
April 13
ESPN.com
 
"The Cleveland Indians have signed veteran outfielder Johnny Damon to help awaken their struggling offense. Damon told ESPN Insider Jim Bowden on Thursday that a deal has been finalized. Damon gets a pro-rated $1.25 million in base salary with $1.4 million in performances bonuses, a source familiar with the negotiations told ESPN The Magazine senior writer Buster Olney. Agent Scott Boras has been in talks with Indians general manager Chris Antonetti, who has been looking for a player to help a Cleveland team off to a 1-4 start and batting just .176 -- worst in the majors. The deal could include an opt-out clause once Indians center fielder Grady Sizemore returns from the disabled list."
Indians close to signing DH/OF Johnny Damon
April 12
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians are on the verge of signing DH/outfielder Johnny Damon, according to MLB on FOX reporter and FOXSports.com senior baseball writer Ken Rosenthal. Damon hit .261 with 16 homers and 73 RBI in 150 games for Tampa Bay last year. He has 2,723 hits in 17 major-league seasons. He has played 141-plus games in each of the past 16 seasons. Damon, 38, is a .286 career hitter in 2,426 games. His average has declined in each of the past four seasons: .303, .282, .271 and .261. He bats and throws left-handed. Indians General Manager Chris Antonetti could not be reached for comment. But a source in the organization who was reached after midnight Wednesday did not deny that the signing is"
Johnny Damon not an option for Tribe's left-field vacancy
March 19
Cleveland Plain Dealer
 
"The Indians have kicked the tires on free agent Johnny Damon to solve their left-field problem, but it's unlikely they'll sign him. Damon, 38, played 150 games for Tampa Bay last season. He made just 16 appearances in left and 135 at DH. Damon, a left-handed hitter, batted .261 (152-for-582) with 29 doubles, seven triples and 16 homers with 73 RBI."
Damon doesn't get why his phone is silent
February 16
CBSSports.com
 
"Johnny Damon doesn't get it, doesn't get why he's not getting offers after the year he had. Damon didn't get why he didn't receive an offer from the incumbent Rays after he was a leader for them in the clubhouse and on the field, and now he doesn't get why he seemingly is running second as a candidate to be the Yankees' left-handed DH. "I think it's a perfect fit,'' Damon said of the Yankees by phone. "But for some reason you have the year I had, especially with a team that has trouble scoring, and you can't even get a call to continue playing." It is hard to blame Damon for feeling left out. The whole thing does seem very odd, indeed. Damon said he never got an offer from the Rays even"
Should the Mariners pursue Johnny Damon?
February 14
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
 columnist Nick Eaton
"The Seattle Mariners seem to be content, for better or worse, with their 40-man roster as they start Spring Training. But, having lost out on slugger Prince Fielder, there is another star free agent up for grabs. Well, perhaps now he's more of a former star. Johnny Damon is 38 and wants to keep playing, and is on Seattle's radar, ESPN's Jim Bowden reported last week. Baltimore, Oakland and the New York Yankees also were reportedly still interested in Damon, a two-time All-Star who's nearing the end of his 17-year career. Perhaps tellingly, his most recent team, Tampa Bay, apparently is not interested, Bowden reported."
Yanks fear impatient Johnny's quest for 3,000
February 14
New York Post
 columnist Joel Sherman
"The Yankees want a lefty-swinging designated hitter. Johnny Damon — New York and championship proven — is available. His agent, Scott Boras, insists "this is not a dollar decision." At first look, Damon would appear the best fit, especially since he has retained enough athleticism to remain a threat on the bases. Yet he hardly appears the priority, falling behind at least Raul Ibanez on the wish list. There might be 3,000 reasons why. Damon has done nothing in recent years to hide his obsession with reaching 3,000 hits, in part because he believes it will elevate his Hall-of-Fame chances. He is just 277 hits shy of the milestone."
Johnny Damon would join select company in second tour of duty with Tigers
January 24
Detroit Free Press
 
