Damon, Yanks agree on $52 million, four-year contract

[CharlieMac]

More Red Sox books on 2004 season to be written either way.

http://www.sportsline.com/mlb/story/9108852

[Horry For 3!]

Johnny Damon said he would NEVER be a Yankee. BULLSHIT :lol

[ducks]

Damon, Yankees reach preliminary agreement on $52 million, four-year contract

By RONALD BLUM, AP Baseball Writer
December 21, 2005

NEW YORK (AP) -- Johnny Damon gives the Yankees their first big-time leadoff hitter since Chuck Knoblauch was at the top of the order a half-decade ago -- an era when New York won three straight World Series titles and four consecutive AL pennants.

Damon's decision to bolt Boston and accept a $52 million, four-year contract from the Yankees on Tuesday night also provides New York with a center fielder who covers a large amount of ground.

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Details of the deal were still being negotiated and Damon must pass a physical, a baseball official said on condition of anonymity because negotiations were not yet final. The physical could take place Thursday, allowing the deal to be completed this week.

Moving from Fenway Park to Yankee Stadium will mean a change of style and scenery for the long-haired, bearded Damon -- a fan favorite in Boston for his scrappy play and scruffy look. A razor is in his future because New York owner George Steinbrenner bans beards and long hair.

"Sad to say bye to some of the greatest fans in the world. Unfortunately they had to see this day, but it's time for me to move forward," Damon told WBZ television in Boston. "They were coming after me aggressively. We know George Steinbrenner's reputation.

"He always wants to have the best players, and I think he showed that tonight. He and Brian Cashman came after me hard," he said, referring to New York's general manager.

Damon will hit at the top of a potent lineup that includes Derek Jeter, Gary Sheffield, AL MVP Alex Rodriguez, Hideki Matsui and Jason Giambi. The bottom of the order has Jorge Posada, Robinson Cano and the designated hitter (or the first baseman spelling Giambi).

Bernie Williams' defense declined significantly over the past four seasons, although he is expected to remain with the Yankees as a reserve in a deal where only the performance bonuses remain to be negotiated. And while Damon's arm is not much better, the two-time All-Star will get to a lot more balls in the gaps.

Agent Scott Boras had been seeking a seven-year contract for Damon. The offer Damon accepted was the same as the deal Matsui agreed to with the Yankees last month -- $13 million annually.

Damon said Boston did not attempt to match New York's offer.

"A good leadoff hitter is tough to find, and I think that New York just found the best leadoff hitter in the game," he told WBZ.

Damon is the first star player to switch sides in the Red Sox-Yankees rivalry over the past few years, although role players such as John Olerud, Alan Embree, Ramiro Mendoza and Mike Myers have done it.

"We were notified at 11:55 tonight that Damon had accepted an offer from the Yankees," Red Sox president Larry Lucchino said in an e-mail to The Associated Press.

New York, baseball's first team with a $200 million payroll last season, had a relatively quiet offseason until now. The Yankees, eliminated by the Los Angeles Angels in the first round of the AL playoffs, were overshadowed by the splashy Mets, who acquired slugging first baseman Carlos Delgado from the Florida Marlins and signed free-agent closer Billy Wagner to a $43 million, four-year contract.

Damon, who turned 32 last month, led Boston with a .316 batting average. He had 197 hits and scored 117 runs.

When Myers finalized his contract with the Yankees last week, he gushed about the prospect of having Damon in New York's lineup.

"I would put the over/under on Damon scoring 125, and I'd take the over any day of the week," Myers said. "I think the fans would absolutely love him there, just his hustle and his passion for the game, the way he goes about his business. I think he'd fit in great in the clubhouse, even though I don't know what the clubhouse is."

Earlier in the day, the Yankees reached a preliminary agreement on a $2 million, one-year contract with reliever Octavio Dotel, who is recovering from elbow surgery.

"I feel very happy with this contract," Dotel said. "This team has a lot of tradition, and it pleases me to know that they want me to pitch for them."

Dotel would get a $250,000 bonus if added to the 25-man active roster and could earn $3 million more in performance bonuses based on games. His deal contains an additional $2.5 million in bonuses based on games finished, in case he is traded to another team.

He had 36 saves for Houston and Oakland in 2004 but struggled last season with Oakland, going 1-2 with seven saves and a 3.52 ERA before he went on the disabled list May 20. From April 30 to May 11, he blew four saves in five outings.

