Leave it to the original Idiot to make a decision that left nearly everyone in baseball scratching their heads.
The allure of spending the rest of his summer in Detroit proved irresistible to Johnny Damon, who announced yesterday that he would block a trade to the Red Sox.
''I don't plan on waiving (the no-trade clause),'' Damon told the football jerseys
Detroit Free Press before the Tigers' game last night. ''Initially, I thought long and hard about it, but after going around and talking to a bunch of my teammates, they want me here. And they feel we can make a strong push, at least make this (AL) Central race interesting. That's why I'm going to stay.
''I've said all along I love playing for Detroit, for the city, for the fans. These guys really like me here.''
The Red Sox liked the idea of having Damon's still potent left-handed bat atop their lineup enough to make a waiver claim on him Monday. They were fully aware that Damon might exercise his no-trade clause, just as they knew that making a claim would block any move by their AL East rivals, the Rays and the Yankees, to claim him.
For the Red Sox, it was a win-win situation. For Damon, it put the sensitive and likable outfielder through a great deal of mental anguish. A fan favorite here from 2002-05, when he set the tone for the Idiots' 2004 World Series run, Damon became a target for boo-birds for four years after he decided to accept a more lucrative and longer free agent offer from the Yankees.
Damon brought up his exit and subsequent treatment in Boston once the waiver claim became public.
His ex-teammates were disappointed by his decision but seemed to Pittsburgh Steelers jersey
understand.
''I said it before, I'll say it again: Playing with Johnny, the way he plays the game, the way he goes about his business, it would have been a welcome visit to have him back here,'' said captain Jason Varitek. ''It would have been a big addition to our team with what he can be.''
David Ortiz, like Varitek, made phone calls to Damon urging him to come. They didn't make a difference. ''He's a grown man,'' said Ortiz. ''He had to talk to his family and figure things out before he made a move, and that's what he did.''
Ortiz said he was lifted by the thought of Damon returning.
''Yeah, yeah, I was happy,'' said Ortiz. ''He was my old teammate and to see him back in a Red Sox uniform would have been great.''
Manager Terry Francona declined to comment about Damon's decision, citing being fined for tampering. Harkening back to Rays manager Joe Maddon's comments Monday that he hoped Damon would not come to the Sox, Francona did quip, ''I think Joe Maddon's allowed to (comment) but I'm not. I'm trying to figure that out.''
Damon spent yesterday afternoon meeting with Tigers' staff to make sure he would not be sitting on the bench the rest of the season. He has just a one-year deal, but he sounded genuinely dead-set on making every effort to return to Detroit for 2011.
''The tough thing about it is there are no guarantees of where I'll be next year,'' said Damon. ''As much as I would love to be back here next year, that's something the team doesn't really decide on until possibly the offseason. I'm OK with it.
''I know going to Boston probably could have helped out my free agency, but so be it. Minnesota Vikings jersey
I felt like, when we started this season, this team was all together in our thought process. We're going to win and lose together. We're going to continue that. We're going to go out there and keep playing hard. These kids are going to keep learning and, hopefully, we can keep going.''
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