Intro

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.

Unform Number

#51 (1995), #18 (1996-2000, 2002-2005), #8 (2001),

Quotes From

"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

Replaced By

When he signed with the Yankees, the Red Sox replaced him with Coco Crisp.

Best Season

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.

Factoid 1

In 2007, Johnny Damon was named commissioner of the Professional Baseball Gaming League.

Transition

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.

Strengths

Putting the ball in play, and baserunning. He also has excellent extra-base pop for a leadoff batter.

Weaknesses

His throwing arm.

Milestones

On May 30, 2007, Damon collected his 2,000th hit - a single against the Blue Jays in Toronto.

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.

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.