Damon Idle, but Not Disabled

The Yankees played Saturday’s game with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim without Johnny Damon, their regular centerfielder and leadoff hitter, who left Friday night’s game in the seventh inning with sore calves in both legs and also pain in his right Achilles.
Melky Cabrera replaced Damon in center field and batted ninth. Bobby Abreu, the slumping right fielder, batted first. Damon and manager Joe Torre discussed putting Damon on the disabled list, but Damon said he would not need 15 days to recover from pain that has plagued him, off and on, all season.
“I told them not even 10,’’ Damon said of the days needed to recover,New Era MLB Hats Sale, then quickly added that he might not even need five days. The problem has occasionally forced Damon out of his fielding role for use solely as a designated hitter.
Torre and Damon said Damon might not play on Sunday in the final game of the series at Yankee Stadium but would be available for pinch-hitting or late-inning fielding duty. After Friday night’s game, a 10-6 Los Angeles victory, Damon was hitting .269, 20 points below his career average coming into this season.
Also on Friday, Damon had difficulty reaching fly balls over his head. And on one hit in front of him, Damon ran in for the catch but the ball bounced off his glove. Torre said Damon will get whirlpool and massage therapy and Damon said he was told to keep to keep his legs elevated when resting, even during games.
He said he would try to do this between innings, in the clubhouse, when he resumes playing. “You won’t see me on the bench as much,’’ Damon said with a smile in the clubhouse prior to Saturday’s game. “I’ll be in here with my legs elevated watching the game.’’
Turning more serious, Damon discussed his reputation for aggressive play and speed during his 13-year career. “I would still go through a wall if I could get to that wall,’’ Damon said. “I was as surprised as everyone I couldn’t move as crisp as I wanted to.’’
As the conversation continued, Damon spoke of his emotions about playing at less than full strength. “It’s absolutely brutal,’’ Damon said. “I’m tired of beating myself up. I was just miserable.’’ Damon has never been on the disabled list.
Torre said what puzzled him most about Damon’s ailment is that “it doesn’t seem to be something that is consistent.’’ After struggling early in the month, Damon seemed healthy and played well in the previous two series against the Mets at Shea Stadium and against Boston at home.
“Lots of tests on his legs,’’ Torre said. “They don’t show anything. Johnny’s not as young as he used to be, but he’s not old. His body weight is where it should be. We have to take the temperature every day and see what we have.’’
Damon,cheap Baltimore Orioles Hats, 33 years old, is listed as 6-foot-2 and 205 pounds. He is in his second year with the Yankees since arriving as a free agent from the Red Sox. Torre said it is important that Damon communicate clearly his condition with Torre and his staff before games.
Torre said veteran players, especially centerfielders,Milwaukee Brewers Hats sale, who rely on their speed, sometimes do not recognize deterioration of skills readily as those watching them. Torre said a similar thing happened with Bernie Williams, the former Yankees’ center fielder, and “that was a tough meeting to have with Bernie.’’
After finishing with the Angels, the Yankees go next to Toronto for three games, beginning on Monday night. In that the Jays’ field has artificial turf and such a surface is sometimes difficult on the legs of athletes, Torre was asked whether this would be a factor in playing Damon.
“He said it doesn’t seem to matter,’’ Torre said, referring to the reaction of Damon’s legs to different surfaces.
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Injury News From Miami 11 Comments 1. May 26, 2007 8:19 pm
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If the Yankees had another powerhouse on the bench, like, say, Bernie Williams, instead of a whole big lotta buncha pitchers on the DL, then say, maybe they coulda won todays game and enough others to, say, beat the Red Sox
BUT NOO!!!!!!!!!!
— James Koeppel 2. May 27, 2007 12:53 am
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oh yeah…Bernie covers sooo much ground out there in center and has a cannon of an arm. Please. Why doesn’t Jeter bat 3rd? he is only batting .500 with runners in scoring position. Maybe we should bat him a position where he can drive in runs and we wouldn’t lose against good pitching.
— Erik Tranberg 3. May 27, 2007 2:33 am
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Another back-to-back loss and Bosox still surging.
I love the Manager, but whatever he seems to do goes wrong. It is like seeing the actual example of Murphy’s law. Hate to admit this but he has to take a rest by his own will, whatever the Boss says.
— Bobby 4. May 27, 2007 7:29 am
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To James (above)
I agree that this team needs Bernie right now, but apparently it is Brian Cashman who has effectively ‘fired’ him causing Bernie to be at home when the team needs him so much. Until The Boss gets out that ‘big hook’ and removes Cashman, we run the risk that the alienation Bernie feels now will result in a Yogi -like absence from the Stadium for a long time.
The Boss also needs to remove Giambi ASAP. Why aren’t sports figures subject to the same laws as the rest of us? If the average person is doing drugs they lose their job in a New York Minute. As of now, Giambi is the face and voice of the Yankees on TV and in the rest of the media. Who wants that?
— Annie Savoy 5. May 27, 2007 10:08 am
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Jeter was 0-4 yesterday…, I don’t think batting him 3rd would have helped!