Dotel had reconstructive elbow surgery June 6 to repair a torn ligament. He hopes to be pitching by midseason.

"What I do know is that it's going to help me to go back to what I like and that is to be a closer," he said.

With the Yankees, Dotel joins several newcomers in the bullpen: right-hander Kyle Farnsworth and left-handers Ron Villone and Myers. New York has struggled to find middle-inning pitchers in recent years, and setup man Tom Gordon left to become the Philadelphia Phillies' closer.

AP Sports Writer Howard Ulman in Boston contributed to this report.



Updated on Wednesday

[Jimcs50]

A curse on his house!

:flipoff

[batman2883]

another good player bought by the yanks....dude they should seroiusly have a salary cap

[T Park]

Another hitter.

But yet,

still, NO PITCHING.


Theyll never get it......

[Sense]

^ They're as good as the Spurs are right now.

They're almost perfect, cept for the pitching...

Spurs almost perfect, cept for the Center.


:pctoss

[Silver21_Black20]

Holy crap...Damon a Yankee...that's crazy!

[T Park]

They're as good as the Spurs are right now.



Yankees havent won a ring since 2000.

How so again?


Yankee's pitching staff BLOWS to high heaven.

That will one again be their downfall.


ANd oh yeah, a big fuck you to Johnny Damon.

No loyalty or sense of pride what so ever.

This would be like for a Cardinals fan, Jim Edmonds signing with the Cubs.


Get screwed Damon.

[Bloodline666]

AGAIN, the Bankees sign an uber-expensive Free Agent to try and buy a championship!

George Steinbrenner needs to realize that you CAN'T BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS BY JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE SUPER-EXPENSIVE FREE AGENTS SIGNED! Until he realizes this, the Bankees won't return to the ranks of the AL's elite!

[mikejones99]

IN basketball it would be like Duncan signing with the Lakers.

[CharlieMac]

If Duncan had only won one title and played for a total of three or four years for the Spurs, right?

[chode_regulator]

AGAIN, the Bankees sign an uber-expensive Free Agent to try and buy a championship!

George Steinbrenner needs to realize that you CAN'T BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS BY JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE SUPER-EXPENSIVE FREE AGENTS SIGNED! Until he realizes this, the Bankees won't return to the ranks of the AL's elite!
eehhhhhh......theyve won the al division title for the last 8 yrs straight, how is that not elite? name another al team in that span who has more titles. im not defending hte yankees, its ridiculous how htey just spend and spend. but get your facts straight.
and to agree with tpark, what a fucking chode. how are you going to do something ilke that and sign with the yankees. another example of whats wrong with sports these days and especially "americas favorite pasttime"
oh yeah, damon looks like a fucking chode also wiht his haircut and beard shaved, doesnt even look the same.

[Silver21_Black20]

"Sad to say bye to some of the greatest fans in the world. Unfortunately they had to see this day, but it's time for me to move forward," Damon told WBZ television in Boston. "They were coming after me aggressively. We know George Steinbrenner's reputation.

Bullshit. :rolleyes

:flipoff Damon!

[Horry For 3!]

Fuck The Yankees!

[N.Y. Johnny]

Another hitter.

But yet,

still, NO PITCHING.


Theyll never get it......


Exactly, I'm as die hard New York as you'll find and they just don't get it. .sure Damon is a good lead off and good hitter, but fuck that, you win with Pitching and thats never been there in NY since 2000, Cashman is a fucking idiot puppet on a string up there.

Get some goddamn arms in the rotation and we'll win again, this signing sucks, It stinks and I don't like it.

[cecil collins]

AGAIN, the Bankees sign an uber-expensive Free Agent to try and buy a championship!

George Steinbrenner needs to realize that you CAN'T BUY CHAMPIONSHIPS BY JUST TRYING TO GET ALL THE SUPER-EXPENSIVE FREE AGENTS SIGNED! Until he realizes this, the Bankees won't return to the ranks of the AL's elite!
You guys are fools. In baseball you can win championships, or the yankees wouldn't have any. The farm system is a joke, yet they are in the playoffs every year. Hell yeah you can buy a championship. And to those criticizing the pitching, I don't know what to say. At the beginning of the season it looked like the strongest 5 man rotation in baseball, but a lot of guys got hurt and never got it going. They'll be in they playoffs again, and, they will have a good chance of winning it. All I can say is

Fuck The Yankees!

