Damon to the Yankees

[ARod2212]

Yes, but Pettitte left more money on the table from the Yankees (and Boston) and went to Houston. Yankees at least made him their best possible offer.

[jsinger121]

petitte is a rare athlete that shows its not always about the money. i can't say the same case for damon

[ORS]

Yes, but Pettitte left more money on the table from the Yankees (and Boston) and went to Houston. Yankees at least made him their best possible offer.

For every report I've read about him just wanting to play close to home, I've read one that says George lowballed him to begin with and the final offer that was bigger than Houston's and Boston's came too late. I've read several articles that state the Boss had doubts about his durability. Take away the last second offer, which was probably made to save face, and it is the exact same situation. The Yankees knew a good offer would have to be made to convince him to stay away from home, just like the Sox knew Damon would probably just follow the money. Both dragged their feet, intentionally if you ask me.

[jsinger121]

i heard basically the same thing one red seat that george and the yankee front office was wary over petitte's elbow. basically they didn't even talk to petitte until it was too late.

[a700hitter]

There were plenty of stories in NY that the Yankees were happy to let him walk. They were probably pissed though when he was able to un-retire Rocket and bring him to Houston.

[ARod2212]

I remember the Pettitte negotiations well, Andy has been my favorite player since he came up. I thought they should have signed him to an extension earlier, but health problems scared them off.

 

Pettitte asked for time to weigh his options after 2003, and Cashman let him. In that time, Houston made a gigantic pitch him, based on living back in Texas. When the Yankees got involved it was too late, because despite their efforts Houston had been sold to him. Point being I really think it was more the fact that he wanted to play in Houston than Yankees folly.

 

There wasn't a lowball offer to Pettitte (like Boston's 3/27 to Damon), and there was a higher final offer than the contract he signed with Houston (unlike Boston's unwillingness to budge from 4/40).

[a700hitter]

Point being I really think it was more the fact that he wanted to play in Houston than Yankees folly.

Doesn't matter. They lost him, Rocket and Wells in one off-season. That was a really bad off-season, and all 3 are still good pitchers. Yikes, Red Sawx fans would have been throwing themselves into the Charles.

[26 to 6]

Andy leaving was a blow not only to the team talent-wise but to the face of the team and the representation of the team. Pettitte left not because he wanted to play closer to home (thats the reason he went to Houston, not the reason he left the Yankees) but because he felt the Yankees didnt do him justice and persue him hard enough. Instead we were spending all of our time going after Sheffield. If George really wanted him back he would have been back. And im disappointed at the way he was treated by George. For whatever reason George did not like Andy at all. According to Buster Olney in his book Torre had to on numerous occasions talk george out of trading Andy. After Andy hurt his elbow in 2004 it looked like a good deciscion by the Yankees, but im sure that regardless George is regretting it.

 

One thing I can say about Andy and his loyalty to the Yankees (he still always has the best things to say about the Yanks) is that I admire him for turning down Boston, who from what I remember hearing back then had blown every other offer out of the water. He said he "couldnt do that to the Yankee fans."

[yeszir]

Andy Pettitte has more class than Johnny Damon, apparently.

[riverside sluggers]

Dirt Dogs

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the Nation,

We were angry that Johnny gave in to New York’s temptation;

Our Red Stockings were hung when Damon took the dare,

(After Manny told him to get the hell out of here);

 

The GMs were nervous all snug in their beds,

While visions of an irate Larry Lucchino danced in their heads;

And Edgar in Columbia, with his new Braves cap,

Had just settled down for his annual winter's nap;

 

When down in the Crown Royal Room there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the bed as it must be some pressing matter;

Away to the tube, turning NESN on in a flash,

I saw the whole GM committee, Charles trying to make a big splash;

 

Larry stands up to speak, no time for hello,

He’s reporting “Manny to the Mets” is finally a go;

We get a No. 1 prospect, that’s the whole deal,

Now there’s a hole in left field, this all seems unreal;

 

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,

But a guy in a gorilla suit, and John Henry in the rear;

He stepped out of his costume, looked ready to attack,

This is the big moment, Theo Epstein was back;

 

More rapid than Roberts his ops guys they came,

And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:

 

"Now, Kapstein! now, Hoyer! now, James and Cherington!

