Johnny Damon Quotations

We're going to get better. We need to know how to win those close games.

We're fortunate that the Yankees lost. Everyone is scoreboard watching, the players and the fans.

We know how hot they are. They're playing well. Hopefully those guys will cool off.

Wake is one of our most reliable starters and he has been over the years. It's a good thing there is no break, but he's going to be very sore.

Wake has been absolutely awesome lately. Hopefully he can keep up that magic. He's making guys look foolish out there.

Worst-case scenario, we would have been only one game up leaving here. Three?s all right. We wish we could have extended it, but Randy pitched a great game, as did Wake. That?s the best Randy?s been all year. He?s getting ready for the stretch drive.

We're not happy. We felt like we had a good enough team this season to win it all. We got to the playoffs, which is the first step. We just couldn't put anything together in this series.

We have to go out and expect to win every game. I think everyone knows it's our job.

We did make a big comeback, but a loss is a loss. We competed and that was good to see because we haven't really come back at all this year.

The only way to get around that is go out there and win. We caught a break and definitely jumped on it.

The only way to avoid that is to go out and win. We caught a break the first time around. We know it's going to be tough.

We're playing baseball now. We were definitely embarrassed the way we were playing the game earlier in the season.

When it was asked if I would represent my country, there was no hesitation. I am proud to live in a land with freedom where we can even have this type of baseball tournament. Rest assured it will be great days for fans. It's just awesome to represent our country.

We need to play better on the road and this is the perfect time to do it.

We're excited. Everyone in the room feels like we can win a championship. If we don't win, it would be a shame.

Let's hope so. We've still got to play well.

Many thought he was done years before this, but he keeps coming back, as good or better than ever.

So many times, you see guys getting hurt whether they're just fooling around or not playing very hard. For me, I have to keep up with the routine, play like every game may be my last.

Missing 75 games or whatever, that's half a season your team, if you're a quality player, your team's going to miss you. I think it's a positive step for the union. Unfortunately, you can't make everyone happy. Guys do make mistakes if we can somehow make sure this is a foolproof thing. We want to make sure guys know what they're being busted for.

My four years in Boston, he never flew out.

Moose is going to have a big year. He has many arm angles and he knows how to spot his pitches. He just knows what he's doing out there.

More times than not, he's going to come through. He threw some tough pitches on the outside of the plate to get him looking out there, then he threw a perfect pitch in. Shields was an All-Star for a reason.

Obviously, it's great to be with the team. I think we're pretty ready to go. We'll try to get to Opening Day as healthy as we can, and we'll be all right.

My teammates know that that stuff's not going to bother me. It just really doesn't. I had them prepare me before the game. I told them to start calling me every name in the book.

I was starting to feel the groove again, and then I had this minor setback, ... But I'm not going to feel dissuaded by my performance. As long as the team wins, that's OK. Unfortunately, they seem to coincide.

I would be jacked up. But I'd be worried about that high, tight pitch.

I wish I could have given him a bear hug and twisted his arm, but he's a pretty big guy. Obviously, we would love to have him here.

I wish I could bear-hug him and twist his arm but he's a pretty big guy. We definitely want him. Hopefully when he makes his decision, the Yankees will come up first.

If we don't play well, we're not going to get to the playoffs and we won't play deep into October. It's ours to lose. There's a lot of teams fighting for spots.

If we're just going out there just to get him work, that's not the Boston Red Sox way, ... We're sending him out there with thoughts of winning that game. He loves pitching here.

I grabbed Trot Nixon's bats today and I'm grabbing any bat that feels good now.

If this is any indication, this is going to be a fun year. It feels awesome. Since Day One it's been great here.

I don't know where all these anonymous sources come from. Unfortunately we're in Boston, so there's stuff being thrown out there, ... Schilling's been hurt and it's taken him time to get ready. I even said after the season, in my book, that Schilling risked his career to go out there and pitch against the Yankees. He could have been done after last year. He wanted to come back and fight again and try to get us back to where we were last year.

I am finally healthy, I can honestly say that now. My shoulder's not bothering me. So now I'm not walking around with a scowl on my face like I've been for the past month or so. I'm happy and excited about this weekend, and may the best team win.

I am finally healthy, I can honestly say that now, ... My shoulder's not bothering me. So now I'm not walking around with a scowl on my face like I've been for the past month or so. I'm happy and excited about this weekend, and may the best team win.

I apologized to Alex last Opening Day. I told him it came out the wrong way. We were just trying to sell books.

But we don't think. If we use our brains, we're only hurting the team.

I'm a quick healer and this will heal quickly again for me.

I have a lot of friends there and we had some great moments. But a lot of the guys are gone and that's how baseball is. The teams make their choices.

I have a lot of friends there and we had some great moments.

I felt I had to (salute the fans), especially to those who were cheering. Unfortunately, I didn't swing the bat well, so I guess I helped the Red Sox.

I felt like I had to salute the fans because they were always great to me here and I know now they're just booing the uniform. They appreciated everything I did and how I played the game. I'm just disappointed we didn't come out swinging the bats better.

I feel totally healthy and I want to run more this season. You don't want to run into outs with somebody like Gary Sheffield behind you. But it seems like the coaches want to be aggressive. That's good.

I feel great. I was expecting to be out there yesterday, but they just wanted to rest me a little more. I can run when I need to. It's the slowing down part; it's the walking part that hurts.

I feel good about things. Worst-case scenario here, we would've only been one game up, so three's all right. We wish we could've extended it, but Randy Johnson pitched a great game, as did Tim Wakefield.

I feel like it's going to be great. He's a talent and he knows what he's doing. He knows how to communicate and he's a smart player. Getting this week in with him is definitely going to help me out.

I can't say we're happy about the situation. But we'll be all right. I think we have a good-enough team to win.

