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Johnny Damon arrives
by LUKE B
February 26, 2010

What Detroit Tiger has two World Series rings and a career batting average of .288? I’m talking about Johnny Damon. This offseason Detroit has signed a one year, eight million dollar deal with Damon.

Damon was born in 1973 at Fort Riley, which is an army base in Kansas. As a kid Damon was always quiet, mostly because of a stuttering problem. “My thoughts just raced ahead of my tongue,” says Damon on his stuttering problem. He was also a kid that moved around a lot. Who would have ever thought that he would become an MLB player?

Damon was the top rated high school prospect by Baseball America in 1992. Damon has then progressed from there.  He has been on four MLB teams previous to the Tigers in his career, which is a big accomplishment. The four teams were Kansas City Royals, Oakland Athletics, Boston Red Sox, and the New York Yankees which Damon said, “Moving to New York was the best decision I ever made.” Although he said that when he was playing for the Yankees.

Damon has also won two World Series rings. One was with the 2004 Boston Red Sox, which was by many people's opinion Damon's best season. People thought this because he was second in the league in runs and most of his stats that year were the best of his career. The other World Series ring came just last year with the New York Yankees. Damon has also been selected for two all star games, in 2002 and 2005.

Now that Damon is on the Tigers he is predicted to play left field and bat second according to manager Jim Leyland. “He’s going to run the the ball down,” said Leyland. This is the position that he has been in most of his career, so he will feel pretty comfortable.  Many people don’t know what to think of the Damon deal. “I feel half and half about this signing,” said Collin S, 7th.

Some stats that you may want to know about him is that he has fifteen years of experience in the MLB. He averages 184 hits, sixteen home runs, 113 runs, 76 runs batted in, and 28 stolen bases per year. Although Collin says, “I think he has gotten a lot slower.” So if Collin is true, that means his stolen bases will probably decrease.

I guess we will just have to wait and see if Damon does as well as his previous years.



Johnny Damon is on the Tigers... and shouldn't be
by VON H
March 26, 2010
The Detroit Tigers signed Johnny Damon to a one-year, $8 million deal.  As soon as this news aired it was all over the Detroit Free Press for days.  Many people loved the news and a lot of people hated it, including myself.  

Some people said it would be awesome, but the majority of them say that Damon is too old and should retire.  Peyton S., 7th grade, said, “I used to be a big fan but I think it’s time for him to retire.  I don’t know what Dave Dombrowski was thinking! Not that I hate him, but why would you trade Curtis Granderson for Johnny Damon?”  I agree and think that this was a terrible trade!  Curtis Granderson was one of my favorite players on the team.  Josh B., 8th grade, disagrees. “I think he is a good player and I think it’s cool that he is on the Detroit Tigers.”

Johnny Damon has lost his skill.  He has been playing for fifteen years in the MLB (major league baseball).  He used to be a sensation, and then the new, more athletic athletes came and took his place.  Another factor for his skill loss is age.  He is 36 and that is pretty old for baseball.  

The Tigers are also paying him too much money for so little time. I guess $8 million isn’t that much, but for one year. The Yankees paid him $13 million a year on the most expensive team in MLB.  Derek Jeter, a shortstop, gets paid $21 million a year and Alex Rodriguez, or A-Rod, makes $27 million a year.

“This is the dumbest thing they have ever done.  Curtis Granderson is so much better than Johnny Damon.  Curtis Granderson is a better hitter and a better fielder, which the Tigers need,”  said Noah M., 7th grade.  Casey O., 7th grade, said, “This is stupid. Curtis Granderson is awesome and by far the BEST player on the Tigers and now he is gone and all we got from the trade is Johnny Damon!”  

I can’t do anything about this now and no one can, so we will have to leave it be and just deal with it.  We will all miss Curtis.
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