[chode_regulator]

fuck johhny damon and fuck the yankees. wha a fucking pussy ass sellout. although i would do the same thing for a shitload of money.

[Brutalis]

I careless for baseball as I think too many people play it and the talent level isn't that great I start to wonder.... how do you Yankee's spend gobs of money each year on some new guy? Isn't there a salary cap?

[Silver21_Black20]

fuck johhny damon and fuck the yankees. wha a fucking pussy ass sellout. although i would do the same thing for a shitload of money.

What sellout? Why?

If I were a talented athlete, I would rather be on a winning team than be the highest paid player on a suck ass team...but that's just me.

[ZStomp]

What sellout? Why?

If I were a talented athlete, I would rather be on a winning team than be the highest paid player on a suck ass team...but that's just me.


I accidently came into this forum and saw you here...you ACTUALLY come in here?? :lmao

[Silver21_Black20]

I accidently came into this forum and saw you here...you ACTUALLY come in here?? :lmao

Uh...Yea. I'm a baseball fan thus I come into The Baseball Clubhouse. However, you're a baseball hater so off you go...Shoo!



:)

[ZStomp]

Cuz its boring. :sleep

[CrashMag]

I accidently came into this forum and saw you here...you ACTUALLY come in here?? :lmao
Ahhhh que pretty
http://www.americaswonderlands.com/images/KC/RoseBW-Web.jpg

[Silver21_Black20]

Cuz its boring. :sleep

It is NOT boring...

[chode_regulator]

What sellout? Why?

If I were a talented athlete, I would rather be on a winning team than be the highest paid player on a suck ass team...but that's just me.
hmmmmm............................................ ......................i guess winning the world series makes you a suck ass team. :rolleyes
and i guess being a big part of helpoing a team win a world series means nothing. thats how youre a sellout, damon that is. no sense of pride or dedication to a team.
btw how many world series have the yankkes won in the last 5 yrs? how many have the red sox won in the last 5 yrs? hw much money does the fucking yankees organization spend every year compared to other teams? how much money did the white sox spend this year?
so yes the yankees suck, with the talent they have there should be no team even close to them, but somehow they suck.
so maybe you should know what youre talking about before proclaiming to be a baseball fan and opening your mouth.
btw they tied wtih boston this year, had less wins than chicago w/s, barely more wins than cleveland [cleveland!!], just as many wins as the angles and barely more than oakland. and if you looked up the yankees roster how many all stars/hall of famers are on there? seriously they should be in a class above the other and arent.

[Silver21_Black20]

hmmmmm............................................ ......................i guess winning the world series makes you a suck ass team. :rolleyes
and i guess being a big part of helpoing a team win a world series means nothing. thats how youre a sellout, damon that is. no sense of pride or dedication to a team.
btw how many world series have the yankkes won in the last 5 yrs? how many have the red sox won in the last 5 yrs? hw much money does the fucking yankees organization spend every year compared to other teams? how much money did the white sox spend this year?
so yes the yankees suck, with the talent they have there should be no team even close to them, but somehow they suck.
so maybe you should know what youre talking about before proclaiming to be a baseball fan and opening your mouth.
btw they tied wtih boston this year, had less wins than chicago w/s, barely more wins than cleveland [cleveland!!], just as many wins as the angles and barely more than oakland. and if you looked up the yankees roster how many all stars/hall of famers are on there? seriously they should be in a class above the other and arent.

Ahem...First of all, YES...I am a baseball fan and can speak my mind anyway I so damn please. Secondly, when was the last time the Yankees won the World Series? When was the last time the Red Sox won the World Series? Damon had an equal chance to win the World Series with the Bo Sox then he does with the Yankees. The Yankees do have extremely talented ball players but some how they can't seem to win. I never said the Yankees sucked. You speak of pride and dedication, where is Damon's dedication to Boston. Look at A Rod, that muthafucker makes hundreds of millions of dollars and he hasn't improved any team whatsoever (i.e. Mariners, Rangers, Yankees). He is an excellent player who has proved he is great but what has he done for the team. So...I may not be a die-hard baseball fan cause I only follow the Braves but I do have some knowledge of the game so Get Off My Ass!!!

