OT- Something a/b Damon to Tigers that seems strange

Submitted by GVBlue86 on
Cool. Tigers got the #2 or #1 hitter in the lineup they desperately needed. I was pretty excited that he signed with us, and hearing him say how happy he is and that this was his first choice is always a good way to get Detroit fans to love you. I was happy, until I thought about some of the reports about this whole process. Here's a link about what I am talking about. http://blog.mlive.com/cutoffman/2010/02/could_johnny_damons_wife_keep.h… It appears that his wife didn't want to come here and I am guessing Damon didn't either. I think Boras was using the Tigers as bait to get better offers from other people. When it turned out no one would come close to the Tigers deal, they had to jump on it. Which explains the long delay even though other teams were dropping or reducing their offers (I think Boras has mastered the art of manipulating Ilitch lol). Now they say other teams were still interested, but wont name them. I just don't like the idea of him saying outright that we were his first choice and that his wife never said those things about not wanting to come here, if it's not true. Now I'm sure a lot of people will say who cares if his wife doesn't want to come here, and who cares if this really wasn't his first choice, just help the team! I just get a little annoyed with the apparent fakeness. I dont know, I'll still cheer him if he plays well, but if all that is true then I am a little bothered by it. I'd rather have players who want to be here for more than the money. Obviously we all know that in pro sports not everyone is Steve Yzerman.
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Steve Lorenz

February 22nd, 2010 at 9:38 PM ^

Funny that you would mention Steve Yzerman when Damon was quoted as saying he wanted to go to Detroit and that Steve Yzerman is his favorite non-baseball athlete ever.

Joined: 01/26/2010

MGoPoints: 6841

jerseyblue

February 22nd, 2010 at 9:45 PM ^

Johnny is a mercenary clear and simple. He goes where the money is and when he gets there he tells you how great you are and he only had eyes for you. When he got here to the Yankees he went on about the tradition, blah, blah. We were the highest bidder. Period. After he overplayed his hand here he even told our sports radio about a week or 2 ago something like "you may not have seen the last of me. Maybe I can come back in a trading deadline move." He was already looking past his next team for the chance to erase Boras' negotiating ploy here. he's only in Detroit because it's the best deal he got. The same reason he came here and the same reason he went to Boston. Don't buy his bull. All that matters is that he continues to be a good hitter for you and doesn't kill you too much in the OF.

Joined: 12/20/2008

MGoPoints: 8295

goody

February 22nd, 2010 at 9:50 PM ^

the media but every athlete is going to do that when they sign with a team. Boras, Damon's agent, is an arrogant asshole but that is what makes him a great agent. You're going to slow play a team to try and get a better option and when that better option doesn't show itself then you jump on the original offer. In the end who cares if he wants to be here, as long as he hits for a good average and doesn't stink up the outfield then everything will be fine.

Joined: 06/30/2008

MGoPoints: 1532

ciszew

February 22nd, 2010 at 9:57 PM ^

Damon wanted to come to Detroit in 2005 also but the Tigers had a new centerfielder in Curtis Granderson that they wanted to give a try to (and then the Yankees came in the 11th hour). He is being truthful when he says that he wanted to come to the Tigers, the caveat being that Baros was trying to get the Yankees back to the table. If Damon really didn't want to come here he would have taken the White Sox 6million that escalated to about 8mill with incentives. Damon saw a contender with consistent playing time. Take him at his word, if he really didn't want to be here, he wouldn't be.

Joined: 01/23/2010

MGoPoints: 461

mbrummer

February 22nd, 2010 at 10:09 PM ^

Tampa Bay claimed to be in it til the end. They said that only Detroit outbid them for his services. Don't hate the player hate the game. Players go to the highest bidder. Damon is just playing the game. We have to get used to the fact that we are rooting for laundry. We need to try and not forget that especially at the pro level.

Joined: 07/29/2008

MGoPoints: 7872

wigeon

February 23rd, 2010 at 12:14 AM ^

but I mean this from a marketing standpoint - I hope he grows his hair and beard back. Dude looked cool as shit when the Red Sox beat up NY. My wife, who cares as much about baseball as I do marine mammal husbandry, got all worked up over Johnny Damon. When a (hopefully) happily married woman says "he looks dirty" about a man, said woman desires that man inside her. The Tigers could use that to their advantage.

Joined: 07/05/2008

MGoPoints: 7081

Zone Left

February 22nd, 2010 at 10:31 PM ^

This is probably Damon's last payday, so I think this was a poor pickup for Los Tigres. Too bad no one wins a bidding war with New York--I liked Granderson a lot.

Joined: 07/03/2008

MGoPoints: 16428

Sommy

February 22nd, 2010 at 10:45 PM ^

Should have heard him on 97.1 around 7 or so today. Dude's not a very good liar/actor. Caputo: "So there were rumors that your wife didn't want to come to Detroit. What's up with that?" Damon: "Oh, uh, NO, NO, that's not uh...we both wanted to come to Detroit, this was our first choice, uh, you know, the internet and uh...."

Joined: 07/29/2008

MGoPoints: 1806

Jon Benke

February 22nd, 2010 at 11:56 PM ^

And the fact is; he's here, and he'll help us win this year, and hopefully, return to the playoffs. His career numbers, especially at the CoPa, silences all the critics.

Joined: 01/04/2010

MGoPoints: 1453

UNCWolverine

February 23rd, 2010 at 12:11 AM ^

Who cares anymore what pro players or their wives want at this point. Loyalty is gone from pro sport and that's why I am basically over the details of FA signings. The simple fact is that he will play for the Tigers in 2010. If he hits .330 and helps this team to the playoffs that's great. If he hits .270 he's a fucking bum and good riddance when he makes another money grab in 2011. Worrying about the minutia of a cheating pro athlete millionaire or his diva wife doesn't concern me and it shouldn't concern any of us. All it will do is set you up for disappointment.

Joined: 10/06/2008

MGoPoints: 23155

Hank Scorpio

February 23rd, 2010 at 1:15 PM ^

I think there's legit reason to be concerned about Damon in that park. He took advantage of MFY Stadium last year. Can't hit for power, can't play outfield for sh*t, and is old. Meh.

Joined: 09/07/2009

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