"If the Tigers sign Johnny Damon to take Victor Martinez's place, he would join a distinguished group of players who have had a second tour with the Tigers. Damon played with the Tigers in 2010, then joined Tampa Bay as a free agent last season. In chronological order, here are some prominent "two-time" Tigers from recent decades: • Kirk Gibson: He played the first nine years of his career with the Tigers, then left as a free agent after the 1987 season for the Dodgers, for whom he became the National League MVP the following season. The Tigers signed Gibson as a free agent for the '93 season. He played with them until he retired in August 1995. • Dan Petry: He went to the Angels for Gary"
Tigers pursuing Johnny Damon, Roy Oswalt in free agency
January 23
Detroit Free Press
 
"The Tigers are pursuing Johnny Damon to fill the void left by Victor Martinez's knee injury, Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reported on Sunday. "And they should," he said. "He can hit in a number of lineup spots, which suits them well because Jim Leyland is still sorting through a number of lineup options." Damon, 38, is a career .286 hitter over 17 major league seasons and hit .271 with eight home runs and 11 stolen bases in 145 games with the Tigers in 2010."
Yankees may bring back free agent Johnny Damon to play him as DH
January 16
New York Daily News
 
"It was only Friday that Brian Cashman drew a deep breath and executed a tornado of moves that fattened his starting rotation, and forced him to part with a beloved prospect — who also happened to be his expected designated hitter this year. So it was easy to understand, two days later, when Yankees insiders sai d they had not had time to fully consider DH options for 2012. While a return to New York for Johnny Damon is possible, it is far from imminent. According to one source, the Yankees "haven't evaluated our options or preferences yet," in the wake of the trade that sent DH/catcher Jesus Montero and pitcher Hector Noesi to Seattle for pitchers Michael Pineda and Jose Campos. On the"
Johnny Damon: "It's an unhappy day"
January 12
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Johnny Damon greatly enjoyed his experience playing for the Rays last season and was very much hoping to come back. But when the Rays struck a deal Wednesday to bring in Luke Scott as their primary DH, it meant Damon wasn't going to get to return, and that didn't go over well. "It's an unhappy day,'' Damon texted. "Didn't realize the DH and 1B brought the offense down. Thought we would've had an offer.'' Damon, 38, talked of finishing his career with the Rays, enjoying the team, the atmosphere and playing close to his Orlando home, while making $5.25-million, his lowest salary since 2000. Instead, he will be looking for a new team for the third consecutive off-season, saying there's been"
Johnny Damon sees the irony of Boston Red Sox fans rooting for Yankees
September 21
New York Daily News
 
"You're very welcome, Red Sox Nation. The Yankees, magnanimous and gracious as always, have delivered to you a jewel-encrusted Tampa Bay defeat - a one-day free pass from your own pathetic, miserable stretch run. No need to thank Ivan Nova or Curtis Granderson, the heroes of Tuesday night's 5-0 victory in the Bronx. You'd do the same for the Yanks, no doubt. Boston and New York are practically kissing cousins. Hand in hand, we frolic toward October. The irony is delicious and lost on nobody. Beantown has a new second favorite team this week, the Yankees, acting as surrogates for the clumsy, collapsing franchise to the north."
Forget stats. Tampa Bay Rays' Johnny Damon simply is a clutch hitter
August 22
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist John Romano
"The story is better if you believe. Keep that in mind as you think about Johnny Damon rounding third and heading toward acclaim. Because modern thinking says there is nothing transcendent, nothing mystical, nothing particularly clutch about hitting a game-winning home run in the bottom of the ninth. These things happen because odds, happenstance and other factors eventually conspire to make a hero out of most every ballplayer if given enough opportunities. So that's the reality. That's the data. That's the logic. Still, the story is better if you believe. "I understand the statistical perspective. And I get that maybe this is not borne of the data, but I do believe you want certain guys at"
Damon gets homer that counts in walk-off win
August 22
Tampa Tribune
 
"Johnny Damon was going to take one mighty swing in the bottom of the ninth inning. If he didn't win the game with that, well, Damon said his next move was to bunt his way on base and leave it up to Evan Longoria. Longoria never got the chance to hit. Damon drove a fastball from Dan Cortes into the right-field seats, touching off another postgame celebration at home plate as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Mariners, 8-7, in an unusual game at Tropicana Field. It was unusual in that the Rays offense actually picked up a struggling starter, something that has not happened much this season. James Shields, done in by a lack of run support in a 3-1 loss Tuesday to the Red Sox in Boston, put the Rays"
Years and hits add up for ex-Royal Johnny Damon
July 24
Kansas City Star
 