Oh yea...who are the angles?

[chode_regulator]

What sellout? Why?

If I were a talented athlete, I would rather be on a winning team than be the highest paid player on a suck ass team...but that's just me.
well i would pretty much say that right here you are calling the red sox shitty and the yankees good. even though they have the same record this year and the redsox won two yrs ago the world series.
as far as the "angles" obviously i was refering to the angels, sorry you cant read past typos. maybe you should have tried harder to graduate high school.

cause I only follow the Braves
at least you have one good choice in life. though its hard not to like the braves. i think theyre the spurs of baseball, except theyve been dominant for hte last umpteen years and the spurs havent. but as far as classiness and uncanny ability to scout unknown players, they are pretty similar.

[Silver21_Black20]

well i would pretty much say that right here you are calling the red sox shitty and the yankees good. even though they have the same record this year and the redsox won two yrs ago the world series.
as far as the "angles" obviously i was refering to the angels, sorry you cant read past typos. maybe you should have tried harder to graduate high school.

at least you have one good choice in life. though its hard not to like the braves. i think theyre the spurs of baseball, except theyve been dominant for hte last umpteen years and the spurs havent. but as far as classiness and uncanny ability to scout unknown players, they are pretty similar.





If I were a talented athlete, I would rather be on a winning team than be the highest paid player on a suck ass team...but that's just me.


No, no, no...when I made this comment ^ I wasn't referring to Damon, I meant it in general. Take Furcal...he left the Braves, a team that has won the pendent every freakin' year, to go to the Dodgers for...guess what, more money, in less years.

No shit dude, I obviously knew you were talking about the Angels...it was a fuckin' joke. Lighten up Chode!!! You don't even know me...I did just graduate from college so maybe it is you who needs to try harder in school to prevent typos...proofread your shit.

[chode_regulator]

No, no, no...when I made this comment ^ I wasn't referring to Damon, I meant it in general. Take Furcal...he left the Braves, a team that has won the pendent every freakin' year, to go to the Dodgers for...guess what, more money, in less years.
its been pissing me off how the braves are letting all their badassplayers go. starting wtih glavine a few years ago and furcal and lopez and the other catcher, im blanking on his name right now.

[Silver21_Black20]

its been pissing me off how the braves are letting all their badassplayers go. starting wtih glavine a few years ago and furcal and lopez and the other catcher, im blanking on his name right now.

Well...at least we agree on that...:lol

Javy Lopez was one of my favorite Braves players.

[atlfan25]

its been pissing me off how the braves are letting all their badassplayers go. starting wtih glavine a few years ago and furcal and lopez and the other catcher, im blanking on his name right now.
Aol/Time Warner keeps them on a tight budget and they can't afford to throw a lot of money on those types of players. I don't see those as bad moves. Especially with all the young talent they have.

If the other catcher you are talking about is Estrada that was a fine move as well. McCann will make everyone forget about any other catcher the Braves ever had.

[Silver21_Black20]

Aol/Time Warner keeps them on a tight budget and they can't afford to throw a lot of money on those types of players. I don't see those as bad moves. Especially with all the young talent they have.

If the other catcher you are talking about is Estrada that was a fine move as well. McCann will make everyone forget about any other catcher the Braves ever had.

What team was McCann on before the Braves?

[atlfan25]

What team was McCann on before the Braves?
He is home grown. He was brought about about halfway through the year last year. He'll be just 22 next month.

Last year in 180 at bats he hit .278 with 5 homers and 23 rbi's. John Smoltz loved pitching to him so much he became his personal catcher. He was also good enough that the Braves felt they could deal away Johnny Estrada and give McCann the starting job. They brought in Todd Pratt to back him up.

[Silver21_Black20]

He is home grown. He was brought about about halfway through the year last year. He'll be just 22 next month.

Last year in 180 at bats he hit .278 with 5 homers and 23 rbi's. John Smoltz loved pitching to him so much he became his personal catcher. He was also good enough that the Braves felt they could deal away Johnny Estrada and give McCann the starting job. They brought in Todd Pratt to back him up.

Wow...he is young.

Having a catcher that can bat is always an Upgrade :tu

[chode_regulator]

Aol/Time Warner keeps them on a tight budget and they can't afford to throw a lot of money on those types of players. I don't see those as bad moves. Especially with all the young talent they have.

