Johnny "Benedict Arnold" Damon
Traitor: One who betrays one's country, a cause, or a trust, especially one who commits treason.
Treason:
Well, the idiot era in Boston Red Sox history is officially over as the biggest dope of them all is now gone, his legacy in ruins. I received a call last night from Sir Alex Popkin at ESPN studios.
"Doug, I have my first breaking news"
"What is it?"
"Johnny signed with the Yankees. 4 Years. 52 Million"
"Woah."
First and foremost, it was infinitely cool that Popkin knew this before the rest of the free world. Second, I must say that I am simply shocked by this news. While reports have swirled in the media for over a year that Johnny may consider playing with the Yankees, I thought that this was planted by Scott Boras to simply drive up his value. I think we all did.
I'm really not even sure where to begin. First, allow me to thank Johnny for his services. While he crapped the bed in the early stages of the 2004 playoffs, he eventually came alive and delivered what may have been the knockout punch with his Game 7 grand slam. He became a cult hero in Boston what with his long hair and penchant for silly yet honest comments. Girls swooned at his rugged good looks and dudes laughed at his girly throwing arm, but we certainly all loved Johnny. He afforded the Red Sox the ability to not worry about the leadoff position, which is a rarity in this day and age. All in all he is a great baseball player, who in his time here brought us lots of joy and that elusive World Series championship.
Having said this, it is time to look at what Johnny has done wrong. His first and probably least offensive move, was that he took the most money over the city that he seemingly loved and loved him right back. This is all too common in professional sports. Even a player in Red Sox nation, with probably the most devoted fans in professional sports, will leave for a few extra bucks (ie. Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, Pedro Martinez). I want to say that its rediculous and that the difference between 40 million dollars and 52 million dollars isn't important since you'll never be able to spend it all. But the blame cannot completely put on Johnny's shoulders in this particular case. The Sox offered 40, the Yankees offered 52, and that certainly is a large difference. However, there are still some atheletes out there who are so devoted to their team and their city that they are willing to stay for less money. Johnny ain't one of 'em.
Johnny's next offense is far more biting. He broke a sacred rule in sports. He went from one side of a rivalry to the other. The Red Sox and the Yankees are supposed to hate each other. Thats the way it has always been. In the 50's and 60's when baseball meant something, no player would EVER switch sides on a rivalry for some extra cash or for any reason. In that day and age, both teams HATED each other, plain and simple. No player has so brashly moved from one side to the other since Wade Boggs left Boston and ruined his legacy here. We all still remember him with his porn stash riding a horse in Yankee pinstripes after their 1996 World Series victory. Simply put, Johnny Damon betrayed his country in the worst fashion possible, by joining the enemy.
Finally, Johnny Damon sold his own soul to the Steinbrenner. The last two years have been a coming out party of sorts for Johnny. When he showed up to spring training in 2004 sporting a jesus beard and hippy hair, people thought it was a joke. It wasn't. This was, to use a common Red Sox slogan, just Johnny being Johnny. This is part of who he is. He' s a west coast guy, stuck on the east coast. He's a free spirit who will say whatever he wants, and dress and act however he wants. Signing with the Yankees is basically signing a death warrant for his personality. All of the sudden Johnny has to cut off his beard and trim his hair. He is going to go through the same brainwashing procedure that the rest of them have, and he will be a stale human being again. Think about it, who is the last Yankee with any semblence of charisma? If you say Gary Sheffield, you are wrong. You are confusing charisma with douchebagedness. Think about it. Mussina, Arod, Jeter, Tino, Giambi. Its like they take lessons on how to be boring with the media. So, in the end Johnny has not only sold out his country, but he sold out himself.