"Johnny Damon is talking about the end. He's 37 now, on his sixth major-league team, and so far removed from his days in Kansas City that he's having trouble remembering how long he's been gone. "It's only been 10 years?" he asks. "11 years? It feels so long ago." Every day, the end gets a little closer. The body gets a little older. The memories get a little fuzzier. Damon will likely play in his 450th career game at Kauffman Stadium today when his Tampa Bay Rays conclude a three-game series against the Royals. And for now, this talk about the end can wait. So the conversation drifts back to the beginning, when Damon was the 22-year-old face of a rebuilding movement. He still remembers"
Damon's perfect ending: reach 3,000 hits as Tampa Bay Ray then end career with Kansas City Royals
July 23
St. Petersburg Times
 
"The question is speculative, of course, but Johnny Damon has his reasons, some sentimental, for saying that if he were fortunate enough to be elected to the Hall of Fame, he would like to be inducted as a Royal. "I think that would be the fairest thing," the designated hitter said Friday. And he has some specific issues with the two teams he won World Series with, the Red Sox and Yankees. Damon, 37, said a perfect scenario would be to stay with the Rays as long as he can, at least two more seasons to get the 328 hits he needs to reach the 3,000 milestone, then eventually return to finish his career with the Royals in a part-time role. He broke into the majors in 1995 and played six seasons"
Johnny Damon keeps swinging at his chance to join Derek Jeter in 3,000-hit club
July 10
Newark Star-Ledger
 
"Johnny Damon has computed the math in his head. Why wouldn't he? The questions are asked, the numbers are real and the club is exclusive. Damon currently has 2,663 hits. He's 37 years old. If he plays until he's 40, he could attain 3,000 hits, as Derek Jeter did Saturday. "Once people started talking about it, you start doing the math," Damon said Thursday at Yankee Stadium before the opening game of the Yankees-Rays series. "I'm hoping after this year I'll only be about 250 out. It's definitely reachable." Then Damon lifted his swollen left hand, the byproduct of a wayward pitch on Wednesday. "You definitely can't have this stuff happen to you all the time," said Damon, a former Yankee"
Johnny Damon steps out of dugout to lead Rays applause of Derek Jeter after home run for 3,000th hit
July 10
New York Daily News
 
