What do SOX Fans think about this....

[DODGER DEB]

The AP is reporting that JOHNNY DAMON has taken out an AD in which he thanks the RED SOX FANS, and the City of BOSTON......

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11240194/from/RS.1/

c.

[pesky6]

I think it's a big load of pig crap. He's trying to mend fences that are way beyond repair. I think it's even more of an insult for him to try to suck up to RSN. I hope he gets the $h!t booed out of him on May 1.

[Evangelion]

It's just best if Damon keep his mouth shut. Hell, the backlash was going to be bad no matter what he did, but he should have kept his mouth shut and maybe the backlash on him won't be as bad as it is. He's just making the situation worse. A lot of fans don't want to hear this from him any longer. They just want to see him fail against the Red Sox and against every other MLB team.

Myself? I got over it.

[yankees-chick]

i do think it would have been better if he kept his mouth shut, but why does everyone keep acting like he is a traitor and that he burned bridges? its a free agent era, damon was a free agent and he accepted an offer from a good team. why is that so evil?

[runningshoes]

I really don't understand why fans set themselves up to feel betrayed in today's free agent climate of in one door, out the next.

I really don't know why he feels he needs to do damage control at this point. What's done is done. Any Red Sox player who jumps ship to the evil empire is going to feel the wrath.

[Swiss]

I think that at least Damon did give some attention to the fans.

If he were an insensible one, he didn't put that ad.

Thanks Damon for the polite, well-mannered ad but I'm a Red Sox fan, I hate the Yankees and I always will root for MY team.

[Mattingly]

To All:

I'm curious, when Clemens signed with Toronto for the 1997 season, many Red Sox fans said that he'd never done anything at all to honor the many Red Sox fans who'd rooted hard for him over the years. Not even a single crumb thrown their way.

Even if you don't like the team which Damon signed with, his throwing congrats to the fans who'd rooted for him isn' a plus?

[Rocket21fan]

The guy played his heart out for the Sox, he took a ton more money than the sox were offering to go play for the yankees, I can't say I blame him, although it would have been nice if he went to the Brewers instead.
I for one say Thank you Johnny Damon for you're hard play and clutch hitting, enjoy the money, and feel free to go on the DL as often as you like.

[pesky6]

i do think it would have been better if he kept his mouth shut, but why does everyone keep acting like he is a traitor and that he burned bridges? its a free agent era, damon was a free agent and he accepted an offer from a good team. why is that so evil?

OMFG!!! Are you kidding? There's a huge difference between Damon going to another team or another league and him going to YOUR MOST HATED RIVAL!!! I can understand why Yankee fans don't get this because none of your star players have ever jumped ship to go to the Red Sox. I can't believe people can't see the difference.

[pesky6]

To All:

I'm curious, when Clemens signed with Toronto for the 1997 season, many Red Sox fans said that he'd never done anything at all to honor the many Red Sox fans who'd rooted hard for him over the years. Not even a single crumb thrown their way.

Even if you don't like the team which Damon signed with, his throwing congrats to the fans who'd rooted for him isn' a plus?

You can't compare Clemens to Damon, largely because Clemens took blue jay money, and considering that they're not our most hated rival. . . well, you go figure it out.

[Mattingly]

You can't compare Clemens to Damon, largely because Clemens took blue jay money, and considering that they're not our most hated rival. . . well, you go figure it out.
I wasn't actually comparing the two. I was saying that Boston fans said that Clemens didn't have anything good to say about them when he'd left. Here, to me, Damon clearly has.

Do you think that his words are genuine? Damage-control? Unnecessary? (you've already indicated as such)

[Omahasoxfan]

I will still be standing and clapping when johnny takes the field for the first time in Fenway, the guy did so much, and then wth the Ad he showed that he wanted to thank Boston.

after that first cheering for him I can't say I will cheer for him though :p

[RichardLikeWhoa]

I'm just not really too sure about Damon... If anything he should've released that ad the week he signed with the NYY :evil not months after signing and then recently blowing up to the media saying Manny would love NY along with Ortiz... and then him saying that we never really wanted him..and that theo had supposedly been looking into Coco Crisp for a year and a half.

...and to all the people who keep saying "How can anyone boo Damon, he did nothing but play hard for 4 years"

-YES i agree with that... but if your gonna release something in the Boston Globe early 2005 season that says "I'd rather retire then play for the NYY" then you would understand...

GOT IT?!?

[CuriousBoston]

He is going to be playing for the Evil Empire. This is balanced by the 2004 year. If he would just keep his trap shut...
He will be cheered when the lineup is announced, and the first at bat. After that, he's gonna hear plenty, wearing those vertical jailstripes.

[MudvilleMike]

I'll always have warm feelings for Damon. He helped us win a championship. That said, I'm glad as hell he didn't re-sign with the Red Sox.

