Tigers confirm offer to Johnny Damon

by Kurt Mensching on Feb 19, 2010 12:36 PM EST in Detroit Tigers Hot Stove

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski strikes me as a guy who who wouldn't admit to the media he likes eating chocolate cake.

He's just not a baseball executive who likes to commit to much of anything during hot stove season.

So seeing a tweet from @official_tigers confirming the Tigers' offer to outfielder Johnny Damon was nearly as surprising as the comments that came out of Dombrowski's media session moments later.

As quoted by the Detroit News' Tom Gage:

"First of all, he's a good player, who would help us from an offensive standpoint," said Dombrowski, the Tigers' president and general manager. "He's another left-hand bat, and he's been a winner.

"He's been a good player."

This is so outside the Tigers' norms that I do not even know how to react to it.

I suppose it means absolutely nothing. But it is curious to see such love espoused before a press conference. When a deal is in the works, Dombrowski typically keeps it close to the vest and denies knowledge of anything at all.

But maybe he's just trying to even the ledger of compliments with Damon's agent, Scott Boras, who professes Johnny's love for all things Detroit, from Stevie Yzerman to the Red Wings to eating an octopus. As someone put it, Boras left out Johnny's enjoyment of ice cold Vernor's ginger ale while having a Saunders hot fudge sundae. Or maybe he's more of a Stroh's guy, I don't know. It would fit the caveman theme, anyway.

So maybe Damon is already a Tiger. Or maybe the Tigers are just trying to signal to the fans they are still trying to get better, so be sure to get your seven-game ticket package before individual games go on sale.

Or maybe today's addition to Johnny Damon Watch 2010 means nothing at all.

More quotes from Dombrowski on the matter clear things up only in such they add more questions to the mystery.

MLB.com's Jason Beck writes:

"Yeah, I do," Dombrowski said when asked if he has any idea when it will end, "but I'm not really ready to say that, because I don't want you guys calling me every hour or every three minutes. I have an idea."

Dombrowski cautioned, though, that no deal is imminent. Damon would have to undergo a physical before completing any deal.

"We're not at that juncture," Dombrowski said. "I don't think anybody else is."

Well, it sure sounds like the Tigers are in the driver's seat, although I don't think that was really ever in doubt.

By the way, why all the sudden Damon speculation out of Detroit. As we surmised, this is spurred by owner Mike Ilitch.

Dombrowski said the roster appeared set around the holidays, but Ilitch stepped in and the market allowed for the Tigers to see what else could be done.

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Comments

I love Vernors

Now I want a Boston Cooler.

by metatron5369 on Feb 19, 2010 1:08 PM EST reply actions

That's a Detroit Cooler......

With Vernor’s it becomes a Detroit Cooler…..with any other ginger ale it’s a Boston Cooler.

by MSU4LIF on Feb 19, 2010 3:23 PM EST up reply actions

What am I missing here?

Damon SB drop from 29 down to 12. Is this Renteria again? His batting average last year as a leading off hitter was 238 and OBP was 306. I think we can do better than this. Secondly, Tigers have just created a logjam. Thomas will probably Cf in AAA and Rameriz in LF. This leaves one opening in RF for Wells or Boesch. Is Well going to play AA for the third year in a row or is Boesch with his 28 HRs play AA again. You have to Dh/1B open for Strieby/Larish.

by Barry2 on Feb 19, 2010 1:24 PM EST reply actions

Damon only had 17 PA as a leadoff hitter last year, and he hit .313/.353/.938. 94% of his PA were as a 2-hitter, and when you’re hitting in front of Teixeira and A-rod, there’s no reason to risk stealing bases. He won’t steal 29 bases as a Tiger, but I would expect him to steal around 20.

by StringTheory on Feb 19, 2010 1:47 PM EST up reply actions

I just want to tell you that this is one of the funniest examples of cherry picking a stat

that I have ever read.

by Trysdor on Feb 19, 2010 1:51 PM EST up reply actions

Cherry picking?

Jack Eliot: I’m a World Series MVP!
Skip: That was four years ago, Jack. Last season, you hit .235.
Jack Eliot: LAST SEASON, I led this team in ninth-inning doubles in the month of August!

by 13194013 on Feb 19, 2010 2:51 PM EST up reply actions

I remember a Free Press article from either last year or the year before that mentioned that Gary Sheffield has never hit a triple in the eighth inning

I looked at that stat and thought, “Someone’s got too much time on his hands”

Tigers Amateur Analysis

by SabreRoseTiger on Feb 19, 2010 2:55 PM EST up reply actions

You say Clete Thomas playing in AAA

like it’s a bad thing…

by ChrisDTX on Feb 19, 2010 2:27 PM EST up reply actions 1 recs

Want to raise productivity in AAA

If Thomas play CF for the Mudhens who are you going to send down to AA. Wells this will be his third year there. Boesch with his 28 HRs at AA or Rameriz after is played AAA last year. My point is you need to treat your down line better. Signing Damon just squashes your downline. Tigers are not going to win the World Series with or with not Damon anyway so why not raise productivity of the minors. Gibby had terrible stats in the minors like in 248 batting avg, less 20 steals, bad defense and only 18 home runns in two seasons. Look what he did. I could give you dozen more examples.

by Barry2 on Feb 19, 2010 9:06 PM EST up reply actions

Better not play him on rainy Tuesdays in August . . .

. . . at least, not if it’s a day game—his stats in that situation are mediocre at best.

by rea on Feb 19, 2010 2:13 PM EST reply actions

Reading between the lines

it looks like this whole Damon thing will be wrapped up soon. Hopefully by the end of today. I’m penciling him in as the Tigers starting LF on Opening Day.

by ChrisDTX on Feb 19, 2010 2:28 PM EST reply actions

Ooooh!

Carlos is gonna be pissed!

by ratherbegibby on Feb 19, 2010 4:11 PM EST up reply actions

Ooooooh!

Carlos is gonna be maaaad!

by ratherbegibby on Feb 19, 2010 4:13 PM EST up reply actions

carlos

guillen has no one to blame buy hisself…if he could ever stay healthy for more than a month at a time tigers wouldnt be in this situation

by paul wall on Feb 20, 2010 1:38 PM EST up reply actions

I feel like writing Illitch a love letter

and I think I will, too. The man wants to win. You gotta love it.

A lifelong Tigers fan

by ewild on Feb 19, 2010 4:11 PM EST reply actions

Can you blame him?

Look at what he’s used to with the Red Wings.

Check out Detroit4Lyfe

by handsomerob1 on Feb 19, 2010 4:38 PM EST up reply actions

You know he's got to be just a treat to be around these days then

Have a good feeling for the Wings after the Olympic break though.

by 42jeff on Feb 19, 2010 4:53 PM EST up reply actions

Johnny Damon

First of all, he’s not that great in the field, has a weak arm. Second, he is a proven winner with both New York and Boston. Would like to see him in Detroit, but afraid that the large field would cause him problems. He won’t be able to make a play from left field to home plate. That’s my only concern.

by Ken H73 on Feb 20, 2010 1:53 PM EST reply actions

Damon is only signing with Detroit only because of his [offensive-not defense] . I hope he does what he did in NY & BOS posted big numbers….anyway, he is abig addtion to the Detroit a Tigers for sure but, it won’t bring a world series ring to Detroit…because of Damon is one man take a team effort to have that happen march to the world series,maybe, definitely, a division winners, but we have to see how things come out in the wash!

by '' spiderman '' on Feb 21, 2010 5:41 PM EST reply actions