Johnny Damon was a fan favorite for two rival franchises — and helped each win a World Series.
Damon became a household name during his time with the Boston Red Sox, playing a vital role in breaking the team’s 86-year World Series drought in 2004. He even hit a grand slam in Game 7 of the 2004 American League Championship Series, helping the Red Sox pull away early.
In Boston, he quickly became known for his energetic personality and leadership both on and off the field. After four successful years in Boston, Damon made the controversial switch to the rival New York Yankees, where he continued to thrive, helping the team win the 2009 World Series.
Since retiring, Damon has entered the business world; he is the majority owner of the sports drink company A-Game Beverages.
NewBostonPost interviewed Damon, now 51, by telephone about his new business venture and Major League Baseball career.
Damon said what separates A-Game Beverages from other sports drinks on the market is that the company prioritizes giving athletes something healthy to drink, rather than loading it with artificial ingredients.
“What makes A-Game unique is we’re clean. There’s a lot of food and drinks out there that just aren’t clean,” Damon told NewBostonpPost in a telephone interview. “We want to give our young athletes and everyone for that matter to be hydrated. Because if you’re not hydrated, you’re just putting in horrible workouts. Like I always had problems with my calves and I would drink so much water and everything we have. With a lot of brands out there, the ingredients counteract each other and with A-Game, we are super clean and at the end of the day, people love the taste. So we’re the best tasting and the cleanest, so it works.
“Just what the doctor ordered. Everything’s great. We have the greatest athlete of all-time behind us in Bo Jackson on our team. We have Tyler Adams from the U.S. men’s national soccer team and we’re locking RFK Jr.’s right-hand man, Gary Brecka. Make America Healthy Again. He’s close with Dana White and the Trump family. A lot of great things happening.”
More of the interview is below:
1. After playing for the Boston Red Sox for four years, you signed with the New York Yankees before the 2006 season. What was the craziest reaction you got from a Red Sox fan, and what advice do you have for a guy like Juan Soto who just went from the Yankees to the New York Mets, two rival teams? And what do you think of that record-breaking 15-year, $765 million contract?
Oh, I got booed every single day and I still get booed to this day. Most fans have gotten over it and most fans understand the business side because it’s been 19 years since I left the Red Sox and everyone now knows I never wanted to leave the Red Sox but unfortunately, nobody ever leaves the Red Sox happy. Pedro left after all of these years and said “they didn’t value me” the way he valued himself. And, for me, I was promised a contract extension in spring training. I was told to buy a house because I was going to be there for a long time, but when that stuff didn’t happen, I had to move my focus to a team that wanted me.
The New York Yankees needed a center fielder. They needed a leadoff hitter, and so that makes perfect sense. I got to spend six more weeks at home in Orlando. I just drove back and forth every single day. At the end of the day, it worked out well for everyone. The Red Sox were able to use two center fielders over the next few years in Coco Crisp and Jacoby Ellsbury and having depth in the game is important, and I think that’s part of the reason why Moneyball has resonated with a lotta fans. It stinks for the aging guys like myself because when you’re a free agent, that’s what these teams are trying to do.
They want younger and more flexibility to play all of these positions and that’s what the Yankees are going to be able to do now that Juan Soto isn’t there. They’ll make some trades. They’re going to be able to make some moves that are going to be able to benefit the team for a long time — especially in the next five years. In the next 15 years, they’re going to be able to be in a position where they can spend money. Plus, Aaron Judge is the best hitter in baseball. You were going to have to pay another player more than your captain. More than best player in baseball. So I think they’re in really good shape going into next year.
For anyone to get that kind of contract that Soto got, there’s a lot of faith in you, but I’ve said it’s probably a blessing for the Yankees because you can now go out and sign five guys and possibly win a World Series. For Juan Soto, it’s going to be tough to live up to the contract because you’re expecting 70 home runs per year, 150 RBIs. You’re expecting the Barry Bonds year every single year. If the Mets win the World Series, it’s gonna be a great deal. If he doesn’t, nope. But I do think the Mets will win the World Series in the next 15 years and hopefully, Juan Soto ends up being one of the best players of all time. The numbers are going to go down slightly because it’s a bigger ballpark. He had 40 home runs with the Yankees last year — playing half his games at Yankee Stadium — so I believe it could be 30 home runs at Citi Field — just because it’s bigger. But that doesn’t take away from the magnitude of what he’ll bring to that lineup with the great Francisco Lindor.