Now, I 'd like to take at the post trade fallout for the two teams involved. The Yankees get one of the games best leadoff hitters and fill their hole at center field that Bernie "My Knees Hurt" Williams left. While Johnny will have no problem being the leadoff hitter that they expect, New York will soon learn that he has a nickname of his own "Girly Arm". I actually just made that up, but it works. Johnny is 32 and arguably in the prime of his career. I've heard a lot of rumors about his body beginning to break down, but I don't see that being the case. So what the Yankees have is a real commodity and a great addition to the team. There was a graphic from Sportscenter last night detailing the new Yankee lineup and their salaries:
CF - Johnny Damon - $13 mil
SS - Derek Jeter - $18.9 mil
3B - Alex Rodriguez - $20.5 mil
RF - Gary Sheffield - $ 13.1 mil
DH - Jason Giambi - $17.1 mil
LF - Hideki Matsui - $13 mil
DH - Bernie Williams - (In arbitration, last year he made $12.5 mil)
C - Jorge Posada - $10.1 mil
2b - Robinson Cano - $ 320 k
The first thing that jumps out at me is "holy shit they are nasty". They have an all-star at every position but 2B. And Cano has the potential. Then you start to reason why the lineup is so nasty and you see the truth. Their 1-4 hitters are going to make more than 14 entire major league teams this year. Their starting lineup before pitching makes as much in salary as the entire Boston Red Sox team. This sickening display of wealth is taking a lot of the fun out of baseball, as fans in Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa bay might as well give up at the beginning of the year. The Red Sox try to keep up, but their payroll is going to be about $90 million less than the Yankees this year. Even with luxury taxes and profit sharing, there has to be a point at which this is considered unfair.
Still, as their payroll continues to rise, they seem to have less and less success. The Yankees forget what won them all of those World Series titles in the first place. It was their home-grown talent. Mariano, Posada, Jeter, Bernie, Pettitte. These were all players who came up through the Yankee system. Now, with apologies to Eric Duncan and Chen Ming Wang, there is no Yankees system. Its simply a breeding ground of tradeable players for them. Chips they can use to get more aging prized players with huge contracts. So, while they may get a title, or even two out of Johnny Damon I see the end in sight. The mighty Empire will soon crumble under its own weight. Just you wait and see.
From the Red Sox perspective, while I am sad to see Johnny go, it is not the end of the world. I like what we are doing with our team as we are getting younger and cheaper this year. We are in talks with the Mariners to obtain their center field prospect Jeremy Reed. Until he was bothered by an injury last year, Reed was considered to have a very similar skill set to Damon's. And he costs about $300,00 as opposed to $13 million. We have young guys aplenty, as you should watch out for Papelbon, Lester, Youkilis, Delcarmen, Van Buren, Pedroia, Hansen, Marte and Shoppach to contribute and develop this year. We are setting up for the future at almost every position. We just traded for a front of the rotation starter who is only 25 in Josh Beckett. While it may take a year or two for development, the Red Sox are wisely positioning themselves for long term success, rather than the quick fix. So I emplore all members of the Red Sox nation to actually give our beloved team the 5-year grace period we said we would, even if we have to watch the Yankees take a title or two in the meantime. The payoff is gonna be sweet.
So Johnny, you will be missed. You brought us much joy in your years at Fenway. I'm sorry that you couldn't get the money you wanted in Boston and I hope it was worth the price of losing so many fans who loved you, selling out your country and yourself. Traitor.
Treason:
- Violation of allegiance toward one's country or sovereign, especially the betrayal of one's country by waging war against it or by consciously and purposely acting to aid its enemies.
- A betrayal of trust or confidence.
Well, the idiot era in Boston Red Sox history is officially over as the biggest dope of them all is now gone, his legacy in ruins. I received a call last night from Sir Alex Popkin at ESPN studios.
"Doug, I have my first breaking news"
"What is it?"
"Johnny signed with the Yankees. 4 Years. 52 Million"
"Woah."
First and foremost, it was infinitely cool that Popkin knew this before the rest of the free world. Second, I must say that I am simply shocked by this news. While reports have swirled in the media for over a year that Johnny may consider playing with the Yankees, I thought that this was planted by Scott Boras to simply drive up his value. I think we all did.