[Williamsburg2599]

Can i take out a full page ad in the times telling Johnny to *******? lol

[runningshoes]

Can i take out a full page ad in the times telling Johnny to *********? lol

If you can afford it, I'm sure that wouldn't be a problem

[pesky6]

Can i take out a full page ad in the times telling Johnny to ************? lol
That's the best idea I've heard in a long time!!!

[FlashGordon]

Okay Fellas, much as I can sympathize, you'll have to watch the language. We really want to keep things PG around here.

Thanks for understanding.

[DoubleX]

I don't know if this makes anyone feel better, but I'm a Yankee fan, have disliked Damon for a long time (going back to his K.C. days) and this kind of thing, coupled with the stuff he said back in May (the stuff about how he'll never be bought out by the Yankees), makes me dislike him even more. I don't boo players, it's not what I do, but if I were to ever boo a player, Damon would be one of the first on my list.

This time, it would probably have been best if he just kept quiet.

[Mattingly]

I don't know if this makes anyone feel better, but I'm a Yankee fan, have disliked Damon for a long time (going back to his K.C. days) and this kind of thing, coupled with the stuff he said back in May (the stuff about how he'll never be bought out by the Yankees), makes me dislike him even more. I don't boo players, it's not what I do, but if I were to ever boo a player, Damon would be one of the first on my list.

This time, it would probably have been best if he just kept quiet.
I pretty much see him as a hi-maintenance guy, as to his desire for attention. I guess that's OK if you can produce. Reggie Jackson pretty much epitomizes that need for attention and one's ego being stroked.

Before he'd signed with Boston, he'd reportedly been angered that the Yanks never signed him. However, the Yanks wanted to stick with Bernie in CF and had Soriano (unwisely, I feel) at leadoff, so Damon's usefulness was very limited.

I can't say whether or not Damon would've returned to Boston at a hometown discount if offered $46m/4 yrs, but it would've been interesting seeing what the final decision would've been.

As to the ad, it's kind of like visiting someone in the hospital after you've mistakenly hit them with a baseball bat. Sometimes if you wait too long, your sincerity is doubted. If you don't do it at all, your sincerity is still doubted. Do you do this right away? Later? Or not at all? That's kinda how I feel about whether he should've placed that ad.

Perhaps earlier might've been better. Right now, it seems like damage control. Damon seems like a person who wants to be liked. Perhaps this is his attempt to see that RSN don't despise him too much. Either that or so his prior icon status isn't mercilessly shattered to shreds.

Still, he's dealing with the "he's no longer one of us; he's now one of them" mentality/thought process. He's no longer able to help the Red Sox win games; he can only hurt them (unless he totally tanks it, of course). Not a perfect scenario. All he can do is keep his head up and at least treat the New Englanders who show up at Fenway with respect and dignity. A little humility may go a long way in showing his sincerity. If not helping the Red Sox with his play, at least the fans would've felt respected, as they should be. :)

[VTSoxFan]

My sister said she saw an article or something about Damon recently -- since his departure from Boston-- and said "Man, that guy is totally in love with himself!"

I know there's an element of that in this situation. He's a celebrity, a showman, and he milks it. But he's also said that his heart was broken by having to leave the Sox, and that his "heart and soul" were in Boston... but his own actions prove that his heart and soul can be bought and sold like the trading cards with his picture on them. His heart and soul may be in Boston, but his wallet's in New York.

My opinion.... I don't doubt his sincerity in offering appreciation to the fans who glorified him for the last four years. He had fun here, and achieved a kind of baseball hero status such as hasn't been seen here in many a year. This is also not his first peace offering; he taped a video thank-you message that was played at the Boston Baseball Writers' banquet (to a tepid response). I think he knows what he's sold, and when he's bought, and he knows he's not going to like some of the things that will come along with his new money and new uniform. He's seen how the Sox fans "greet" the Yankees in general and former-Sox Yankees in particular, and he doesn't look forward to that. Who would?

It's a shame, because he did give everything he could for the Sox while he was here. he played hard, and played hurt, and (aside from his weenie throwing arm) was a damn good player. I always will appreciate that. For many, though, his decision to follow the money to That Other Team has tarnished that memory, and he'll be remembered as much for how he left the Sox as for what he did while he was here, and no amount of newspaper ads will change that. And that's a shame.

He's trying to ease the transition, I think -- for the fans, and for himself. But some things can't be eased.

[DoubleX]

My sister said she saw an article or something about Damon recently -- since his departure from Boston-- and said "Man, that guy is totally in love with himself!"

What do you expect when his name is Johnny Damon? :)

[SoxSon]

I pretty much see him as a hi-maintenance guy

I can't let this one go by.