2. When you joined the Yankees in 2006, you came from the Red Sox at a time when the two teams had an intense rivalry. There were brawls, a walk-off to finish the 2003 ALCS, and an unprecedented comeback in the 2004 ALCS. Was it tough being accepted in New York having come from Boston and if so, do any memories of that stick out?
No, it was not tough for me at all to be accepted by Yankees fans because they enjoyed the way I went out and played the game and my passion for the game. Now, if I went out there and didn’t hustle and didn’t try to break up double plays, I think it would’ve been different. For three of the four years I had pinstripes on, I was the best player on the team and the most valuable player on the team because I extended innings and did all of this good stuff. And when Boston won in 2007, of course, I was very upset because you never want to see your former team win — and when they do, you’re definitely upset. But when the Red Sox finished in fourth place in 2006, my first year with the Yankees, they went out and were able to sign Daisuke [Matsuzaka], and get Mike Lowell and Josh Beckett. They were able to get two outfielders for less money than myself. So they added these components and made themselves a better team with more depth. That’s what’s going to happen with the Yankees. They’re going to add more depth and improve their pitching staff and they’re gonna be a team to be reckoned with. I’d say the Yankees have a better chance of winning the World Series next year.
3. You played in two of the biggest markets in baseball — Boston and New York. What does it take to succeed in big markets?
When I went out, every game mattered. We had the rivalry game or if we played Kansas City or Oakland, you always had to show up with your A-game. You also have to understand that we are playing a failure sport. I try to tell young kids that you have to understand that the guy on the mound is trying to make a living because he’s in the big leagues and you have to understand that the game is tough. My best swing ever turned into a line drive right to second base and my worst swing ever turned into a bases-clearing double right down the left-field line. That’s the beauty of the game of baseball. It’s a game of inches and sometimes, you don’t have to be at your very best to get the job done — and that’s why you have people step up in these clutch situations and become World Series champions and become these fan favorites. I mean, look at David Eckstein. Two World Series and an MVP in one of them. It’s amazing how guys who have grit and get after it can succeed.
4. When you were on the Boston Red Sox you had a very memorable look with long hair and facial hair but when you went to the New York Yankees in 2006, you shaved it all off. What was that like for you and when was the last time you had cut your hair before signing with New York?
I obviously didn’t want to cut it off, but you have to respect the boss and the team that’s paying you your contract and you have to respect the rules. I respected the Yankees organization and what they had accomplished over the years. I grew my hair back though. I loved having my long hair — and hiding the extra pounds I put on my face over the years. I’m still a rockstar, you know? I’m 6-foot-2, 225 pounds and still pretty chiseled. I’m doing a lot of great things now. I keep playing soccer every Sunday and so a lot of great things going on in my life. And with A-Game, I’m a proud majority owner. I want it to succeed because I want these young athletes to accomplish a lot of great things in life, like I did.
5. You’re a friend of President-elect Donald Trump, and you take health and fitness seriously, evident by the shape you’re in and your company A-Game Beverages. Do you think you could be an asset to the incoming administration with its Make America Healthy Again agenda?
Absolutely. In Trump’s first term, I was on the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition. I would love to get that invite to come back. That’s a quick yes for me. I know there’s a lot of other very talented people who Trump is going to call, like our guy Gary Brecka. I just brought him in at A-Game because I know the power he has and the healthy lifestyle he promotes that can bring medical bills down and help people live longer and healthier and happier. We’re in a great place right now and I can’t wait to see how the future is, but in the meantime, we’re going to enjoy the present and continue to be healthy and enjoy life as much we can.
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