I'm really not even sure where to begin. First, allow me to thank Johnny for his services. While he crapped the bed in the early stages of the 2004 playoffs, he eventually came alive and delivered what may have been the knockout punch with his Game 7 grand slam. He became a cult hero in Boston what with his long hair and penchant for silly yet honest comments. Girls swooned at his rugged good looks and dudes laughed at his girly throwing arm, but we certainly all loved Johnny. He afforded the Red Sox the ability to not worry about the leadoff position, which is a rarity in this day and age. All in all he is a great baseball player, who in his time here brought us lots of joy and that elusive World Series championship.
Having said this, it is time to look at what Johnny has done wrong. His first and probably least offensive move, was that he took the most money over the city that he seemingly loved and loved him right back. This is all too common in professional sports. Even a player in Red Sox nation, with probably the most devoted fans in professional sports, will leave for a few extra bucks (ie. Roger Clemens, Mo Vaughn, Pedro Martinez). I want to say that its rediculous and that the difference between 40 million dollars and 52 million dollars isn't important since you'll never be able to spend it all. But the blame cannot completely put on Johnny's shoulders in this particular case. The Sox offered 40, the Yankees offered 52, and that certainly is a large difference. However, there are still some atheletes out there who are so devoted to their team and their city that they are willing to stay for less money. Johnny ain't one of 'em.
Johnny's next offense is far more biting. He broke a sacred rule in sports. He went from one side of a rivalry to the other. The Red Sox and the Yankees are supposed to hate each other. Thats the way it has always been. In the 50's and 60's when baseball meant something, no player would EVER switch sides on a rivalry for some extra cash or for any reason. In that day and age, both teams HATED each other, plain and simple. No player has so brashly moved from one side to the other since Wade Boggs left Boston and ruined his legacy here. We all still remember him with his porn stash riding a horse in Yankee pinstripes after their 1996 World Series victory. Simply put, Johnny Damon betrayed his country in the worst fashion possible, by joining the enemy.
Finally, Johnny Damon sold his own soul to the Steinbrenner. The last two years have been a coming out party of sorts for Johnny. When he showed up to spring training in 2004 sporting a jesus beard and hippy hair, people thought it was a joke. It wasn't. This was, to use a common Red Sox slogan, just Johnny being Johnny. This is part of who he is. He' s a west coast guy, stuck on the east coast. He's a free spirit who will say whatever he wants, and dress and act however he wants. Signing with the Yankees is basically signing a death warrant for his personality. All of the sudden Johnny has to cut off his beard and trim his hair. He is going to go through the same brainwashing procedure that the rest of them have, and he will be a stale human being again. Think about it, who is the last Yankee with any semblence of charisma? If you say Gary Sheffield, you are wrong. You are confusing charisma with douchebagedness. Think about it. Mussina, Arod, Jeter, Tino, Giambi. Its like they take lessons on how to be boring with the media. So, in the end Johnny has not only sold out his country, but he sold out himself.
Now, I 'd like to take at the post trade fallout for the two teams involved. The Yankees get one of the games best leadoff hitters and fill their hole at center field that Bernie "My Knees Hurt" Williams left. While Johnny will have no problem being the leadoff hitter that they expect, New York will soon learn that he has a nickname of his own "Girly Arm". I actually just made that up, but it works. Johnny is 32 and arguably in the prime of his career. I've heard a lot of rumors about his body beginning to break down, but I don't see that being the case. So what the Yankees have is a real commodity and a great addition to the team. There was a graphic from Sportscenter last night detailing the new Yankee lineup and their salaries:
CF - Johnny Damon - $13 mil
SS - Derek Jeter - $18.9 mil
3B - Alex Rodriguez - $20.5 mil
RF - Gary Sheffield - $ 13.1 mil
DH - Jason Giambi - $17.1 mil
LF - Hideki Matsui - $13 mil
DH - Bernie Williams - (In arbitration, last year he made $12.5 mil)
C - Jorge Posada - $10.1 mil
2b - Robinson Cano - $ 320 k
The first thing that jumps out at me is "holy shit they are nasty". They have an all-star at every position but 2B. And Cano has the potential. Then you start to reason why the lineup is so nasty and you see the truth. Their 1-4 hitters are going to make more than 14 entire major league teams this year. Their starting lineup before pitching makes as much in salary as the entire Boston Red Sox team. This sickening display of wealth is taking a lot of the fun out of baseball, as fans in Toronto, Baltimore and Tampa bay might as well give up at the beginning of the year. The Red Sox try to keep up, but their payroll is going to be about $90 million less than the Yankees this year. Even with luxury taxes and profit sharing, there has to be a point at which this is considered unfair.
