Johnny Damon
One of the premier leadoff men in baseball, Johnny Damon became a legend in New England when he helped the Red Sox slay the arch-rival Yankees in the 2004 playoffs. With his long hair, bushy beard, large forehead, and lumberjack-like good looks, Damon became an icon. From 1998-2006, he scored 100 runs every season, despite switching teams twice. He shocked Red Sox Nation when he signed as a free agent with the Yankees prior to the 2006 season.
Quotes From Damon
"We're just a bunch of crazy idiots!" — on the carefree and flaky Red Sox clubhouse
"My biggest adjustment has been learning not to be afraid to fail."
"I think they'd like to be in my shoes. I'm living my childhood dream." — Damon on being booed on his return to Fenway Park as a Yankee
Played For
Kansas City Royals (1995-2000)
Oakland Athletics (2001)
Boston Red Sox (2002-2005)
All-Time Rankings
Johnny Damon ranks #48 among the Top 50 all-time at CF. Rankings ⇒
Best Season: 2004
He might have had a better regular season in 2000 with the Royals (.327 with 214 hits, 136 runs, 88 RBI and 46 stolen bases), but his post-season performance in '04 was huge. he had a great season, batting .304 with 20 homers, 123 runs, and 94 RBI. In the division series against the Angels, he went 7-for-15 in the three game sweep. He struggled through the first six games of the LCS against the Yankees, but erupted for a pair of homers in Game Seven, providing seven RBI in the series. He had four extra-base hits in the World Series sweep, scoring four runs.
Factoids
In 2007, Johnny Damon was named commissioner of the Professional Baseball Gaming League.
Description
Almost like a rock star, Johnny Damon attracted female fans like flies. With his flowing brown hair, high cheek bones, thick beard, and muscular upper body, he looked more like a lead singer than a leadoff man. His neanderthal-like appearance was an oddity in Kansas City, embraced and mimicked in Boston, and it disappeared in New York. He's considered an excellent teammate, and in his first season in the Bronx, he was credited with loosening up the stuffy Yankee clubhouse.
Where He Played
Center fielder
Born
Johnny David Damon was born on November 5, 1973, in Fort Riley, KS.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
Primary Position: CF
Primary Team: KCA
Major League Debut
August 12, 1995 ... Damon played center and batted leadoff against the Mariners in Kansas City. He popped out his first time up, and hit a triple his third time up, off Tim Belcher. He went 3-for-5 with a run and an RBI in the Royals' 7-2 victory. Damon hit safely in his first eight major league games, and reached base safely in his first 12.
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1995
Ray Durham
Johnny Damon
Edgardo Alfonzo
Derek Jeter
Bobby Higginson
Jason Giambi
Billy Wagner
Mariano Rivera
Troy Percival
Nicknames
Captain Caveman
Uniform Numbers
#51 (1995), #18 (1996-2000, 2002-2005), #8 (2001),
Related Players
Damon teamed with Jermaine Dye and Carlos Beltran in Kansas City in 1999-2000 to form one of baseball's best outfields.
Post-Season Appearances
2001 American League Divisional Series
2003 American League Championship Series
2003 American League Divisional Series
2004 American League Championship Series
2004 American League Divisional Series
2004 World Series
2005 American League Divisional Series
Milestones
On May 30, 2007, Damon collected his 2,000th hit - a single against the Blue Jays in Toronto.
Notes
Through 2005, Damon had hit much better in night games than during the day. He had a .306 average with a .450 slugging percentage at night, and .250/.362 under the sunshine.
Transactions
June 1, 1992: Drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the 1st round (35th pick) of the 1992 amateur draft. Player signed June 23, 1992.
January 8, 2001: Traded as part of a 3-team trade by the Kansas City Royals with Mark Ellis to the Oakland Athletics. The Oakland Athletics sent Ben Grieve to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The Oakland Athletics sent Angel Berroa and A.J. Hinch to the Kansas City Royals. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Cory Lidle to the Oakland Athletics. The Tampa Bay Devil Rays sent Roberto Hernandez to the Kansas City Royals.
December 21, 2001: Signed as a Free Agent with the Boston Red Sox.
January 3, 2006: Signed as a Free Agent with the New York Yankees.
Home Run Facts
Had hit four grand slams through 2005.
Matchup Data
In 26 at-bats against Charles Nagy, Damon went 15-for-26 (.577) with two homers... Through 2005, Damon had hit .235 (20-for-85) with no homers and 13 strikeouts against Mike Mussina.
All-Star Selections
2002 AL
2005 AL
Replaced
Tom Goodwin was just the type of outfielder who was made to play in Royals Stadium. He was fast, had great defensive skills, and slapped the ball on the ground. He swiped 50 bases as a rookie in 1995, but less than two years later, Damon had taken his center field job. Goodwin's biggest flaw was his lack of punch - he produced 42 extra-base hits over two seasons (1995-1996). The Royals dealt him to the Rangers in the middle of the '97 season for Dean Palmer.
Replaced By
When he signed with the Yankees, the Red Sox replaced him with Coco Crisp.
Best Strength as a Player
Putting the ball in play, and baserunning. He also has excellent extra-base pop for a leadoff batter.
Largest Weakness as a Player
His throwing arm.
Learn More about Johnny Damon
Search Amazon.com for Books about Johnny Damon ⇒
Search for Johnny Damon at Google ⇒
View a map of his hometown at Mapquest ⇒
Sources used for the Johnny Damon Player Page:
Retrosheet.org