"On one side, the Yankees celebrated Derek Jeter's 3,000th hit with abandon, embracing their star shortstop after he reached the milestone on a third-inning homer. And on the other side, an ex-Yankee slowly stepped out of the dugout and led the Tampa Bay Rays in applause. Near the end of all the third-inning pomp and circumstance in Saturday's 5-4 Yankee win, Rays outfielder Johnny Damon left his perch near the dugout fence and stepped onto the field. Gradually, his younger teammates followed, as the Rays all clapped for the Captain. "In a situation when he hit the home run, your first thought is you're a little upset," said Damon, who had received a little prodding from manager Joe Maddon"
Johnny Damon drives in four as Tampa Bay Rays win rubber match, 8-3 over St. Louis Cardinals
July 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Johnny Damon might not have been one of the three Rays selected Sunday for the American League All-Star team. But manager Joe Maddon said you could "absolutely" make a case that the veteran DH is Tampa Bay's team MVP in the season's first half, for what he has done on the field and in the clubhouse. "Everything he does," Maddon said. "We need that influence." Damon delivered again Sunday, falling a homer short of the cycle while knocking in four runs in the Rays' 8-3 win over the Cardinals in front of 26,819 at Tropicana Field. It was the most runs Tampa Bay (47-37) has scored at home this season, and it allowed the Rays to hit the road for Minnesota four games back of the Yankees in the"
Damon leads Rays past Cards
July 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon wasn't selected for the All-Star game, but he continued making a good case to become Tampa Bay's most valuable player. "You can't put a value on what Johnny is doing for us right now,'' Rays shortstop Elliot Johnson said. The official numbers had Damon at 3-for-5 with a double, a bases-loaded triple and his first game with four RBIs since 2009. Damon helped to ignite a Tampa Bay offense that had largely been slumbering at home. Sunday, the Rays closed out interleague play by defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-3 before 26,819 fans at Tropicana Field. "Johnny had some wonderful at-bats in some crucial moments,'' Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He obviously"
Damon becoming the Rays' splendid splinter
June 30
Tampa Tribune
 columnist Joe Henderson
"The Tampa Bay Rays haven't made many attempts to sign marquee free agents over the years, and the ones they did bring in haven't always worked out well. Johnny Damon is the exception. He has been everything Manny Ramirez wasn't, starting with being reliable and actually remaining on the roster. Compared to Pat Burrell, Damon is the rainbow and cooling breeze that follows a bad storm. Compared to the "Hit Show" from days of yore, Damon actually, you know, hits . He came here, as we know, on a one-year $5.25 million contract. He was supposed to be the everyday left fielder, but moved mainly to designated hitter after Ramirez flunked a drug test and retired. Turns out, Manny helped the Rays"
Rays' Johnny Damon joins exclusive company with 500th career double
June 19
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Johnny Damon has bigger milestones in mind, such as 3,000 hits and the potential to be voted into the Hall of Fame. But Saturday wasn't a bad checkpoint, as he joined an exclusive club by rapping his 500th career double and with a later single tied Jimmie Foxx for 72nd on the hits list at 2,646. "It means so much," he said. Damon became the 11th player in MLB history with at least 100 triples, 200 home runs, 500 doubles and 2,500 hits. The other 10 (see chart) are all in the Hall of Fame, and only three — George Brett, Paul Molitor and Robin Yount — began their careers in the past 60 years. "You look at the numbers this guy keeps racking up," Rays manager Joe Maddon. "You talk about"
Hall might just be on the horizon for Damon
June 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"This is what Joe Maddon thought he was getting when the Rays signed Johnny Damon on Feb. 1: An average left fielder with some life in his bat and the reputation of being a great clubhouse guy. This is what Maddon actually got: A better-than-great clubhouse guy with a lot of life left in his bat, who is quietly putting the finishing touches on what is looking like a Hall of Fame-career. "This liberal arts kind of player, a guy who's fulfilled a lot of different arenas or areas, he's not just specialized in the home runs or strikeouts or 3,000 hits," Maddon said. "He's done a lot of things real well." What Damon has mostly done real well for the Rays is get on base. It took him less than 70"
Johnny Damon joins exclusive club with 500th career double
June 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"Rays designated hitter Johnny Damon blooped a double into left-center field during the first inning Saturday against Florida. As Damon pulled into second base, he might as well have been strolling into Cooperstown. Damon became the 11th player all-time to have 500 doubles, 100 triples, 200 home runs and 2,500 hits. The other 10 players are Hall of Famers."
Damon keeps getting on base
June 13
Tampa Tribune
 
"All DH Johnny Damon seems to do these days is get on base and make things happen. His first-inning home run in Sunday's 9-6 win extended his streak of reaching base at least once to 37 games, which tied the club record set by Ben Grieve in 2001. "It's been a nice little run," Damon said. "Hopefully we can continue it, because it seems like when I've been getting on base, guys have been doing a good job of scoring me." The streak is the longest of Damon's career and currently the longest in the major leagues. It also tied Andre Ethier's streak set earlier this season. "He's a grinder with all capital letters," manager Joe Maddon said. "During the course of the game things will happen. He"
Damon, Longoria power Rays over Orioles, 9-6
June 13
Tampa Tribune
 
"One more. If the Rays had any theme to an uncharacteristically theme-less charter flight to Detroit on Sunday evening it could have been centered on those two words. The road trip that seems like it began ages ago and included a tough start in Seattle, a historic sweep in Anaheim, a stomach virus passed around the clubhouse, rain delays and steamy weather in Baltimore, ends tonight with a makeup game against the Tigers. It has been, what? "Rough," Adam Russell said. "A tester," Evan Longoria said. And, with Sunday's eventful 9-6 victory against the Orioles at Camden Yards, it has been successful. The Rays are 6-4 with one more game to play before finally returning to Tropicana Field to"
Johnny Damon still has fond feelings of his time in Detroit
May 24
Detroit News
 