Still, as their payroll continues to rise, they seem to have less and less success. The Yankees forget what won them all of those World Series titles in the first place. It was their home-grown talent. Mariano, Posada, Jeter, Bernie, Pettitte. These were all players who came up through the Yankee system. Now, with apologies to Eric Duncan and Chen Ming Wang, there is no Yankees system. Its simply a breeding ground of tradeable players for them. Chips they can use to get more aging prized players with huge contracts. So, while they may get a title, or even two out of Johnny Damon I see the end in sight. The mighty Empire will soon crumble under its own weight. Just you wait and see.
From the Red Sox perspective, while I am sad to see Johnny go, it is not the end of the world. I like what we are doing with our team as we are getting younger and cheaper this year. We are in talks with the Mariners to obtain their center field prospect Jeremy Reed. Until he was bothered by an injury last year, Reed was considered to have a very similar skill set to Damon's. And he costs about $300,00 as opposed to $13 million. We have young guys aplenty, as you should watch out for Papelbon, Lester, Youkilis, Delcarmen, Van Buren, Pedroia, Hansen, Marte and Shoppach to contribute and develop this year. We are setting up for the future at almost every position. We just traded for a front of the rotation starter who is only 25 in Josh Beckett. While it may take a year or two for development, the Red Sox are wisely positioning themselves for long term success, rather than the quick fix. So I emplore all members of the Red Sox nation to actually give our beloved team the 5-year grace period we said we would, even if we have to watch the Yankees take a title or two in the meantime. The payoff is gonna be sweet.
So Johnny, you will be missed. You brought us much joy in your years at Fenway. I'm sorry that you couldn't get the money you wanted in Boston and I hope it was worth the price of losing so many fans who loved you, selling out your country and yourself. Traitor.
posted by Doug Warner at 11:08 AM
19 Comments:
learn to spell
Your comments about what Damon did wrong are awful. First - Name one player (or person for that matter) that wouldn't take $52 million with one team over $40 million with another team ... regardless of what the team is. Second - There is no unwritten rule about going to play for a rival. That may be every devoted fans' dream or wish but the reality is that players have gone from team to team, even it is a rival, for the money. Remember Field of Dreams..."If you build it they will come." Well, the reality is, "If you pay them they will come."
I think your being quite hypocritical. I doubt that you wouldn't move to a rival newspaper if they offered you and increase of $50,000 a year let alone millions. If you call Johnny "Benidict Arnold"... You should be called "Hypocrite Doug". And I am not a Yankee fan.
Anonymous,
I said above that I didn't hold Johnny taking the $52 million against him. Thats a lot of money and he shouldn't be to blame for his decision in that regard.
Second, players HAVE moved from rival to rival in the past. They too are traitors. My point is that players in this day and age have no sense of commitment to their teams. It is obvious that with free agency and the way the game is financially, it is impossible for teams to keep players for the entirety of their careers. But, I will argue to the death that the players who founded the sport would NEVER choose to switch from rival to rival. Jackie Robinson retired instead of doing so. So, yes, there is an unwritten rule that dates back to the roots of our sport. Yes, people have broken this rule. That is just one more thing that is hurting professional sports today.
coco crisp/ red sox yes!
You talk about looking for the last dollar? I have 2 words. Manny Ramirez
Sour Grapes pal ,1st the Red Sox will never be the Yankees,2nd Boston thought the Rocket was done and shipped him to Toronto Then he came to the Yankees to win his 300 game,3rd we never would have traded for Damon ,he was a free agent,4th is it really the money that so many players leave Boston
Manny might be on he's way out also
ya all got rid of Omar.
