Damon to Yankees

[Lofunzo]

If Damon was THAT important to the Red Sox management, then they woul dnot have tried to lowball him knowing their major rival was desperate for a CF.

That is a good point. It just depends on what your definition of "lowball" is.

[Pedantic]

Say what you want about Damon, but his wife is smoking.

[HOOTIE]

Too often people act like these guys owe them something, when whether or not we'll admit it, we'd do the same damn thing, and you know why? So our children's children (and maybe even their children) don't have to worry about being in financial binds (barring wise decision making). What we fail to realize is that ballplayers are human beings, and employees, just as we are. If some school offered me $100,000 a year at this point in my career to move out of my curent district, I'd do it in a heartbeat, and I don't even have a family, yet. It happens. He's not a traiter, or a phony, or a sell out or any of those things. He's a man with a family, who has put them in a great financial situation for a long, long time to come, and is apparently in a situation that suits him.

I disagree. There is no comparision from the average Joe making 50K a year, to a guy who already has made 45mil before this deal.


http://www.baseball-reference.com/d/damonjo01.shtml

And the addage i did it for my family is a joke. His family, plus his neighbors added on, could be set for life at 45 mil. At the end of his deal he will have made 97 mil. So what if he took 12 mil less. He makes 85 mil. Your family does not live any better on 97 mil to 85 mil. As to you jumping to 100K, that's huge, and it increases your buying level quite a bit. The difference bewteen 85 mil and 97 mil is 9 homes instead of 10, and maybe a few less investments. These deals have no comparision at all to the average Joes raising a family. Unless Damon hated Boston so much he could never return, this sounds like nothing but greed. The more you have, the more you want. $ isn't everything, and the grass isn't always greener on the other side of the fence.

[1337_Dude]

Ya know, I don't really blame him for leaving. Everytime you heard something about the Sox and the center field position it was about them trading for a new guy when Damon leaves as opposed to them working out something with him. Also the fact that Boston hasn't really done much to improve themselves lately couldn't have helped the Sox in his desicion. I mean in the last 2 years they've lost a ton of talent and haven't really brought anything in to replace it. The best thing has been Beckett and he's always a risk to miss 2 or three stretches of games due to his blister problem, when you weigh that to what they've lost it has to trouble the guys who are still there.

[BronXBombers51]

So Damon was greedy? Really? A greedy pro-athlete? No way!!











If they didn't give Boston a chance to counter-offer, then he obviously just didn't want to go back based on his past experiences. If he did, then Boston just didn't want him enough to give him the cash.

[Lofunzo]

Hootie........I am with you except for 1 thing. It's easy for us to say that we would leave $12M on the table for happiness because it would never happen and we are just talking about hypotheticals. When push came to shove, I really don't know that I could leave $12M on the table. I'll be honest. It's easy for us to say that we would play a game for the league minimum and that these guys are selfish but there is a big difference. It usually refers to a Joe Schmoe here going from $35K/year to making $250K/year. In the instance of a professional athlete, we are talking about someone making millions and dropping down to $250K. Big difference.

I am exaggerating but hopefully, you got my point.

[BronXBombers51]

Damon press conference in 15 minutes. Will be televised on YES and likely ESPNews.

Just a heads up if you want to hear Johnny's comments, which are sure to be interesting and/or controversial.

[Strasil42]

Funny watching Damon put on the hat and uniform. He looks a lot better when he doesnt look like an idiot caveman.


Johnny Damon Since 2002

Johnnys Stats
BA .313
Runs 461
Hits 730
OBP .361
RBI 299

CF Rank
BA #1
Runs #1
Hits #2
OBP #3
RBI #4

[bigh0rt]

Hootie........I am with you except for 1 thing. It's easy for us to say that we would leave $12M on the table for happiness because it would never happen and we are just talking about hypotheticals. When push came to shove, I really don't know that I could leave $12M on the table. I'll be honest. It's easy for us to say that we would play a game for the league minimum and that these guys are selfish but there is a big difference. It usually refers to a Joe Schmoe here going from $35K/year to making $250K/year. In the instance of a professional athlete, we are talking about someone making millions and dropping down to $250K. Big difference.

I am exaggerating but hopefully, you got my point.

That was my point, as well. I simply used my own experience as an example, and while the numbers don't add up there, I'm in the same boat as Lofunzo. It'd take an awful lot for me to turn down another $12 million, regardless if I had already madd $45 million or whatever it was. There would've had to be a MAJOR reason for me turning down $12 million, and loyalty to an employer who I've worked for for four years who has regularly rumored to be shipping me elsewhere or talked about my replacement doesn't fit that bill.

[bigh0rt]

What's with the sideburns?