Damon honored for work with troops and A-Rod spews more bullSh!t

[AFJF]

Damon honored by writers group for work with wounded soldiers

Associated Press

NEW YORK -- Johnny Damon was trembling as he stepped to the podium. He tried to steady himself, take a deep breath, find some way to choke back the tears.

It was no use.

For the freedom that we have, we all should pay more attention to people who go out there and fight for it.

-- Johnny Damon

The Yankees outfielder was overwhelmed by his introduction Sunday night at the 85th annual New York baseball writers' dinner, where he was honored for his work with soldiers wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan.

"Wow. I'm not that emotional of a person," Damon said after a standing ovation. "But for the freedom that we have, we all should pay more attention to people who go out there and fight for it."

Damon received the Joan Payson Award for community service, named after the former New York Mets owner. In September 2006, he became a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides various types of assistance to injured servicemen and women.

"This was something that really needed to be addressed," said Damon, whose father, Jimmy, was a career Army officer and served in Vietnam. "I'm going to keep spreading the word. We're going to make these guys come home and live normal lives and feel like they're a part of our country still."

Another boisterous ovation went to Damon's teammate, Alex Rodriguez, who picked up his third AL MVP award and the Sid Mercer Player of the Year Award.

Rodriguez, who appeared to be on his way out of town before reaching a $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees this offseason, was introduced by another three-time MVP.

"Alex, welcome to the club, buddy," Hall of Fame catcher Yogi Berra said. "You're pretty good."

Rodriguez knew just how to respond.

"Yogi, I am pretty proud and impressed with your three MVP awards," he said. "The 10 championships, I'm very jealous of."

The slugger also added that he was happy to stay in pinstripes.

"I'm very glad to be back here for 10 years," Rodriguez said. "I want to thank New York, for a lot of reasons. New York makes you do a lot of things. It makes you think. It humbles you. It makes you look in the mirror and ask yourself all the tough questions. And if not, the reporters will ask them."

Philadelphia Phillies shortstop Jimmy Rollins received his NL MVP award.

"I'd like to thank my parents -- my dad for taking the line drives off the elbow and my mom for teaching me how to talk trash," he said.

Mets closer Billy Wagner took home the Ben Epstein Good Guy Award, and Yankees rookie sensation Joba Chamberlain won the Joe DiMaggio Toast of the Town Award.

Recalling his infuriating bout with those tiny midges at Cleveland's Jacobs Field in the AL playoffs, Chamberlain glanced down the dais and found Indians manager Eric Wedge.

"Mr. Wedge, where you at? Next time we come, leave the bugs off," the pitcher said.

Joe Torre, the new manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers after 12 years guiding the Yankees, won the William J. Slocum Award for Long and Meritorious Service. Yankees broadcaster and former outfielder Bobby Murcer, battling cancer, received the Milton Richman You Gotta Have Heart Award.

Longtime Houston Astros star Craig Biggio, who recently retired, won the Casey Stengel You Could Look It Up Award. Denny McLain and Luis Tiant were honored with the Willie, Mickey and the Duke Award to mark the 40th anniversary of their outstanding seasons in 1968 -- the year of the pitcher.

"Look at how many years I had to wait to get something," said Tiant, who lost out to McLain in AL Cy Young Award voting that year.

[Blackout]

go arod

[Bob]

It sounds to me like A-rod was humble and appropriate.

Joba Chamberlain cracks me up.

[AFJF]

It sounds to me like A-rod was humble and appropriate.

Joba Chamberlain cracks me up.

FWIW Bob...A-Rod alwys sounds "humble and appropriate" but that doesn't mean it's not all BS. Him and Boras are a couple of used car salesmen.

[DaBrick Wall]

FWIW Bob...A-Rod alwys sounds "humble and appropriate" but that doesn't mean it's not all BS. Him and Boras are a couple of used car salesmen.

Yeah, A-Rod's the only one that tries to sound politically correct.

For Christ's sake, what the **** do you think Derek Jeter, the Yankees spokesperson and captain, does?

[AFJF]

Yeah, A-Rod's the only one that tries to sound politically correct.

For Christ's sake, what the **** do you think Derek Jeter, the Yankees spokesperson and captain, does?