— Rick 6. May 27, 2007 2:51 pm
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true Rick but i’m thinking big picture. Jeter is the clutch guy on the team. Let’s put him in the clutch spot in the lineup.
Damon-CF
Cano-2B
Jeter-SS
Rodriguez-3B
Matsui-DH
Posada-C
Abreu-RF
Mientkewic(sp.)/Giambi-1B
Cabrera-LF
— Erik Tranberg 7. May 27, 2007 3:07 pm
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It looks like Boston got lucky with letting go two high priced players Damon and Martinez that fled for more money and will probably spend more time disabled then they ever did in Boston. I would suggest a check of the Yankee clubhouse to see if there is some weird virus that is the cause of the rash of injuries we are seeing this year it doesn´t appear to be normal maybe an Oriental Singh Fei or whatever would be appropriate.
— Tom 8. May 27, 2007 10:45 pm
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Tom,
I’m not sure that luck has anything to do with it. Boston, for the most part, has avoided making huge offers to players on the downward slope of their careers. Most of the big investments they’ve made have been for young players on the rise — notably Matsuzaka and Beckett. (I think they’re going to live to regret the big exception they’ve made to this rule: J.D. Drew. Lugo may be another one).
When the Red Sox let go of Damon and Martinez, it was just a hard-nosed smart choice. Both moves were very unpopular with their fans (you’ve got to risk that sometimes), but it made sense when you analyze the options.
Isn’t it better to underpay a player who’s young and getting better than to overpay a player who is older, getting worse,St Louis Cardinals Hats, and is more likely to get injured? Since it’s no more difficult to predict which young players are going to excel than it is to predict which accomplished players are going to fall apart, the youth approach makes as much sense and is a lot cheaper.
With “proven” players like Damon, Pavano, Giambi and Abreu eating up payroll without contributing at a level appropriate to their pay-grade, the Yankees are going to have a tough time fixing things. You can’t trade a player who has to be paid $10 million a year if another team could get the same production from a younger player who is paid a quarter of that or less.
Spending Steinbrenner crazy money on players past their peak is very risky. For every Posada who keeps playing like he’s 26, you’ll get bunches of Johnny “can’t run anymore, can’t hit anymore, can’t throw anymore” Damons. Somehow,Red Bull Hats, the Yankee organization just has not figured that one out.
— Jeff 9. May 27, 2007 11:03 pm
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Wake up George!
Three losses in a row! Can’t believe it. And they all began with the worst timings of changing pitcher such as today. Send Proctor together with Guidry back to the Minors, and please ask Joe to take a leave, unless you are giving up even the wild card. You can put Brian on the hook later.
— Nanpei 10. May 29, 2007 12:11 pm
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It is hard for me to believe that so many can not see the sad state of affairs of current professional sports. As a Sox fan I couldn’t be more delighted to see the Yanks in the tank, but these over-paid players will eventually be the ruin of sports. How about starting with A-Rod. Sure he can hit when nothing is on the line, but put him up in a clutch situation and you know the result. Damon, A-Rod, Giambi, now “Rocket” the whole crew is tapping this team dry and simply throwing more money at the problem will never come close to guaranteeing victory. Or, maybe that has nothing to do with it and the Yanks are experiencing “The Curse of the Big Papi”…..enjoy the next 86 years……..
— smiling Sox Fan 11. May 30, 2007 2:07 pm
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THere is something that I think Steinbrenner and the rest of the organization has completely lost site of…its an intangible that rarely goes into signing or keeping a player, its team chemistry. As a sox fan, (happy to see the yankees flounder) who has seen my share of misery, losing,Cheap Fox Racing Hats, and frustration there is one thing that really jumps out at me about this years sox team and 2004…its a group of guys that like one another, are willing to learn from veterans, step up as leaders, and always give the credit to someone else….I don’t care who has the greatest numbers, the best average with RISP,Cheap Rockstar Energy hats, OBP…you can throw all the money in the world at them but with so many high profile players on one team, everyone is competing for the same position which creates abrasiveness, corosion,Cincinnati Reds Hats sale, and animosity in the clubhouse. (I.E. Arod’s comments at the beginning of year about his deterioted relationship with Jeter, Giambi just looking for attention last week… The yankees have one of the greatest team leaders and clutch players in baseball history (in my opinion) in Derek Jeter. THe answer to finding your way to the playoffs (wild card, you will never catch the sox) is to get rid of A-rod,Los Angeles Dodgers Hats sale, Giambi, and Abreu. There is a reason why your best player (A-rod) who has the numbers but has never won anything… and Jeter one of the greatest leaders and clutch players in baseball history has won 4 championships…Trade the big names, pull up some young talent in AAA, let Jeter take the riegns, rally the troops, lead by example and motivate his mates to get back into the race. Then all stienbrenner has to do is invest $$ in pitching before the all star break…otherwise,Atlanta Braves Hats sale, it does not matter who owns or manages the team, the yankees will not recover this year and if they don’t change thier philosophy soon (Just spending a limitless amount of $$) they will not win for a long time to come…I almost feel bad for the yankees…lol…NOT!!
Chappy
— Chappy Add your comments...
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