JOHNNY THE GREAT

I have been reminiscing a lot lately, especially about the 2009 season. The stars seemed to align for the Yankees that year. Speaking of stars....Johnny Damon seems to be the star of a lot of the memories I have from that year. It's no secret, he has always been one of my favorites for a lot of reasons. He will always be remembered as a leader, a fan favorite and most of all humble.

Aside from actually winning the World Series that year and watching the reactions of the players after the last out and holding the trophy my favorite moment starred Damon himself. I still remember the two-out single that Damon hit in the top of the 9th inning in game 4. I can still see it. I see the infield shift that the Phillies put on Mark Teixeira. I see Damon running on the first pitch heading to second.

I remember watching the ball bounce to Pedro Feliz who had shifted away from third and into shortstop. I was excited when Brad Lidge did not move over to third base to cover the empty bag allowing Damon to make his infamous two bag steal. It was beautiful, ingenious....and pure instinct.

As great as he was on the field one of my favorite things about Johnny Damon was how he has such a great spirit which is why I think he was well-liked by not only fans but players alike. He has always been humble, and I can say that because I was lucky enough to meet him and see that for myself.

In 2011 I went to a Yankee game with fellow BYB writer Erica Morales. We got to the game early enough to watch batting practice up close and personal. We met a few players and one of those was former Yankee Johnny Damon who was with his new team the Tampa Bay Rays. He walked past us and it looked like he was on his way to something rather important, but when we called him he stopped what he was doing and came over to take a quick picture. I thought that was very cool of him and it is something I will never forget.

As great as all of that is, there is so much more to Johnny Damon the baseball player. I love how he gives back to others. His foundation has so much involved in it. It's got so many different facets to it, if you don't know about it you can check it out HERE. Damon himself has 6 children so he understands the importance of developing leadership and growth opportunities for disadvantaged children so he works closely with a lot of organizations. I like how he has dedicated his time and resources not only to kids in need, but our service men and women who fight so hard for us. A lot of times I think we forget about what they have sacrificed for us and when they get home they need US to help them get their lives back together. Damon recognizes that and that is why his partnership with the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) is so impressive because he gives a lot of resources to help returning veterans get back on their feet.

Reading the initiatives of his organization is one thing, but just reading some of the comments on his website really shows you what kind of impact he is having on people. A few of the comments on the website actually brought me to tears because you can tell that his work has really made a positive impact on people. There are so many on there, everything from wounded veterans who received benefits from WWP, to sick children who got some cool memorabilia from Damon himself.

There are many great causes in the world, and this is no different. He may not be playing professional baseball anymore but you can find him on Twitter now! If you want to help out with his cause, follow him on twitter at @JohnnyDamon and donate to his cause! As much as I have liked Johnny Damon the player, my admiration has grown even more after reading about all of his great work off the field too. That is why he will always be a great Yankee to me.





--Jeana Bellezza, BYB Senior Writer and Editor
Twitter: @NyPrincessJ



 

MARIANO RIVERA & ANDY PETTITTE: ONE MORE TIME

Spring Training is finally here and those of us who suffer from baseball withdrawal will finally get our baseball fix. As with every new season, I am excited to see what kind of team the Yankees will put on the field. I want to see the newly acquired Yankees wearing the pinstripes and either taking their swings or working their windup. It is a special time of year, filled with excitement. Every once in a while, we get to watch the sun set on the career of someone special. This is one of those years.

Watching living legends and heroes in the twilight of their careers is a privilege. For those that don't already know, Mariano Rivera holds the record for most career saves with 608 (the next closest active pitcher is Francisco Cordero with 329), the most postseason saves with 42 (the next closest is Brad Lidge with 18), the second lowest career postseason ERA with 0.70, and dozens of other regular-season and postseason records. However, when Mariano Rivera first came up, he was a starter who did not impress too many people. It did not help that he had surgery on his pitching elbow when he was in the minors a few years earlier. Joe Torre, manager at the start of the 1996 season, mentioned that he would not be too upset if the Yankees traded Rivera for some good talent. HE wrote that in his book Chasing the Dream.

Who would have thought that a pitcher who was that much of a liability would become the most reliable man in the Yankees bullpen for the next 17 years and counting. There were questions about whether or not he could handle the transition from setup man to closer in 1997. He responded with 43 saves. Questions came up about whether or not he had the mental fortitude to recover from giving up that Sandy Alomar Jr. home run.

It would be three years before he gave up another run in the postseason. It would be four years before failing to convert another postseason save. After the 2001 World Series, more questions came up about whether or not he would ever recover from that kind of a defeat. He went on to slowly build a Hall of Fame career as the Yankees closer, being the consistently reliable closer for the Yankees, and making us all unaware of what it's like to be nervous in the ninth inning. From 1997 when he first became a closer through 2011, he averaged just over 40 saves per season. That is unheard of. Then there was the news on May 3, 2012, that Mariano Rivera had a torn knee ligament. I admit that I was sure he was done. He was 42, and already amassed more than enough credentials for a Hall of Fame vote. Younger men would have great difficulty with the recovery. Now, in just a few days, he will prove me and everyone else wrong and he is going to take the field for Spring Training. He will join the Yankees as their closer for one more year.

Then there is Andy Pettitte. Pettitte has been a stalwart member of the Yankees starting rotation since 1996. After a new manager and significant turnover following the 1995 season, Andy Pettitte quickly became the ace of the staff in 1996. He was the man who the Yankees relied on to keep the team on a winning track, going 13-3 that season after a Yankees loss. In the legendary Game 5 of the 1996 World Series, he beat John Smoltz in a 1-0 win that would set up the Series win two nights later. He was in the Yankees starting rotation in every postseason after that through 2003. Many of us will remember the fans, knowing that he was going to be a free agent after 2003, chanting his name loudly during Game 6 of the 2003 World Series, letting him know how much he meant to us.

Nevertheless, our hearts broke on December 12, 2003 as he signed with the Houston Astros, citing his desire to be closer to his family. As much as it hurt us, you have to appreciate how much this shows what kind of a man he really is. On January 11, 2007, the Yankees re-introduced Andy Pettitte as a member of the team, having signed him to a one-year deal. In Game 6 of the 2009 World Series, he set the new record for playoff series-clinching wins with six. He also earned his fifth World Series ring in eight trips (seven with the Yankees, one with the Astros). He is the record holder for postseason career wins (19), career starts (44), and career innings pitched (276 2/3). However, most important to the fans, he was part of the Core 4 with Rivera, Derek Jeter, and Jorge Posada.

And now it's time for pitchers and catchers to report to camp and start their drills to get in shape for the new season. Fans will be gawking and getting autographs, the press will be watching and reporting, and some members of the next generation of Yankees will be joining Pettitte and Rivera in sprint drills and long toss sessions. Barring the unforeseen, this will be their final lap together - their victory lap so to speak. Sure, they will be on hand as special instructors at Spring Training in years to come, much as Jorge Posada will be this year. But this year is special. They may not have it on the scoreboard as they did in 2008 for the closing of the old Yankee Stadium, but there will be a countdown. With every appearance on the mound, with every game, with every start and every jog from the bullpen, we get closer to the last time we see them as active players wearing the Yankees pinstripes. Let's take it in, enjoy it, and celebrate what they have meant to this organization and to baseball. 

--Ike Dimitriadis, BYB Writer
Twitter: @KingAgamemnon

My blog is: Shots from Murderer's Row

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