On, Lajoie! on Shipley! on, Jauss and O’Halloran!

To the top of the list! Time to make some calls!

Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

 

Players leaving in droves, after the Series flag fly,

When they meet with an obstacle, they take to the sky,

Can Theo trade Wells and poor Matt Clement?

Losing faith in our genius? And his money well spent?

 

More holes than Swiss cheese, and no idea how to fill ‘em

The fans upset, and miss Manny, Mueller, and Damon;

So down to spring training to Ft. Myers they flew,

With the roster full of boys, and free agents too.

 

And then, in a twinkling, he came to the mound,

The prancing and pawing of this new throwing hound,

Laying his finger aside of the seam,

No blisters now thanks to Stan’s Rodeo Cream

 

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,

He went into his windup; then turned with a jerk,

As he threw out his hand, and was coming around,

Down towards home plate, the ball took off with a bound;

 

He threw like the old Rocket, so lively and quick,

I knew in a moment, Beckett was starting to click;

His heater’s mid-nineties, the curve ball has bite,

Let’s mark him down for nine innings a night!

 

With some new guy in center, A fill-in at short,

A no-name at first, forget run support

But then just like before, Papi let the ball fly,

‘Tek threw out base stealers, hit long drives through the sky,

Lowell had the old stroke back, when he hit ‘em they flew,

They all batted around, Alex Cora too;

 

I sprang to my feet, to the team gave a whistle,

They circled the bases, Josh threw another missile;

The good times were back for our rebuilt ballclub,

 

"NO MATTER WHO LEAVES BOSTON, PENNANT FEVER STILL GRIPS HUB"

[26 to 6]

That was a very enjoyable read...except for the enthusiasm towards the end

[riverside sluggers]

eh like the poem, i am pissed about damon turning his back and switching sides. IMO, even if Sox matched his offer, I think he wouldve still chosen NY over Boston.

 

Despite that and current state of roster, Im still optimistic that everything will work out in the end for our team to be able to compete come opening day.

 

Happy Holidays everyone

[26 to 6]

eh like the poem, i am pissed about damon turning his back and switching sides. IMO, even if Sox matched his offer, I think he wouldve still chosen NY over Boston.

 

Despite that and current state of roster, Im still optimistic that everything will work out in the end for our team to be able to compete come opening day.

 

Happy Holidays everyone

I can understand your feeling about Damon, and Happy Holidays to you too!!

[Cityofchampions33]

Ohhhh baby, the boo he's gunna get when he comes back to Fenway. Gives me chills just thinkin about it. Happy Holidays traitor.

[riverside sluggers]

im sure there will be some clapping, but you will only hear it if you have super hearing. Many in RS nation feel betrayed and they need to vent their agression which I believe will be the biggest booing at Fenway Park in recent memory.

[yeszir]

im sure there will be some clapping, but you will only hear it if you have super hearing. Many in RS nation feel betrayed and they need to vent their agression which I believe will be the biggest booing at Fenway Park in recent memory.

No one will clap. He's in center field too, easy prey for hecklers in the bleachers and maybe a few projectile batteries.

[a700hitter]

We root for the uniform, and we root against anything wearing pinstripes. There is no spite involved. Damon saw the passion up close for 4 years. He went to the other side. He should know that he is now the enemy. He needs the cold slap of a hooting crowd to snap him into that reality. There ain't no more love in Fenway for him.

 

Bob Gibson used to room with Bill White and they were the best of friends. Gibby told White that if they ever faced each other that White would not be his friend on the field. After White was traded to the Phillies, Gibby drilled him in the back in his first AB. No spite, just not friends on the field. The Fenway Faithful will figuratively drill Johnny when he steps to the plate on May 1st.

[jsinger121]

all the former damon decipals should just toss their beards at him while he is in centerfield. i think that would be pretty cool.

