Damon indicates if not Sox, then the Angels

[riverside sluggers]

Damon puts Angels high on his list

The Boston outfielder will be a free agent this winter. He says the team would be a good fit for him.

 

By MARK SAXON

THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

BOSTON – He's probably baseball's best leadoff man and he figures to be the top free agent available this winter. His new rock-star image would play well in Southern California. Johnny Damon said Thursday the Angels would be his No. 2 choice of future employer. "Anaheim's right behind Boston as far as teams on the list," Damon said. "I love Southern California. The weather is awesome, I like the team, I love (Manager) Mike Scioscia, I love their pitching staff, I love Orlando Cabrera. A lot of things about it make sense."

 

Damon is batting .321 with 103 runs scored and a .369 on-base percentage. Many Red Sox observers consider him the team MVP, even though David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez have each driven in more than 115 runs. In some ways, Damon's skills would better suit an Angels' offense. The Red Sox disdain the running game, stacking their lineup with patient sluggers. Damon, 31, has just 14 stolen bases this year. He stole 46 in 2000 with the Kansas City Royals.

 

"You just don't want to take the bat out of these guys' hands. With the Angels, you wouldn't want to run with Vlad up, but there would be a lot of other chances," Damon said. With Steve Finley batting .215 and already benched, it's doubtful he'll enter next spring as the everyday center fielder. Asked if Finley might find his role in doubt next spring, Angels general manager Bill Stoneman said, "Yeah, but it's a premature question."

 

He wouldn't comment on Damon because of tampering rules."No matter what anybody else says, it's going to come down to what we want to do," Stoneman said. Initial reports are that Damon's agent, Scott Boras, will seek a deal in the 4-5 year range worth roughly $10 million per year.

[jebargit]

Ah distractions....just worry about this weekend and let the chips fall where they may.

[Ray10]

No need to worry about this until the offseason.

[Soxfan1]

Agreed. Didn't tek almost do the same thing last year?

[riverside sluggers]

He was close to signing a deal with the White Sox last December

[Soxfan1]

I thought he came close to a deal with the angels. I saw it on sportsdesk

[riverside sluggers]

oh well those 2 teams then were both going for him, but that is in the past and tek here is stay as our captain through 2008

[Chitalian Stallion]

I rly hope we do re-sign him, but I doubt that a$$hole Boras will give us a home-town discount.

[Sizzlin22]

Who the hell cares, why do Red Sox players always try to stir the pot right beore the biggest series of the season? I swear between Pedro, Damon and Manny, more s*** has been started before Yankees series in the past few years than I can count.

[BoSox21]

I have faith in Theo, no matter what he chooses to do

[Soxfan1]

Well you better hope we can resign theo then.

[empirestrikesback26]

Anywhere but the yankees please.

[MC Hammer]

Well you better hope we can resign theo then.

I don't think theres any question Theo will be back.

[BoSox21]

no way Theo is leaving

[Master Shake]

Anywhere but the yankees please.

 

 

 

 

Haha. I concur. :harhar:

 

 

But I would really like to see him come back to the Sox, I'll cry my eyes out if he doesn't. I hate $cott Bora$.

[Sizzlin22]

Anywhere but the yankees please.

You would perfer Bernie?

[empirestrikesback26]

Haha. I concur. :harhar:

 

 

But I would really like to see him come back to the Sox, I'll cry my eyes out if he doesn't. I hate $cott Bora$.

He's on the wrong side of 30 and on the decline. We could do without another noodle arm out there in Centerfielder too. Also one who can't field ground balls.:harhar:

[empirestrikesback26]

You would perfer Bernie?

No, Bernie will either retire, go to a different team or DH. He won't play the field.

[riverside sluggers]

Yankees have already released a statement, back in july saying they do not have intentions to renew Bernie's contract

[empirestrikesback26]

Yankees have already released a statement, back in july saying they do not have intentions to renew Bernie's contract

That doesn't mean he won't be with the club next year. It just means he won't be with the club with that contract. He'll either play here for less, or go somewhere else and play for more. His agent is boras, so expect the latter.

[26 to 6]

Anywhere but the yankees please.

you're crazy if you dont want Damon. Who would you prefer..an un-seasoned Mely Cabrera? Bubba Crosby? Matt Lawton? Kevin Thompson? Bernie? Please enlighten me. Damon is argueably the best Center Fielder in the game..and by chance, a good center fielder is EXACTLY what we need. And another added bonus is that he's a leadoff man, and if we got Damon, who would hit leadiff, we could move Jeet back to the 2 hole where he has spent an overwhelming majority of his career.