Do you realize, Mattingly, that you root for a team with players like ARod, Jeter and Sheffield in the lineup?! :D :p

[DoubleX]

I can't let this one go by.

Do you realize, Mattingly, that you root for a team with players like ARod, Jeter and Sheffield in the lineup?! :D :p

You think Jeter is high maitenance?

[Evangelion]

I don't recall Jeter being high maitenance or attention whore like Damon.

A-Rod tries to hard to be a ''Good Guy'' like Jeter that he comes off as ''Bad Guy'' at certain times. A-Rod isn't that bad, though I still don't like him all that much.

Sheffield a jerk. Everybody in the world knows that.

[Mattingly]

I can't let this one go by.

Do you realize, Mattingly, that you root for a team with players like ARod, Jeter and Sheffield in the lineup?! :D :p
Well, I did say that Reggie Jackson epitomizes hi-maintenance.

Damon was and is hi-maintenance, and he'll be in the Yankee lineup, so I'll deal with him just the way he is.

Jeter, I wouldn't say he's constantly talking about himself, or a big thing is made about a haircut. Both Giambi and Randy Johnson had to shear their manes, but neither made a big hoopla when this was done.

As a Red Sox, Damon got his hair cut by a female barber on TV, and as a Yankee, he went to some hi-priced salon and got his cut by another female barber. Yeah, I'd say he's hi-maintenance.

A-Rod thinks quite a bit of himself athletically. He could zip it up a bit on that end, but yeah, I'd agree he's hi-maintenance also (though not as much as Damon). :D :p

Sheffield = grumpy. So long as he can drive the ball, I couldn't care less. When we got grumpiness w/o performance, that was Kevin Brown. I'll deal with Randy Johnson's grumpiness as long as he wins.

Oh, did I mention that Manny Ramirez is also hi-maintenance? :laugh But only a little tho. :waving



*takes a short leave of absence*

[DoubleX]

I don't recall Jeter being high maitenance or attention whore like Damon.

A-Rod tries to hard to be a ''Good Guy'' like Jeter that he comes off as ''Bad Guy'' at certain times. A-Rod isn't that bad, though I still don't like him all that much.

Sheffield a jerk. Everybody in the world knows that.

I think that's a good summary. Jeter seems to have the perfect image, he knows exactly how to come across and what to say at all times.

A-Rod does try to hard, like he wants to have Jeter's image. I agree, that he can come across as a bad guy very often, but I don't think he's a bad guy. I think people just like to bring him down at every turn because 1) That ridiculous contract; 2) Because he does try to hard to have the Jeteresque image, it comes across as ingenuine

Sheffield comes across with me-first attitude and a large chip on his shoulder, though he's toned it down somewhat in recent years. To his credit though, he plays hard when he's on the field, and that's what's most important.

[Williamsburg2599]

Well, I did say that Reggie Jackson epitomizes hi-maintenance.

Damon was and is hi-maintenance, and he'll be in the Yankee lineup, so I'll deal with him just the way he is.

Jeter, I wouldn't say he's constantly talking about himself, or a big thing is made about a haircut. Both Giambi and Randy Johnson had to shear their manes, but neither made a big hoopla when this was done.

As a Red Sox, Damon got his hair cut by a female barber on TV, and as a Yankee, he went to some hi-priced salon and got his cut by another female barber. Yeah, I'd say he's hi-maintenance.

A-Rod thinks quite a bit of himself athletically. He could zip it up a bit on that end, but yeah, I'd agree he's hi-maintenance also (though not as much as Damon). :D :p

Sheffield = grumpy. So long as he can drive the ball, I couldn't care less. When we got grumpiness w/o performance, that was Kevin Brown. I'll deal with Randy Johnson's grumpiness as long as he wins.

Oh, did I mention that Manny Ramirez is also hi-maintenance? :laugh But only a little tho. :waving



*takes a short leave of absence*


Hey i got a question, Is the title not "what do sox fans think about this....?" Just Checking.

[Mattingly]

Hey i got a question, Is the title not "what do sox fans think about this....?" Just Checking.
Perhaps you may wish to check a little further. If you did, you'd realize that fans here have been replying to various threads regardless of who is being asked.

Red Sox fans have posted on the Yankee forum and I've been posting on here longer than about any Yankee fan who still posts here.

Everyone's allowed to post on any part of BBF. Perhaps you should "check into that" sometime. :D

[SoxSon]

You think Jeter is high maitenance?


I think all three of the guys I mentioned are, with Jeter being the lowest on that scale. Could be that "high maintenance" has a variety of meanings, but I have an image of all three of them expecting and insisting on exactly what they want when they want it.
Yes, Damon fits into that image, too.

[Williamsburg2599]

they censored me? look what the FCC has done to this world.lol.

[Mattingly]

they censored me? look what the FCC has done to this world.lol.
Who censored you?