[a700hitter]

I like that idea. I hope it catches on. And you can't hurt anyone by throwing a beard.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

I like that idea. I hope it catches on. And you can't hurt anyone by throwing a beard.

How about a chant of " Idiot, Idiot, Idiot ", when he comes to bat a theme song of : " Take the Money and Run " ( Steve Miller ).

[BronxBomber61]

Listen to you guys, you can’t wait to rip Damon a new one when he comes back to play in your beloved Fenway. It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there. Damon had home runs that were a knife in the back of the Yankees and their fans, without him the RS might have been watching the Yankees sweep the Cardinals. I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

[riverside sluggers]

It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there.

 

yeah we are part of the reason why damon left the red sox for the yankees.... give me a f***ing break. The fans made him an iconic cult hero in Red Sox Nation. He could have had a bad game going 0 for 4 with an error and we still would cheer our lungs out for him.

 

spare me your nonsense dribble

 

-------------------

I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

 

2004- Wells got on the mound in a Padres uniform and was giving an uproaring ovation

 

opening day 2005- Wells got on the mound in a Red Sox uniform and was booed every chance the fans got to have, there was even crude signs aimed at him. The ESPN announcer even said some were to vulgar they couldnt show them on tv.

[Sox Fan on Cape]

Listen to you guys, you can’t wait to rip Damon a new one when he comes back to play in your beloved Fenway. It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there. Damon had home runs that were a knife in the back of the Yankees and their fans, without him the RS might have been watching the Yankees sweep the Cardinals. I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

Do a little research, Damon has always gone where the money is. He hired an agent that is well known to do that and only that. The Sox fans didn't have a thing to do with his departure, it was only about money. Personally, I never had any "love" for him. I veiwed him for what he was and is, a hired gun. He'll fit in fine with the rest of your overpaid hired guns. Sorry, but you don't win the Triple Crown with 5 year olds.

[a700hitter]

Listen to you guys, you can’t wait to rip Damon a new one when he comes back to play in your beloved Fenway. It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there. Damon had home runs that were a knife in the back of the Yankees and their fans, without him the RS might have been watching the Yankees sweep the Cardinals. I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

Okay moderators, I promised no personal insult, and this in not personal, but this quote is completely idiotic. We still love what Damon did for RSN, but we root for the uniform not the individual. We hate anything in pinstripes. He should be expecting it, and being the mercenary that he is, it won't even bother him. What will bother him will be that he will blend into the crowd in NY, and his egotistical little wife will be able to walk down Broadway without being noticed.

[jsinger121]

i hoped nesn canned michelle damon the second damon signed

[ORS]

Listen to you guys, you can’t wait to rip Damon a new one when he comes back to play in your beloved Fenway. It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there. Damon had home runs that were a knife in the back of the Yankees and their fans, without him the RS might have been watching the Yankees sweep the Cardinals. I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

David Wells says, "Hi". Pull the wool off your eyes and recognize that you being a Yankee fan doesn't make you full of virtue, it makes you full of s***.

 

EDIT: The you in this case pertains to this jerkwad and this jerkwad alone. It is not a generality meant to be applied to all Yankee fans in here. If, however, you tend to agree with this line of thinking, then it probably applies to you too.

[yeszir]

Listen to you guys, you can’t wait to rip Damon a new one when he comes back to play in your beloved Fenway. It’s as much the fault of the fans as it is the front office that so many players can’t wait to get out of there. Damon had home runs that were a knife in the back of the Yankees and their fans, without him the RS might have been watching the Yankees sweep the Cardinals. I don’t want to hear how Yankee fans can be; we’ve got nothing on you guys.

Im the admin and I'm supposed to remain relatively impartial and neutral blah blah blah but you're a complete moron. Damon could cure Alzheimers (highly unlikely given his mental level is roughly that of an unripened canteloupe) and I, along with most of the rest of Red Sox Nation, would still hate him.