[26 to 6]

Yankees have already released a statement, back in july saying they do not have intentions to renew Bernie's contract

no...the statement said they have no intention of picking up his option for 2006...a smart move because he is not worth the money that picking up that option would pay him. As far as bernie is concerned, the ball is in his court this offseason as to if he wants to return. It is a given that we will be shopping for a durable, reliable Center Fielder...something that Bernie no longer is. If Bernie wants back he would not be the every day Center Fielder. He just cant do it, maybe a few days a week he can do, but then that would be wasting money on the CF we sign in the offseason. So if Bernie wants to come back he will play CF occasionally to spell the regular CFer a day off. Other than that Bernie would share time with Ruben and Giambi alternating at DH (I expect Jason to play more 1B than DH next year, as thats how its playing out now. But he will obviously get a few days here and there at the DH spot to A. give Tino some playing time, if he doesnt retire; or B. give his body a rest) and coming off the bench.

 

An interesting scenario if we dont get a CFer would to have Melky come up next year and platoon him with Bernie for his rookie season (for the life of me I dont understand why we havent called him up for September.)

[RedRuffing15]

I don't really want Damon either, no doubt hes one of the best but he won't go well with Torre or whoever is on the bench, Damon to me can say what he wants without consequence on the Sox, like the Schilling vs Timlin for closer. He called his manager wrong and I didn't here much about it after that, so unless I missed smething, I don't think Torre or whoever else its directed at would take that as well as it was taen.

 

I also don't mind Crosby playing CF, he doesn't have the best bat, but he has speed and a fairly good arm, I'm not sure on this years stats, but last year he only had one error in 55 games

[mosox]

Interesting how Bellhorn can be pissed about the Sox letting him go , and then Damon openly talks about going to another team. It's hard to take any pro athlete seriously.

[sarasoxfan]

I want damon to stay and refuse to say anything bad about him, I would be upset if he left. He's only the best leadoff in the game and is a gentleman and unbelievable catalyst for this team.

 

I cant see such a nice guy going to a team of such bonafides *******s as the yankees. It's hard to imagine a guy with as much class as damon being on the same team with a guy who has no class whatsoever like sheffield. Turns my stomach to think about it. I also find it impossible to mention a stiff like bellhorn. And johnny in the same sentence.

[RedRuffing15]

I cant see such a nice guy going to a team of such bonafides *******s as the yankees. It's hard to imagine a guy with as much class as damon being on the same team with a guy who has no class whatsoever like sheffield.

 

But he can play on a team with Manny, who tries to start a fight with Roger Clemens on a pitch that would not have even hit him if he didn't move. Or maybe Ortiz who started...2 fights in 2 games??

 

And probably based on your definition of *******, no one except Sheffield fits in that catagory.

[empirestrikesback26]

you're crazy if you dont want Damon. Who would you prefer..an un-seasoned Mely Cabrera? Bubba Crosby? Matt Lawton? Kevin Thompson? Bernie? Please enlighten me. Damon is argueably the best Center Fielder in the game..and by chance, a good center fielder is EXACTLY what we need. And another added bonus is that he's a leadoff man, and if we got Damon, who would hit leadiff, we could move Jeet back to the 2 hole where he has spent an overwhelming majority of his career.

I'd rather have pierre.

[empirestrikesback26]

I want damon to stay and refuse to say anything bad about him, I would be upset if he left. He's only the best leadoff in the game and is a gentleman and unbelievable catalyst for this team.

 

I cant see such a nice guy going to a team of such bonafides *******s as the yankees. It's hard to imagine a guy with as much class as damon being on the same team with a guy who has no class whatsoever like sheffield. Turns my stomach to think about it. I also find it impossible to mention a stiff like bellhorn. And johnny in the same sentence.

Well I can only hope you're right, I don't want him coming here either.

[Manny Goes Boom]

But he can play on a team with Manny, who tries to start a fight with Roger Clemens on a pitch that would not have even hit him if he didn't move. Or maybe Ortiz who started...2 fights in 2 games??

 

And probably based on your definition of *******, no one except Sheffield fits in that catagory.

 

A-Rod...

[empirestrikesback26]

A-Rod...

Why is A rod an *******?

 

Sheff is an *******, nobody else on the team is.