Johnny Damon signs one-year deal with Tigers

Posted on February 20, 2010

Johnny Damon #18 of the New York Yankees gets ready to take batting practice before the game against the Oakland Athletics at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum on August 17, 2009 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Brad Mangin)

 

It took all winter, but free agent outfielder Johnny Damon finally found a place to play ball in 2010. On Saturday afternoon Damon signed a one-year contract with the Detroit Tigers for $8 million. The 36-year-old Damon hit .286 with 24 homers for the Yankees last year and was hoping to get a big multi-year deal in the off season. Damon reportedly turned down a two-year deal to return to the Yankees for $14 million a few months ago. I bet he wishes he had that offer now!

I remember shooting Damon when he was a youngster out of Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando, Florida during spring training in 1997. I was on assignment for Upper Deck shooting the Kansas City Royals in Baseball City when Damon helped form the nucleus of a nice young ballclub with Jermaine Dye. He later ended up spending a forgetful season in Oakland in 2001 before he signed a big free-agent deal with the Red Sox for the 2002 season. Damon was a perfect fit in Boston where he helped lead their club to their dramatic 2004 World Series title (see above and below).

After the 2005 season Damon did the unthinkable and signed a HUGE contract with the rival Yankees (four years for $52 million) and ended his run in the Bronx with a World Series title in New York last season. After Damon rejected the Yankees offer many people thought he might end up back with Oakland to play for the Swinging A’s. That would have been fine for me as I have always enjoyed photographing Damon. He has a great smile and has always had a flair for the dramatic. He might have helped out the A’s, but I guess they ran out of money after they signed Ben Sheets.

Johnny Damon Signs with Tigers – Images by Brad Mangin

Many people thought that Damon might just retire as spring training camps were opening and he was still without a team to play for. The market has changed so much in the past few years. The big deals are gone for most of these guys- especially the older ones like Damon trying to hang on for one more big pay day. This off season has been the year of the one-year contracts. That is pretty much all anyone is getting. Damon should lead-off for the Tigers and will bring them some great veteran leadership in 2010. I am sorry I will not get to see him in spring training as he will be working out in Tigertown (Lakeland), Florida, which is a long ways away from my spring home of Scottsdale, Arizona.