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It's a little late, but now Johnny Damon says maybe he should have waived his no-trade clause last August and returned to the Red Sox. From Alex Speier (via WEEI.com):
"I enjoyed playing in Detroit, and actually was hoping to get back there. That was a big reason for vetoing the trade. If I would have known at the time that they weren't going to bring me back, I would have showcased myself for the upcoming free agent year," said Damon ...
I'm not sure I understand any of that. He couldn't have gone to Boston and re-upped with Detroit after the season? He wasn't showcasing himself while playing for the Tigers in September? Most of all, getting into the playoff chase with the Red Sox didn't appeal to him? I'm not being critical. I'm just trying to understand.
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I’m glad i’m not a johnny damon fan, a red sox fan, a tigers fan or a tampa fan b/c I think this would feel like a slap in the face. WWJDD? Probably take your job, steal your dog, sleep with your wife and then leave her for your sister and complain to you about his decision.
by GoPokes! on Mar 10, 2011 1:54 PM EST reply actions
Shrug. Damon’s kind of a moron, we all know that by now. I did enjoy his four years with the Yankees though.
by thelifeofbenny on Mar 10, 2011 2:15 PM EST reply actions
…and there are still people out there who think you had to play the game in order to know something about it.
by Shaun Payne on Mar 10, 2011 2:23 PM EST reply actions 1 recs
This is where Scott Boras does a disservice to his clientele. Your agent should know these kinds of things (which I’m sure Boras does) and he should inform you of these things (apparently he didn’t). Everybody else knew that Damon wasn’t going to be back in Detroit (hint #1 they tried to trade him). So if this was really his reasoning for declining to go to the Red Sox than Scott Boras was to busy trying to convince everyone that Damon is a future HOF who can still play at an all-star level to actually help his client make the best career move possible. Because going to Boston, playing in a high profile market for a winning team and outfield walls that would have been more conducive to him showing he still had pop would have been the better career move.
by Pflood83 on Mar 10, 2011 3:52 PM EST reply actions
If Boras can convince a team of those things, isn’t THAT the best career move possible? I mean, not only did Boras get him $5.25 that he probably won’t live up to out of Tampa Bay, he also got them to sign his buddy Manny Ramirez.
www.stealingfirstbase.com
by Nate Rose on Mar 10, 2011 7:12 PM EST up reply actions
Well I don’t think $5.25 is what you pay all-stars. But I agree, there is nobody better at finding money for his client than Boras. I’m always certain that when a Boras client signs he got the best deal possible. The point is that when the trade was proposed and Damon wanted to veto it because he wanted to stay in Detroit, Boras should have told him that wasn’t an option.
by Pflood83 on Mar 11, 2011 11:33 AM EST up reply actions
$5.25M is a lot for a one year deal, especially when the player in question is going to be 37 and is coming off one of the worst seasons of his career. I’d definitely say Boras got Damon above the market rate money for players in his situation.
www.stealingfirstbase.com
by Nate Rose on Mar 12, 2011 10:47 PM EST up reply actions
As a Tiger fan- everyone knew that Damon wasn’t coming back, so Damon either ignored everyone (press, blogs, etc…) or he just didn’t feel like making the move and that is his excuse. I know I was surprised when he vetoed the trade, but water under the bridge at this point.
"When in doubt...pick the power pitcher over finesse." paraphrased from Bill James last Baseball Abstract
by Faramir on Mar 11, 2011 3:15 PM EST reply actions
He didn't decide not to go back because he wanted to re-up with Detroit
Clearly, he was harboring hope that the Yankees might still take him back this season. All of this is just revisionist history. He’s not a bright guy and doesn’t seem to understand how dumb he sounds sometimes.
by switchhittingmachine on Mar 11, 2011 3:43 PM EST reply actions
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