Low & Outside: AL Notes
You can't go home again? Or can you? Boston? Detroit? Detroit? Boston? Johnny Damon was once a fan fave at Fenway Park, a hero during the 2004 World Series when the Red Sox won their first championship.
You can't go home again? Or can you?
Boston? Detroit? Detroit? Boston?
Johnny Damon was once a fan fave at Fenway Park, a hero during the 2004 World Series when the Red Sox won their first championship.
Johnny Damon was once reviled and booed at Fenway Park after he left for the Yankees.
Johnny Damon has a big decision to make. Play out the season with the Tigers or go back to Boston and . . .
The Red Sox have claimed the 36-year-old outfielder on waivers from the Tigers, and Damon was deciding Monday whether to go. "I've got a lot to think about," Damon said before Detroit played Kansas City.
"I had a great time playing there, and I did everything I could to go back," he said of Boston. "I told the team what it would take, in terms of dollars and years - but it got ugly when it became apparent that re-signing me wasn't a priority."
Damon said that the broken relationship with the Boston fans has "absolutely" left a scar on his psyche, and he knows accepting a move back to the Red Sox could fix that, especially if he could help them make a late playoff run. "If I do this, and we pulled everything together and I could help them get into the postseason, it would change everything again," he said.
Damon's old teammates in Boston seemed eager to have him back.
"Let me call him right now," David Ortiz kidded. "I can say one thing and he'd be back. I guarantee you just one thing. It would be great."
"I never wanted to see him leave here," captain Jason Varitek said.
Damon has consistently said that he wants to stay with the Tigers, and he repeated that stance Monday.
"I like playing here and I love the fans," he said. "I'm enjoying playing with these kids and for this coaching staff. The reason I would consider this is to help out this team in the future," he said. "I love the Tigers organization."
A-Rod on the DL
Alex Rodriguez is confident he'll be completely ready to return from the disabled list next week. He's just not sure that the Yanks, who are 12-1 without him in the lineup after last night's loss, are ready for him.
"My only concern the way things are going right now," A-Rod noted is that manager Joe Girardi is going to call me into general manager Brian Cashman's office and "upgrade it to a 50-day DL."
All joking aside, the third baseman is eligible to return Sept. 5 and Girardi expects him to go right back into his regular spot, batting fourth.
Moves, moves and more moves
Minnesota lefty reliever Ron Mahay is out for the rest of the season with a torn right rotator cuff. . . . Detroit recalled outfielder Casper Wells from triple A. . . . Texas activated righthander Rich Harden and catcher Matt Treanor from the 15-day disabled list.