What do I think he does? I think he puts the team ahead of himself. He speaks as truthfully as possible and handles the NY media better than any player I've ever seen with his resume. I think he, like a lot of people around MLB sees A-Rod for being the POS that he is but does his best not to disrupt team chemistry. He doesn't pay his agent big money to be a monumental A-hole and he hits better in the post season than A-Rod does. He's a pro athlete. Like 99.99% of pro athletes he'll play for the highest bidder. However, he will not go out of his way to embarass himself or the organization. He's a professional. That's what I think Derek Jeter does. Hate Jeter all you like but comparing his character to A-Rods is like comparing A-Rods home run totals to Jeter. Not even in the same class.

[DaBrick Wall]

What do I think he does? I think he puts the team ahead of himself. He speaks as truthfully as possible and handles the NY media better than any player I've ever seen with his resume. I think he, like a lot of people around MLB sees A-Rod for being the POS that he is but does his best not to disrupt team chemistry. He doesn't pay his agent big money to be a monumental A-hole and he hits better in the post season than A-Rod does. He's a pro athlete. Like 99.99% of pro athletes he'll play for the highest bidder. However, he will not go out of his way to embarass himself or the organization. He's a professional. That's what I think Derek Jeter does. Hate Jeter all you like but comparing his character to A-Rods is like comparing A-Rods home run totals to Jeter. Not even in the same class.

Yes, I'm a Yankees fan and I absolutely HATE Jeter.

All I'm saying is that Jeter spits the same politically correct BS that A-Rod, and almost every other player in MLB, does. They all say the politically correct thing because they don't want to cause any controversy. How is A-Rod saying the politically correct, bull**** thing to not cause any controversy any different from what Jeter does? If you can't see the bull**** spewing out of Jeter's mouth when he has a good game, reporters ask him about it, and he says something like, "It's a 25-man team, we're just here to win," then I don't know what to say to you. You must just have an irrational hatred of Alex Rodriguez.

[AFJF]

Yes, I'm a Yankees fan and I absolutely HATE Jeter.

All I'm saying is that Jeter spits the same politically correct BS that A-Rod, and almost every other player in MLB, does. They all say the politically correct thing because they don't want to cause any controversy. How is A-Rod saying the politically correct, bull**** thing to not cause any controversy any different from what Jeter does? If you can't see the bull**** spewing out of Jeter's mouth when he has a good game, reporters ask him about it, and he says something like, "It's a 25-man team, we're just here to win," then I don't know what to say to you. You must just have an irrational hatred of Alex Rodriguez.

Right...you like Derek Jeter but you compared his attitude to A-Rod? Are you kidding me?

If you can't see through A-Rods act then I feel sorry for you. The guy sits there and plays his answers in his head before he says them because he just wants to look good. Hey, remember that time Jeter couldn't get a clutch hit to save his life so he tried batting the ball out of the 1st basemans glove? That was awesome. Or, how about the time he was bangin' that stripper in Toronto behind his wifes back? Or what about the time they asked him about the baseballs attendacne slipping a few years back and his message to the fans was "if you don't want to come out and watch then dont" Oh, wait...he didn't do those things did he? A-fraud is an idiot and the only people who can't see that are people who are so in love with home runs that they think character doesnt matter. I don't happen to be one of those people.

I realize that while most teams in MLB are going to employ a few douchebags. That does not mean that I'm going to defend them just because they wear a particular uniform. Biggest friggin phoney in sports. You can keep hanging on his every word and believing everything he says but that doesn't mean I have to.

[DaBrick Wall]

Right...you like Derek Jeter but you compared his attitude to A-Rod? Are you kidding me?

If you can't see through A-Rods act then I feel sorry for you. The guy sits there and plays his answers in his head before he says them because he just wants to look good. Hey, remember that time Jeter couldn't get a clutch hit to save his life so he tried batting the ball out of the 1st basemans glove? That was awesome. Or, how about the time he was bangin' that stripper in Toronto behind his wifes back? Or what about the time they asked him about the baseballs attendacne slipping a few years back and his message to the fans was "if you don't want to come out and watch then dont" Oh, wait...he didn't do those things did he? A-fraud is an idiot and the only people who can't see that are people who are so in love with home runs that they think character doesnt matter. I don't happen to be one of those people.

I realize that while most teams in MLB are going to employ a few douchebags. That does not mean that I'm going to defend them just because they wear a particular uniform. Biggest friggin phoney in sports. You can keep hanging on his every word and believing everything he says but that doesn't mean I have to.

