The start of a baseball player's time with a new team is supposed to be a happy occasion. But Johnny Damon could not help but let his bitterness at the end of his New York Yankees career come to the surface.
At a press conference to announce his signing with the Detroit Tigers, Damon tried to put the best spin on his move by saying Detroit was the team he wanted to sign with after it became clear he wouldn't return to the Bronx. But Damon couldn't help taking a few shots at his former team by saying that unlike his last press conference upon switching teams (to the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox), he felt like he actually belonged in Detroit. He also lamented the team's desire for him to take a pay cut after a solid regular season and playoff performance and his active recruitment of other players.
But Damon shares some responsibility here, which I think deep down he knows. He acknowledged yesterday that he and agent Scott Boras told Brian Cashman not to bother offering less than $13 million a year, a serious miscalculation. He tried to pull an Alex Rodriguez-like move by personally calling owner Hal Steinbrenner to try to negotiate a deal, but it was too late.
Damon's ego was bruised by these negotiations and he's lashing out. But really he should just focus on moving on, just like the Yankees did.
At a press conference to announce his signing with the Detroit Tigers, Damon tried to put the best spin on his move by saying Detroit was the team he wanted to sign with after it became clear he wouldn't return to the Bronx. But Damon couldn't help taking a few shots at his former team by saying that unlike his last press conference upon switching teams (to the Yankees from the Boston Red Sox), he felt like he actually belonged in Detroit. He also lamented the team's desire for him to take a pay cut after a solid regular season and playoff performance and his active recruitment of other players.
But Damon shares some responsibility here, which I think deep down he knows. He acknowledged yesterday that he and agent Scott Boras told Brian Cashman not to bother offering less than $13 million a year, a serious miscalculation. He tried to pull an Alex Rodriguez-like move by personally calling owner Hal Steinbrenner to try to negotiate a deal, but it was too late.
Damon's ego was bruised by these negotiations and he's lashing out. But really he should just focus on moving on, just like the Yankees did.
Thanks to OneTwo1 via en.Wikipedia for the photo.
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