I don't remember some parts of my life because of it.

I expect him to be on. We need him to be on. There's no way we can get back to Boston down 2-0.

For me, this is getting me ready for April 3. Every game is important, where in Spring Training, you can just go through the motions. Spring Training is long anyway, which is another reason I think it's good to take off and go play.

If that's what we get, one at bat, that's the way to do it.

He doesn't expect to be there. And he doesn't want to be there.

He expects us to win. And if we don't, he's not going to be the only one who's upset about it.

He gets the ball and takes care of business. He's not afraid of anybody.

He looked good. His sinker was working and his changeup was good. He's going to have a big year.

He looked good. His sinker was working and his change-up was good. He's going to have a big year.

He loved the Big Apple. He loved the spotlight as a Yankee. And now he loves to beat 'em.

We've done this without Manny hitting the last week to 10 days. It's going to be pretty interesting when he does.

He's a guy a lot of teams would take No.1. He knows what it takes to win games. ... He picked up the whole team with one swing. That was awesome.

Going into Yankee Stadium, we expect to win. We know what the job ahead of us is. We need to win as many games as possible.

He's always given me trouble. Mike has so many arm angles and he knows how to spot his pitches. He can set you up with that change-up and then throw a fastball right by you.

He's been pretty incredible for the last couple of months. We just need to score him some runs. He's been awesome. Not just recently, but he's been around for a very long time. He's what Boston is all about.

Hitting with runners in scoring position, that's what we need to do to win. It was a great team win.

Hopefully, we can get some of that magic that he had in Game 6 here last year.

Hopefully, we can get it done pretty quickly, ... I'm going to leave it on the Red Sox. They're on their timetable. They always have been.

Hopefully, they cheer. If not, I understand because I'm wearing the Yankees uniform.

When they scored three runs after we had pulled within one to make it 9-8, I think that was pretty critical. One run is definitely more easily attainable than getting four back. We were pretty much done after that.

He was on the phone. He's always on the phone. So I kind of just stopped him and said, 'Hi. It was good seeing him.

I actually love it. It's a night where I can just clear my mind and focus on hitting, not think about positioning in the outfield and that kind of thing. I think it could be very helpful if it's something that happens during the year because I think it will keep me fresher and ready to play more games.

He didn't even want to look at me when he walked back to center. He's done that to many players -- especially me -- so it's good to return the favor.

He can set you up with a changeup, then throw an 88-mph fastball by you.

Just not hitting with guys in scoring position. It falls to our hitters.

It caught me by surprise. I kind of heard stories that him and Boston had agreed on a contract and what not, and I hear today that he declined and he might just take some time off. Theo is a very bright guy. I'll always wish him the best. He was always honest with me and was great for the Red Sox.

I think it's going to be like the postseason. The last thing we want to do is embarrass our country.

I think the guys were pretty much teasing him saying he should have did that last year. He's the best. I thought he threw the ball well. It was good to see the best right out the chute. I know exactly what I need to work on. Get my timing down. It was a good day.

I thought all the players did a good job representing the game. I think now people are going to appreciate how the game is played in other countries.

I thought we'd find a way to win. It's hard to lose when you put that many men on base.

I thought the first day was awesome. It's great to see a lot of the fans accept me as being a Yankee. You feel proud because you know what you've done over your career and you know what your reputation is, and they know what I can bring to New York.

I think we've taken the lead in every single game. We just stop scoring. We can't stop scoring. We've got to keep going.

I think both sides have pretty much gotten over it. I've gotten over them and they've gotten over me. It's time to get ready for the baseball season.

I think it's the way things show up in writing. I'm not angry. I'm happy. They wanted to move on and I have moved on. I wish them luck. Things happen all the time. Change happens.

It got twisted around. I just said I'd do whatever the team asked me to do. I just want to help the team win.

It happened -- I'm over it, so they've got to get over it.

I think that's just part of my character. I just feel like injuries will happen if you don't play hard. That's the least I can do is always go out there and give it my all.

I think that's just part of my character. I feel like injuries would happen if you don't play hard.

I was watching the Olympics and the ice skating and I saw the pride they had for their countries. That was great. That's what I'm looking forward to.

I think Doug coming back is a bigger story because the trade at first really took him by surprise. The fact that he's back, I think, it's a bigger story because he and Wakefield definitely work very well together.

(Red Sox) fans are going to be upset. I hope they remember the great World Series and the three out of four years we made the playoffs. I appreciate them. I tried to come back.

Regardless of the reaction, I felt the fans wanted to see that.

Regardless of the reaction, I felt like a lot of fans wanted to see it. I heard more cheers than jeers.

Spring training is too long anyway. I think this team, we're ready for the season to start right now, the position players anyway. It can be long and tedious, and this breaks it up.

Some guys haven't gotten into the mode of swinging the bats real well.

That can't go unnoticed. You look at his numbers and he's had a great career. I don't know how many years he wants to play, but Bernie is going to have a much bigger role than maybe people think. He's going to be valuable to us.

My time in Boston was great. But now I'm here playing for the greatest franchise in the world. The team with the most championships.

Nah, I don't think you'll see the Boss (George Steinbrenner) here.

Matsui was incredible. Trying to hit a guy throwing 95-plus in 40-degree weather, that's hard.

March 6. The games are going to start counting tomorrow. That is sooner than expected. But we know what our job at hand is. That's to try and win this tournament, but also to try and help promote the game.

I wish I had more hits and runs and more wins for this team. It comes in time. I understand it's a game and some are going to be better than others. Hopefully for this team there's a lot of better days to come.

I was thinking about cutting my hair right after the season. I knew if I came here it would be a big deal.

It feels like it's really close. My body is getting ready for what's going to be a very, very, very great season.