"Johnny Damon still has plenty of love for Detroit. "I really wanted to make it work for a longer period of time," the Rays designated hitter said Monday before his team lost to the Tigers, 6-3. "I fell in love with my teammates, they respected me, they respected my knowledge and the way I respected the game. I think my time spent in Detroit was a win-win for everyone involved." Damon, 37, signed a one-year, $8 million contract with the Tigers last year to shore up the top of the batting order. But the veteran outfielder, currently with his sixth team, wasn't re-signed. The Tigers made it clear Damon was a roster casualty because of the team's glut of young outfielders and the intent to"
Damon playing with fractured finger
April 23
Tampa Tribune
 
"Johnny Damon revealed Friday the injury to his left ring finger is a hairline fracture that is not expected to fully heal for another four weeks. Damon suffered the injury Sunday and missed three games. He returned Thursday and was 1-for-4 as the DH. He was the DH on Friday when the Rays opened a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. "(The break is) on the top, that's why I'm able to play," Damon said. "If it was further down I wouldn't be able to move it. Right now it's super numb. I can actually squeeze, which is good, without putting too much pressure on it. Damon said it hurts more to grip a baseball, which is why he's content to remain the DH and let Sam Fuld fly"
AL co-player of the week Johnny Damon hoping to return to Tampa Bay Rays by Thursday
April 19
St. Petersburg Times
 
"LF/DH Johnny Damon would have felt better about winning American League co-player of the week honors if his injured left ring finger felt good enough for him to get back in the lineup. "It's nice to be recognized and I'm glad we won those five games, but I'd definitely like it more if my finger was better," Damon said. Damon sat out Monday's game and at best could be available to pinch-hit (or pinch-run) tonight, depending on how quickly the swelling subsides. He and the Rays hope he can start again by Thursday's homestand finale. "Hopefully I can start gripping a bat in the next day or so," Damon said. "As soon as I can grip a bat, I'll be back in there regardless of whatever results come"
Johnny Damon could return Tuesday
April 19
Tampa Tribune
 
"As expected, DH Johnny Damon (bruised tip of left ring finger) was not in Monday's lineup, but he said he could be back in some capacity as early as Tuesday. "Hopefully I can start gripping a bat (today) or so and be available to pinch run and do that kind of stuff," Damon said. Damon was named American League co-player of the week Monday with Angels pitcher Dan Haren. Damon had two home runs, four runs scored, 15 total bases and a league-high 11 RBIs in six games. He also drove in the winning run in all five games during the Rays' five-game winning streak. Damon's finger was still swollen Monday, but he said he doesn't expect the injury to land him on the disabled list."
Without Damon, powerless Rays lose to Twins
April 18
Tampa Tribune
 
"This time, Johnny Damon wasn't around at the end to deliver the clutch hit for the Rays. Damon left after the fourth inning with a bruise on the tip of his left ring finger, and the Rays, after running up against some stellar defense, saw their winning streak end at five games with a 4-2 loss to the Twins before 22,426 on Sunday at Tropicana Field. "We did a lot of things well today; they just came out on top," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "They made the plays in crucial moments, but three out of four (in the series) is always good. I like the fact we wanted to do four out of four." Damon entered Sunday with five consecutive game-winning RBIs — something only two other players have done"
Damon listed day-to-day
April 18
Tampa Tribune
 
"Tampa Bay Rays DH-LF Johnny Damon said it was too early to tell whether he'll miss any time with the finger injury that forced him to leave Sunday's game against the Twins after the fourth inning. Damon squared to bunt with runners at first and third in the third inning, and he couldn't get his left hand out of the way of LHP Brian Duensing's pitch. The Rays said an X-ray showed Damon has a bruised tip of his left ring finger and his status is "day-to-day." Although Damon finished his at-bat by driving in a run with a single up the middle and also played the field in the fourth, he came out after that inning and had a splint on the finger after the 4-2 loss. He said the finger was "very"
Johnny Damon listed as day-to-day after injuring finger bunting
April 18
Tampa Tribune
 
"DH-LF Johnny Damon said it was too early to tell whether he'll miss any time with the finger injury that forced him to leave Sunday's game against the Twins after the fourth inning. Damon squared to bunt with runners at first and third in the third inning, and he couldn't get his left hand out of the way of LHP Brian Duensing's pitch. The Rays said an X-ray showed Damon has a bruised tip of his left ring finger and his status is "day-to-day." Although Damon finished his at-bat by driving in a run with a single up the middle and also played the field in the fourth, he came out after that inning and had a splint on the finger after the 4-2 loss. He said the finger was "very sore" and he"
Damon continues to deliver in the clutch for Rays
April 17
Tampa Tribune
 