5th Bernie Williams as you called him "my legs hurt"played 15 years in Pinstripes ,has 4 World Series rings,6th Damons worried about the off season that Boston has had will it be another 118 years
7th Jeter A-Rod Mussina,Tono Matsui,all class acts its time Damon grows up and looks like a professional ball player and with the extra 12 mill im sure he can
8th the redxox should have kept Spary Lyle,lol
9th and Rodger Clemens .He would have worn a Red sox cap into the hall of fame ,now it's New York
10th you guys could not even keep
the general manager happy ,,,,,
In response to your comment new anonymous:
1. I know the Red Sox will never be the Yankees. Thank god.
2. You can't tell me that Boston "shipped" Rocket to Toronto. He was a free agent who left for more money. That is the only reason someone would willingly leave a city like Boston for one like Toronto.
3. I never claimed the Yankees would have traded for Damon.
4. Manny wants to leave Boston because he is a private person who obviously has personal reasons for leaving that he is not sharing. That is ok. Its who he is. Johnny is pretty much the opposite as he is outspoken and very public. He has often stated how much he loves the city and its fans, even after he signed with the Yankees. Its not the city, its the money.
5. Bernie Williams was a great player in his prime. There is no doubt about this. I respect him along with Tino Martinez more than any other Yankee. I call him "My Legs Hurt" because his legs hurt and he is incapable of playing an effective center field. Plain and simple.
6. I can't really decipher what you were trying to say here, "Damons worried about the off season that Boston has had will it be another 118 years"
7. We've seen Johnny without the hair in Kansas City, Oakland and Boston for two years. Going to New York does not a class act make (see Gary Sheffield).
8. No comment on Sparky Lyle.
9. Forget about Clemens. Great pitcher, no doubt. His crime wasn't nearly as bad as he left on bad terms and had a buffer before going to the rival. Johnny was on good terms and still went directly to the enemy. Plus, he wasn't any good for the Yankees. His ERA was above 4 in his four years there and he blew in the playoffs.
10. Theo is still making decisions for the Sox. He has nothing but love.
I think the Yankee's represent the Devil in Pinstripes. Red Sox fans can not be compared to any other teams... The Yankee's know this, they think they can buy anybody, including rival players and fans. They sought after Damon for the sake of breaking Boston's spirit, period. It breaks my heart that he was a part of a legacy with Boston and was so easily swayed by more money. The dude's already a millionaire, how much more money did he need? Oh well, good riddance. (And I'm just a chick from Dallas.)
First of all, if you're gonna say shit like "Hypocrite Doug" and "Learn to Spell" and then post as "Anonymous" I don't think any points you have are worth dignifying with responses. Grow a pair. Second, yes, my boy Doug is a little emotional right now, and feels betrayed, as we all do, by the events of the last two days. We'll get over it when D-Rob comes back and we get Glaus to play 1st. Lastly, it has recently come to my attention that after copying my hairstyle and beard, Mr. Damon is now following me to New York, where I recently moved. If this is true, I am sorry to all of Red Sox nation. Peace out.
Matty,
Johnny following your lead is a factor I had not yet considered. Great point. His trampy whore of a wife, Michelle, is also rumored to have influenced his decision. Perhaps she cannot attain enough cocaine in Boston.
Glaus would certainly soften the blow. I am also hearing rumors about Mark Prior for Manny, but that is just a cream dream. Prior/Beckett/Papelbon/Lester in two years would be absolutely overpowering.
First of all- if you're gonna criticize people, why don't you go ahead and hide behind a wall of anonymity! Just like Matt said, grow a pair, you rat bastards. There is no way you can reasonably argue that what Damon did is honorable in any way. Michael Wilbon tried to do it on PTI the other night just for the sake of the show and for the sake of debate- he failed miserably. And that guy can form a cogent argument around just about any topic.
Your "Field of Dreams" reference was PATHETIC. First of all, is this what you really want baseball to turn into? If you pay them, they will come??? Peep football, a wildly entertaining and extremely competitive league - why? because of ther salary restrictions! Secondly, the fact that you made this comparison using Field of Dreams is laughable, because that movie is about the spirit of the game- the very spirit that Johnny betrayed when he proved that he doesn't care about the team he plays for or the entertainment value and history of the game. Field of Dreams was not about money. Nice try though.