[26 to 6]

i hoped nesn canned michelle damon the second damon signed

I would imagine they did

 

What will bother him will be that he will blend into the crowd in NY, and his egotistical little wife will be able to walk down Broadway without being noticed.

IDK man, NY is huge and of coarse we have millions and millions of people, but i think it is highly unlikely that Damon will be able to walk the street unnoticed. Unless he goes into a poetry coffee shop in upper manhatten or something with a bunch of intellectual poets he is not going unnoticed

 

Im the admin and I'm supposed to remain relatively impartial and neutral blah blah blah but you're a complete moron. Damon could cure Alzheimers (highly unlikely given his mental level is roughly that of an unripened canteloupe) and I, along with most of the rest of Red Sox Nation, would still hate him.

What if he cured Cancer or AIDS??

[a700hitter]

I would imagine they did

 

 

IDK man, NY is huge and of coarse we have millions and millions of people, but i think it is highly unlikely that Damon will be able to walk the street unnoticed. Unless he goes into a poetry coffee shop in upper manhatten or something with a bunch of intellectual poets he is not going unnoticed

 

 

What if he cured Cancer or AIDS??

Dude I have lived almost my entire life in NY and I work in the heart of the city. I didn't say he could walk down the street unnoticed. I said that his egotistical, wanabee wife could walk down Broadway and no one would notice. And that is dead on balls accurate. Living behind enemy lines, I have a perspective that most people on theis Board don't. The truth is that Boston is much more focused on the Red Sox than NY is on the Yankees. In Boston, every waitress and cop and cab driver knows the players. They know who is scheduled to pitch on any given night. NY is nuch different. Half the people wouldn't know how to get to Yankee stadium. NY is too big, and there are lots of other distractions. Boston is more intense about its baseball. Damon will have a much better chance of walking the streets in NY without people noticing. In Boston, he would draw a crowd from blocks around. If you don't believe me, go spend a week in Boston. That's all it will take. You think your parade down the Valley of Heroes is a big deal. The Red Sox victory parade had people that drove from California and 3 attended. You cant's jam that many people in the Valley of Heroes if you stacked them on top of each other. Go onto a Manhattan street and ask people how they feel about getting Damon. You'll get some blank looks. Ask the question on Boylston Street and you'll get an earful. Merry Xmas.

[26 to 6]

Dude I have lived almost my entire life in NY and I work in the heart of the city. I didn't say he could walk down the street unnoticed. I said that his egotistical, wanabee wife could walk down Broadway and no one would notice. And that is dead on balls accurate. Living behind enemy lines, I have a perspective that most people on theis Board don't. The truth is that Boston is much more focused on the Red Sox than NY is on the Yankees. In Boston, every waitress and cop and cab driver knows the players. They know who is scheduled to pitch on any given night. NY is nuch different. Half the people wouldn't know how to get to Yankee stadium. NY is too big, and there are lots of other distractions. Boston is more intense about its baseball. Damon will have a much better chance of walking the streets in NY without people noticing. In Boston, he would draw a crowd from blocks around. If you don't believe me, go spend a week in Boston. That's all it will take. You think your parade down the Valley of Heroes is a big deal. The Red Sox victory parade had people that drove from California and 3 attended. You cant's jam that many people in the Valley of Heroes if you stacked them on top of each other. Go onto a Manhattan street and ask people how they feel about getting Damon. You'll get some blank looks. Ask the question on Boylston Street and you'll get an earful. Merry Xmas.

Yo man, RELAX, I misread your post, I didnt notice the word WIFE in your post. I appologize and hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.

 

And nobody is disputing Boston's dedication to the Sox compared to New York's to the Yankees. Reasons for that though could include that Boston is a lot smaller than New York, New York has 2 Major League teams, and the tri-state area has 2 basketball teams, 2 football teams, and 3 hockey tea,s. Also there is a lot more going on in New York than in Boston. And yes, you are right about how the responses would vary depending on the cities. You dont have to tell me about how things are in New York, im from here too buddy. And trust me, Nobody said that they didnt believe you, I get everything you're saying, ive spent a weekend in Boston before.