"After Saturday's game, after another game-winner, Johnny Damon, as real a deal as you'll get in baseball, stood and signed autographs, because, well, that's also who he is. "Just one or two," Damon said, grinning. "I want them to come back. I want to get my attendance bonus …" Johnny Damon has been all present and accounted for as the Rays climbed out of that 0-6 start. He has led the way, on the field, in the clubhouse. Saturday's 4-3 victory over the Twins made it five wins in a row. The Rays have hung in there, and so has Damon, who went 1-for-15 his first Rays homestand. But he was there again Saturday, with a bases-loaded single in the ninth to end it, the 2,583rd hit of his career."
Damon's walkoff homer lifts Tampa Bay Rays 4-3 in 10 innings
April 15
St. Petersburg Times
 
"So much ran through Johnny Damon's head from the moment he hit the ball just over the rightfield wall to give the Rays a thrilling 4-3, 10-inning victory Thursday, as he pumped his fist on his way around the bases, tossed his helmet and jumped into the bouncing welcoming party at home and wiped the celebratory shaving cream pie applied by B.J. Upton off his face. But what felt best, he said in the clubhouse nearly a half-hour later, was feeling like he now was really a Ray. "For me, it's doing it in front of the fans," he said. "I know they're expecting a lot of from me, and being a kid from this area, the first homestand was tough, the first four at-bats (Thursday) were tough, but"
Damon's walk-off HR lifts Rays over Twins
April 15
Tampa Tribune
 
"Manny Ramirez's failed drug test-induced retirement last week is starting to look good on Johnny Damon. Damon hit .308 as the primary designated hitter on the just-completed road trip to Chicago and Boston, and he delivered his biggest hit yet Thursday night - a walk-off, two-run home run that lifted the Rays to an unlikely 4-3, 10-inning victory against the Twins. The Rays, after producing a total of seven runs in an 0-5 opening homestand, managed four hits through eight innings against Carl Pavano, and they went to the bottom of the ninth trailing 2-0 against closer Joe Nathan. But Matt Joyce's two-run double tied it, and after the Twins retook the lead in the top of the 10th, Sam Fuld"
Damon sets obscure record with walk-off
April 15
MLB.com
 
"Johnny Damon's walk-off homer gave the Rays a 4-3 win Thursday night while also putting the veteran in the record books for an obscure feat. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Damon is the first player in Major League history to hit a walk-off home run for five different teams. He first turned the trick for the Royals on April 10, 2000, when he homered off Minnesota's LaTroy Hawkins in the ninth inning at Kansas City. The next one came while wearing a Red Sox uniform on April 26, 2002, when he connected against Scot Shields of the Angels in the 10th inning at Fenway Park. Damon's third walk-off occurred in the Bronx when he homered for the Yankees against Minnesota's Jesse Crain in the"
Johnny Damon won't wear Sox if Cooperstown calls
April 13
Boston Herald
 
"Johnny Damon knows 3,000 hits represents his only chance of making the Hall of Fame. Should he succeed, he also knows this: He won't be wearing a Red Sox cap. Damon said he hopes to reach 3,000 but isn't sure he'll play long enough to do it. He has 2,580, including two last night in Tampa Bay's 3-2 victory over the Red Sox. "It would definitely mean a lot, because only 27 guys have done it," he said before the game. "That may be the only way for me to get into the Hall. In no one year would you necessarily say I was one of the top five players, but I feel like I've been left out of a few All-Star Games and left short on some MVP balloting. "There were times I felt I put up better numbers"
Damon's got ear to ground
April 11
Boston Globe
 