Considering the circumstances, there is NO WAY you can legitmiately argue against Douggy Dub's points. impossible.
whaaaaaaaa.... WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA...
that's all i hear from Red Sox fans. Why would it surprise you that Damon left? Your GM walked away from his childhood dream job, Wells and Manny demanded to be traded, you have no SS, no CF, no lead-off guy, pretty much no closer and you didnt get ARod. Blame the front office of your team before you blame the guy that was the heart and soul of the Red Sox. This is yet another example of the Red Sox ownership not going that one extra step to make their fans happy... who won AL MVP this year, i forget already?
SUCKA'S
Hey "curse of Luccino",
I will smash your face into a car windshield and then take Mrs. Curse of Luccino out to a nice seafood dinner and NEVER CALL HER AGAIN!
You are a D-bag. At least you could have spelled Lucchino properly. You're right! Our front office is killing our franchise, we don't have a CF, SS or 1B, and A-Rod did perform some sexual favors to earn MVP this year.
Well guess what, I'll still stand by my team even if Lucchino is running them into the ground, as opposed to being on the side of the guy who just went back on his word (from May 15th) and used the rivalry to market himself and get more money. And to top it all off, now he's got some sweet highlights in his hair to match his wife's!!
As for the argument about leaving for more money being a legitimate reason to leave: It's bullshit! People like that shouldn't be celebrated. In Bosont, we like to worship the people like Varitek and Tom Brady, who have some honor and some respect for their fans and their team. They forgo a few inconsequential extra million dollars because they have some allegiance to a group of people. Last I checked, loyalty is a good quality and free agency is slowly eating sports alive. So yeah, it is sour grapes, but it's sour grapes for the whole sports fanbase - not just Red Sox Nation.
Scott B. Barker.... i love it that you have to threaten to kill my wife in order to make a point about Johnny Damon and baseball. You exemplify the steller world of stand up citizens that make up the Red Sox nation and why people cant wait to get out of your armpit of an organization. You talk about ARod and gay tendencies but apparently it is you that has lost touch with his own sexuality. You take your love for Johnny Damon to a new level - to the point where i bet you licked the crotch off all his baseball cards and you bruised your forehead trying to give him a reach-around through your television. Post all you want about me sucka, im done with you after having just handed you your ass like your father used to
Hey shithead,
It was a joke- in attempt to make the blog entertaining, which you fucked up. If you had shred of a sense of humor you would have understood it. I didn't threaten to kill your wife (*ahem* husband *cough* you faggot), I threatened to take your mother out for a nice dinner and then not return her calls.
If you're gonna make some shitty insults at least use some logic and a cogent point to back it up. Even though you didn't really hand my ass to me, I gotta give you credit and let you know those were some pretty funny ideas though... licking the crotch off a baseball card HAHA... giving the tv the reacharound OH MAN THAT'S RICH! To be honest, that's pretty funny. I just wonder what kind of person thinks of that stuff.... most likely someone that's done it themself.
Your whole purpose is to slander the Red Sox organization, whereas I actually have an opinion to express. AND I think you're a homo... but that's neither here nor there.
Scott Barker, I enjoyed your rebuttel to the person that attacked you, but it wasnt me that posted it (i did post the original one that you attacked though). Although i laughed at the dialogue between you two, i think it would have been more tasteful had you stuck to demeaning the Yankees and Johnny Damon rather then threatening violence on me and then stealing my wife. But if the terrorist mentality approach works for you, so be it. That comment about the baseball cards and television was fucking funny though - my hats off to that author.
Happy New Year fellas
i didnt threaten anyone! it was a quote from anchorman! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills here!!! (or will that movie quote go way over the head of Yankees fans too?)
Anyways - apologies for cursing you out, Curse of Lucchino- you are a gentleman and a scholar.
Regardless, it'll be a good year for the AL east.
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