If you were truly being censored here, you wouldn't be able to create this post, as your account would've been nuked like a TV dinner.

[DoubleX]

I think all three of the guys I mentioned are, with Jeter being the lowest on that scale. Could be that "high maintenance" has a variety of meanings, but I have an image of all three of them expecting and insisting on exactly what they want when they want it.
Yes, Damon fits into that image, too.

I think that could apply to most baseball players. If Jeter is anything, it's that he's a product of his hype, and not the other way around, IMO.

[Mattingly]

I think all three of the guys I mentioned are, with Jeter being the lowest on that scale. Could be that "high maintenance" has a variety of meanings, but I have an image of all three of them expecting and insisting on exactly what they want when they want it.
Yes, Damon fits into that image, too.
In the case of Jeter, he pretty much carries himself with a good amount of dignity. When we've had guys like Mariano, Pettitte, Posada, Bernie, there's no way a guy who's loose with the words or disrespectful to others could be in his position as captain.

A-Rod seems like the guy who's kept within a small crowd for much of his life, but I've never read any bio of him. I don't keep up with his social life, other than hearing about his wife and young kid (daughter, I think). Perhaps he tries too much in the "see what I nice guy I am" department, but I've never heard of him being nasty or anything. He could likely improve his social skills by dealing with some regular folks a few more times.

Sheffield's got strong opinions on things, from what I've read. He seems like the type who's unworried about whether what he says is or isn't politically correct. He'll say what's on his mind.

For Reggie Jackson, he of the "I didn't come to Yankee Stadium to become a star; I brought my star with me" is obviously of the hi-maintenance crowd. However, he's of the "admire my game" and "watch me strut around the bases" type of thing. Interestingly, at one Old Timer's Game (2004, I think), he still hadn't lost that jumping, jogging strut. In fact, the umps "let" him get not only go to 3B on a double, they even let him score. It was hilarious! :D :p

Damon seems like he's in a different category. While he joins a long list of famously-shorn Yankees such as Lou Piniella, Don Mattingly, David Wells, Jason Giambi and Randy Johnson, he's the first I remember whose haircut itself made the front pages, especially since it was at a pricey salon where the celebrities would more likely go than baseball players.

That to me is totally different from someone like Manny Ramirez, whom I'd mentioned earlier. He's just a goofy type of person, but I don't think he purposely wishes to have all of the attention given to him. Perhaps since he's been described as a "man-child" in a slightly goofy way, that may be why he requires the attention. However, it's not because of his looks that he desires attention, unlike Damon.

That's my take, so now you Sawx fans can kick me out on the front porch whenever you tire of reading my nonsense. :laugh :waving

[AVA8]

I get the impression that there are many players who fans might consider to be "high maintenance" but aren't really at all. The media has such huge influence in the information we get and they spin it, whether done intentionally or unintentionally.

Specifically, what makes a player "high maintenance"? What does he have to do to fall into this category?

[Mattingly]

I get the impression that there are many players who fans might consider to be "high maintenance" but aren't really at all. The media has such huge influence in the information we get and they spin it, whether done intentionally or unintentionally.

Specifically, what makes a player "high maintenance"? What does he have to do to fall into this category?
Mainly be a guy who you have to put up a lot with to get his considerable talent. Trust me, some underperforming .240 hitter or a guy who can't even throw a decent curve ball will never *EVER* be considered hi-maintenance.

In baseball, as in otherwise, the term "hi-maintenance" is best often accompanied with "hi-mileage", meaning they give quite a bit in return. Of course, "low-maintenance" + "high mileage" is the ideal, but doesn't always work out that way.

If a player expects tons of respect from the fans, or from the front office (read: $$$), then he's got an ego that must be soothed.

Others need to be liked too much, while the next may be very immature and adult decisions may not always come to him (or from him) very easily.

The simple thing is that if he's a pain to deal with, even if you like him at times, he's hi-maintenance. So long as he produces, many of us will deal with said maintenance, presuming it's a part of the package, and we've already accepted the package deal.

Kind of like a diva in a crazy way. Awesome voice, but ohhhhh so fussy about the way they're treated.

[efin98]

Might I inject another hot question in here to fellow Red Sox fans and ask: what if he had done the ad a few days after he signed with New York and not months after? Would it have made a difference in your opinion of him?

IMHO if he had put out the ad then I think it would have been the best way possible to leave Boston without "burning bridges". Putting it out in February is simply a slap in the face of fans and a "hey you guys, remember me?" statement. Frankly, he fanned the flames of hatred against him and rightfully earned all of the boos and hissing that he will get when the Yankees visit the first time this year.

All that will be forgotten though when he boots a ball that costs the Yankees a game while Coco makes an amazing catch and hits a game winning home run:D