"Johnny Damon hasn't played at Fenway Park since Aug. 23, 2009, when he was with the Yankees. He returns tonight with the Rays and is fully expecting to get booed again. "I guess whenever you put on the Yankees uniform they get upset about it,'' Damon told reporters in Chicago yesterday. "I get booed. They absolutely despise me. I just have to say, 'You're welcome for '04. You're welcome for making it fun again over there.' '' Damon is 4 for 32 (.125) with a home run and two RBIs for the Rays, who are 1-8."
Johnny Damon's career could be riding on this year with Tampa Bay Rays
March 10
St. Petersburg Times
 columnist Gary Shelton
"This year, he will be good. Or next year, he will be gone. Say this much for Johnny Damon. He knows the stakes. His career is now at a point where his age, 37, has become his most discussed statistic. If there is a next year for Damon, perhaps even a year or two after that, it will be because of this year. Succeed, and someone will give him a new contract. Fail, and they will take away his glove. Simple as that. "I have a lot riding on this," Damon said Wednesday morning. "If I don't prove I can still play, this is it for me. If I don't have a good year, I'm hanging out at home for the rest of my life. "There is a lot on the line for me this year, and I'm okay with that. I really am. But"
Johnny Damon happy at home
March 4
Bergen Record
 
"Though the Yankees inquired about Johnny Damon as a free agent this winter, "I don't really think it was close at all," said Damon, 37, who signed with Rays. "I think they were very happy with their outfield situation and thought [Jorge] Posada was not going to be catching much." Damon was 0-for-2 as the starting left fielder in Thursday's 10-inning, 1-1 Yanks-Rays exhibition tie. The Rays are the closest team to Damon's home in Orlando, Fla., and he said he's not ready to be a part-time player. "It really made it easy as far as [the Yanks'] decision and as far as mine. "I feel like I have a few more years of playing every day," said Damon, who is 429 hits shy of 3,000. "If I have a good"
Damon excited about being on other side of Tampa Bay Rays-New York Yankees rivalry
March 4
St. Petersburg Times
 
"Johnny Damon was in pinstripes when the Rays got good in 2008 and turned what had been a one-sided comedy show against the Yankees into an intense rivalry, one Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon suggested is now on par with the classic competitiveness between the Yankees and Red Sox. And now Damon can't wait to be part of it from the Rays' side of the field. "It's going to be fun," Damon said. "My time in New York was nothing but great. I loved every minute of it. I love going back there. I love a bunch of the players over there, the coaching staff, the way the organization is. It's going to be four years I'm always going to remember. "But now it's time for me to help my home team win a"
Damon's smile contagious, even to former teams
March 4
Tampa Tribune
 
"Smiling Johnny Damon saw some former Yankees co-workers Thursday, part of his AL East Reunion Tour. Next week, the Red Sox come to Charlotte Sports Park. Damon, even the thought of him, makes people smile back, unless they're a certain species of Sox fan who'll never forgive him for jumping to the Yankees, Curse Ending or no. The fact is that Damon is 2-for-2 in the AL East, at least at eventually winning a ring. It's a leap to think it's the Tampa Bay Rays' turn with the 37-year-old Damon aboard. Damon hears it, too, and about Carl Crawford, the man he replaces in left field, though Damon played just 35 games in left last season for Detroit, serving mostly as DH, hitting just eight homers"
Damon happy with Rays
March 4
New York Post
 
"You get the feeling Johnny Damon would enjoy playing baseball anywhere in the world. He liked K.C, Oakland, Boston, The Bronx and Detroit. Nothing has changed in a Rays uniform. "I love it,'' Damon said Thursday. "I am happy to get a chance to be an everyday player.'' As for competing against the Red Sox and Yankees in the AL East, Damon is up for the challenge. "You got to be at your best every single day,'' said Damon, who is slated to play left field. "Everybody got better in the AL East. Hopefully, we are the team to beat.''"
Johnny Damon says desires for playing time and Yankees' plans for Posada made move to Rays easy
March 4
New York Daily News
 
"Johnny Damon was a consideration for the Yankees' spare outfield role over the winter, but he admits a reunion really wasn't the right fit for either side. The Yankees were looking to fill that spot with a righthanded bat and a better fielder at all three outfield spots, and they eventually settled on Andruw Jones. Damon sought the combination of a team with a chance to win and the prospect of regular playing time, and decided to sign with rival Tampa Bay. "I don't really think (returning to the Yankees) was close at all," Damon said before starting in left field and batting second for the Rays in Thursday's 1-1, 10-inning tie. "I think (the Yanks) were very happy with their outfield"