If the other catcher you are talking about is Estrada that was a fine move as well. McCann will make everyone forget about any other catcher the Braves ever had.
yeah it was estrada im talking about. i stil cant believe they didnt even try to keep lopez, and i am not sure that mccann is on the same level as estrada. isnt estrada the one who was madduxs personal catcher?
and they didnt even try to keep furcal, which was a big letdown. but i do have to admit they have an eye for talent. theyve had a lot of different players since their streak began and it seems like after the original all star pitching crew broke up and people like pendleton retired, justice left gant left and all the othes that were there in eraly to mid 90s the braves have been constantly rotating through players.
im sure next year theyll get rid of giles, and i think they should hvae signed julio to another one year contract. also should have kept sheffield, bc now he a fucking gay ass yankee and shit.
oh and back on topic, damon looks like a fucking fag wtih short hair.

[atlfan25]

Maddux's last year with the Braves, Estrada spent almost the entire year in the minors. So I don't know if he ever really got to even catch Maddux. McCann look to be somethin' like a 30 homer type guy who can hit .300 as well. He is also a very good receiver as evidence of him being Smoltz's personal catcher once he came up. He has the potential to be one of the great catchers in the game. I think him and Joe Mauer will be the mold of catchers for years to come.

They actually did try to keep Furcal. They offered him 4 years at 36 million and Schuerholz complained Furcal didn't give him a last chance to improve on it. But the Braves tend to focus on a core group of players they define as a "brave" type player and build around them year after year. Those type of players would be chipper, andruw, smoltz, and i believe giles is one of those now.

With this influx of very good young talent I don't see them doing the typical rotation of players, but just bringing in veterans to fill a spot or two and help bring along the young players.

Chuck James is one lefty I am curious as to how he will perform in spring training as he has been said to be somethin' like the second coming of Glavine. He's put up ungodly numbers in the minors and made his debut in September. We'll see if he is ready to start in the majors yet.


oh and back on topic, damon looks like a fucking fag wtih short hair.Which makes it more surprising he went to the yankees. Now he has to keep his hair cut and face shaved. They must have offered a lot of things on the side for him to cross over other than the money.

[chode_regulator]

Maddux's last year with the Braves, Estrada spent almost the entire year in the minors. So I don't know if he ever really got to even catch Maddux. McCann look to be somethin' like a 30 homer type guy who can hit .300 as well. He is also a very good receiver as evidence of him being Smoltz's personal catcher once he came up. He has the potential to be one of the great catchers in the game. I think him and Joe Mauer will be the mold of catchers for years to come.

They actually did try to keep Furcal. They offered him 4 years at 36 million and Schuerholz complained Furcal didn't give him a last chance to improve on it. But the Braves tend to focus on a core group of players they define as a "brave" type player and build around them year after year. Those type of players would be chipper, andruw, smoltz, and i believe giles is one of those now.

With this influx of very good young talent I don't see them doing the typical rotation of players, but just bringing in veterans to fill a spot or two and help bring along the young players.

Chuck James is one lefty I am curious as to how he will perform in spring training as he has been said to be somethin' like the second coming of Glavine. He's put up ungodly numbers in the minors and made his debut in September. We'll see if he is ready to start in the majors yet.

Which makes it more surprising he went to the yankees. Now he has to keep his hair cut and face shaved. They must have offered a lot of things on the side for him to cross over other than the money.
i would cut my hair and wear whatver facial hair you wanted me to for that kind ofmoney. but im sure the redsox wouljd have given him close to the same. which is why its ridiculous.

[chode_regulator]

but hten again the redsox are a kinda wierd club themselves

[Silver21_Black20]

i would cut my hair and wear whatver facial hair you wanted me to for that kind ofmoney. but im sure the redsox wouljd have given him close to the same. which is why its ridiculous.

See...that's what I'm saying. Just like Furcal, atlfan25 said that he was offered 36 mil from the Braves for 4 yrs and the Dodgers offered 39 mil for 3 years...3 mil more for a season...Damn, that's ridiculous. He should have stayed to help build the core of the team.

Also, what's up with players going to the team that their previous team had a rivalry with (i.e. Damon > Yankees, Martinez > Mets, Glavine > Mets)?