Detroit Tigers' Johnny Damon Rejected Boston Red Sox

Does a bad break-up ever have a happy ending?

After being the poster boy for the Red Sox 2004 “Idiots,” current Detroit Tiger OF Johnny Damon could of gone back to the scene of the crime. Damon instead used it as an opportunity to give a subliminal middle finger to the Red Sox organization.

The Red Sox claimed Damon off the waiver wire in hopes of bolstering a stale lineup down the stretch. While his career average is down 14 points (.272), he still has provided the veteran leadership needed for a young team like the Tigers.

The Red Sox don’t necessarily need his leadership. But the experience of a two-time World Series champ is quite invaluable. Damon knows how to win, he isn’t intimidated by the six-game deficit with five weeks to go scenario the Sox currently find themselves in.

The waiver wire pickup could have been to block the two AL East teams currently ahead of the Red Sox in their quest for a seventh postseason appearance in the last eight years.

Boston was ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees in the waiver order and both teams (the Rays more than the Yankees) could of had a great deal of curiosity in adding Damon themselves.

Damon famously switched allegiances in the biggest rivalry in sports when he bolted from Boston to the Bronx after the ’05 campaign. The beloved Damon became the archenemy for Boston fans.

The ironic part of the saga is that his ’05 season was statistically the best in his career with his .326 average and 35 doubles. Entering the free agent market, only the Yankees could offer him an eye-popping contract. So like most pro-athletes (and virtually everyone that finds themselves in this situation in their line of work) he jumped to the hated rivals.

He consistently was booed in his return appearances to Fenway as the fans looked at him in the same light as Benedict Arnold. When he returned to Yankee Stadium earlier this year as a member of the Detroit Tigers, he was showered with cheers and respect. Damon (without the beard) led the Yanks to a World Series in ‘09 and New York fans didn’t forget.

The question remains, would Sox fans have booed Damon if he had gone to any team besides the Yankees in ’06? Nobody knows for sure but the bitterness that is in the blood of Boston fans really resonated with Damon.

With all of the Red Sox injury problems, Damon’s .358 on base would have certainly bolster their lineup.

But would Sox fans learn to cheer him ever again? Maybe that’s a question that can never be answered. It does seem as if this had a part in Damon’s final decision. How big a factor is up for debate.

“My teammates are making this decision easier by saying they want me to stay,” Damon told reporters Monday. “My gut and everything else tells me Detroit’s the place for me.”

The 63-63 record of the Tigers defines mediocrity. Yet the Tigers are not a lost ship. They have been decimated by injuries and have a plethora of young, talented players on the roster. So don’t discount the patience of Damon as well. MLB should be cautious of the ’11 Tigers, Damon may just be looking ahead.

Fans Hate The Cincinnati Reds More Than The New York Yankees?

The latest article by the Wall Street Journal puzzles me to say the least.

According to the report , the Cincinnati Reds are the third most hated team in baseball with a 1.5 ranking.

An Internet algorithm built by Nielsen Co . analyzes how people feel about certain things, and the nation apparently hates the Reds. The system uses various keywords to find out whether people have positive, negative or neutral reactions to different brands and products.

The most hated team oddly enough was the Cleveland Indians (.9). What's up with all the Ohio hate? The Boston Red Sox (1.1) were second, a much more believable ranking.

My thoughts on how this could happen are directly at the self hatred for the two Ohio teams. Reds and Indians fans are extremely hard on their respective teams. The losing adds up and you would have to scour the web to find a lot of positive message board comments and blog posts praising the two franchises.

For some reason the brand logo isn't well liked either. What's wrong with a big "C"? I happen to like Mr. Red, why hate him Rosie and Mr. Redlegs? The jerseys are as plain as it gets.

It's not like there a ton of players on the team to hate. Joey Votto, Jay Bruce, Brandon Phillips,

There is no way the Reds would finsih third in a straight-up poll of fans on most hated teams. The Yankees (1.8) only finished fifth in the rankings! Clearly that isn't the case—the Yanks have been coined "The Evil Empire!"

This study might go on to prove something that fans already know, the team sucks and we are going to type, read, and talk about how much they suck. It's depressing to think about, but it's true—fans are fed up with the constant rebuilding, retooling, and reloading.

We the fans want to win NOW. I don't care about how awesome the prospects in AAA are. How good is my team right now?

Or maybe it has to do with the location of the teams. Both Ohio teams are in the top three in most hated while the Bay Area San Francisco Giants (4.5) and Oakland Athletics (4.2) were the most-liked teams on this scale.

Either way this study really perplexes me. If anybody can make some sense out of this...help me out.

Aroldis Chapman's Signing Sends Positive Message To Reds Fans

Maybe the Reds haven't given up on 2010. As an extremely dull offseason rolled on something happened.

The Reds forgot about their mid-market status and splurged on a player that the Red Sox, Angels, or Yankees usually sign.

The Reds made an extremely high-risk, high-reward move that has the potential to either turn the franchise around—or bury them into the only place they haven't hit yet—below the Pirates. The Reds are investing a big piece of its franchise on the left arm of a 22 year-old kid from Cuba.

So $30 million later, Aroldis Chapman is a Cincinnati Red. He's a lefty and reportedly throws a 100 mph heater. The Reds haven't had a decent lefty since the 90's. But the Reds actually have a rich history with players from Cuba.

One of the greatest position players in Reds history is Cuban native Tony Perez, the only Cuban-born major league player in the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was elected in 2000. In 1911, the first two Cubans to play major league baseball both played for the Reds—Rafael Almeida and Armando Marsans, who was a star.

So in a way, the historical implications make sense, and the oldest professional franchise cares a heck of a lot about its history. But reports of wildness scared away other suitors. He has allowed 200 walks in just over 400 innings of work in Cuba. He is compared to a young Randy Johnson—wildness and all.

Several scouts call Chapman, “A can’t miss,” and even though he isn’t ready to step into the Cincinnati rotation, he probably isn’t far away once he can tighten up his control.

Bryan Price, in his first year as the Reds’ pitching coach, knows what kind of chance he’s getting.

“These opportunities don’t come along too often,” he said. ”Young, left-handers who throw hard are a commodity in our sport, especially ones who are around the plate.”

Chapman’s agent cited the fact that Price and manager Dusty Baker speak Spanish as a factor in signing with the Reds.

The signing of Chapman also means Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo will most likely not be back for 2011.

Both are in the last year of their contracts, with options for 2011. The Reds could use the payroll flexibility and if all goes well, Chapman and first-round pick Mike Leake pitches to this potential, both will be in the rotation, along with Edinson Volquez, Johnny Cueto, and Homer Bailey for 2011.

GM Walt Jocketty, who admits to the riskiness of the signing sums up the move:

“For us to compete in the market size we’re in, we have to do some things like this from time to time—a bold move. We can’t go after the high-priced free agents who are out there. This is stretched out over a long period of time. It’s a significant undertaking for this organization. But it’s something we felt we had to do. There’s a big upside.”

You have to applaud Jocketty for working with the payroll he has been given, but will it pay off? Will more Reds fans go to games this year? Will the Reds sell thousands of Chapman jerseys in 2010? Will team leaders Arroyo and Harang look at this as a precursor to their eminent departure?

This is the kind of move that will make or break Jocketty. This is the move that will let fans know there is some ray of hope. Before the signing, there was no hope going into 2010. There wasn't even a chance that they would be .500. Now there is at least a reason to be optimistic about the Cincinnati Reds.

At the very least the Reds helped Cincinnati fans brighten up a bit a day after the neighbors across the street blew a golden opportunity against a rookie QB.