Don't book the parade for the Red Sox just yet.

"Johnny Damon has a throwing arm that makes Bernie Williams' appear Ichiro strong. In the vast wilderness that is center field at Yankee Stadium, Damon and that wet noodle attached to his left shoulder will make Derek Jeter run out to the warning track to take the cutoff throw.

...

Is this four-year, $52 million transaction a good deal for the Yankees? Yeah, it's good. Just not Babe Ruth-for-a-few-bucks-and-a-Broadway-song good."

Johnny Damon isn't as good as Babe Ruth? Are you sure about that? You must know a lot about baseball history to make a wild claim like that.

I think most observers believe Damon is an upgrade that addresses the Yankees' specific needs. In terms of blockbuster signings, it's fairly minor and nobody was jumping all over themselves planning a parade.

As for the throwing arm, I keep hearing about the importance of the outfield throwing arms, and all I see is Championship rings on the fingers of the hands which are at the end weak throwing arms.

Get the best arm in the league. Heck, get the best arm in the history of baseball. If the Yankees rely on that arm throwing out runners on the basepaths, then they've got big problems.


"The Yankees made a smart deal last night because they stole from the hated Red Sox a leadoff hitter and star center fielder, not to mention the lifeblood of Boston's Idiot movement. The Yankees made a smart deal because their own void in center was bigger than the old courthouse beyond the outfield wall, and because they needed more speed on an otherwise lumbering, oafish team."

I don't know if the Yankees are exactly oafish, but are you for the deal or against the deal? According to you, it's a good, smart deal that made the Red Sox weaker and the Yankees stronger.

So what's the beef?


"It's about the pitching, stupid, and everyone knows the Yankees would trade Damon for Boston's prize catch, Josh Beckett, in a New York minute. Joe Torre isn't winning one for his thumb because Damon can score 100 runs in his sleep."

Good idea. Get Cashman on the phone and see if he can trade Damon for Beckett.

Of course it's about the pitching. I damn sure know it's not about the centerfielder's throwing arm. What, did the addition of Damon's hurt the Yankee pitching staff somehow?


"This free-agent score makes the Yankees a little faster, and the Red Sox a little weaker. But even with Damon last year, the Yanks would've lost the Division Series to the Angels."

That's quite a definitive statement from O'Connor, speculating about something that never happened.

I say Damon would've hit 3 homeruns in game five vs. Anaheim. You can't prove that he wouldn't have. Go ahead and prove that he wouldn't have.

I say Damon catches the ball that Crosby dropped when he collided with Sheffield.

There you go. I just proved the Yankees would've won the Division Series to the Angels.