I'm a Yankee fan and Derek Jeter is my favorite player in all of professional sports. Nowhere in any of my posts did I compare his attitude to A-Rod's. All I'm saying is that A-Rod is far from the only player to spit bull**** out of his mouth to reporters in order to sound politically correct. A-Rod may be a douchebag, what with all the little league crap he tries to pull and cheating on his wife. But he's not the only one to try to sound politically correct to not stir up even more controversy than he already creates.

[AFJF]

I'm a Yankee fan and Derek Jeter is my favorite player in all of professional sports. Nowhere in any of my posts did I compare his attitude to A-Rod's. All I'm saying is that A-Rod is far from the only player to spit bull**** out of his mouth to reporters in order to sound politically correct. A-Rod may be a douchebag, what with all the little league crap he tries to pull and cheating on his wife. But he's not the only one to try to sound politically correct to not stir up even more controversy than he already creates.

This was a discussion about A-Rod being a phoney POS and your response was "what do you think Derek Jeter does". How is that not a comparison of one players attitude to another? It's exactly what you did and then you immediately say "nowhere in my posts did I compare".

[DaBrick Wall]

This was a discussion about A-Rod being a phoney POS and your response was "what do you think Derek Jeter does". How is that not a comparison of one players attitude to another? It's exactly what you did and then you immediately say "nowhere in my posts did I compare".

I didn't compare their attitudes. I compared the way they constantly talk to the media using a politically correct tone. That is fact.

[AFJF]

I didn't compare their attitudes. I compared the way they constantly talk to the media using a politically correct tone. That is fact.

I'm not concerned with "tone" as much as I am with telling a little bit of the truth.

Yeah, your boy A-Rod was soooo humbled by New York. I couldn't believe how humble he was when he FINALLY found a way to become relevant during a world series game by announcing his intentions during the WS.

Oh, and he was soooo humble when he wouldn't even take a phone call from Brian Cashman to just DISCUSS the framework of a new contract.

None of that though...none of it was as humble as when he said "I'll gladly play for $275 million dollars, but if I actually keep working hard and play up to my potential I'd like $320 million"

I can't believe that people see this guy as ever having spoken a word worth listening to. But yeah, keep comparing him to Derek Jeter.

[DaBrick Wall]

I'm not concerned with "tone" as much as I am with telling a little bit of the truth.

Yeah, your boy A-Rod was soooo humbled by New York. I couldn't believe how humble he was when he FINALLY found a way to become relevant during a world series game by announcing his intentions during the WS.

Oh, and he was soooo humble when he wouldn't even take a phone call from Brian Cashman to just DISCUSS the framework of a new contract.

None of that though...none of it was as humble as when he said "I'll gladly play for $275 million dollars, but if I actually keep working hard and play up to my potential I'd like $320 million"

I can't believe that people see this guy as ever having spoken a word worth listening to. But yeah, keep comparing him to Derek Jeter.

OK you're obviously not understanding the point I'm trying to make so I'm just going to end this argument.

[anskyruben]

Anyone comparing jeter to Arod is insane. Jeter is a future Hall of Famer with MULTIPLE championships, along with a history of clutch hits when it counts the most. He doesn't have a long list of bullcrap soap opera crap in the media. Afraud has a lot to learn from him.

[Arsis]

Anyone comparing jeter to Arod is insane. Jeter is a future Hall of Famer with MULTIPLE championships, along with a history of clutch hits when it counts the most. He doesn't have a long list of bullcrap soap opera crap in the media. Afraud has a lot to learn from him.

Arod is a future hall of famer and the holder of countless offensive records? Your point being? I think by the time a-rod is done he'll have a few rings. A-rod is a talented player and that is all that matters.

[Smizzy]

**** that waste of oxygen Johnny Damon. The Yankees are a joke.

[AFJF]

Anyone comparing jeter to Arod is insane. Jeter is a future Hall of Famer with MULTIPLE championships, along with a history of clutch hits when it counts the most. He doesn't have a long list of bullcrap soap opera crap in the media. Afraud has a lot to learn from him.

To be fair ansky....DaBrick wasn't comparing their ability to hit in the clutch. What he was saying was that Jeter hasn't earned the right to be trusted any more than A-Rod and that Jeter is just as full of $hit as Alex is. Neither statement would make sense so I suppose it's a moot point.

[AFJF]

Arod is a future hall of famer and the holder of countless offensive records? Your point being? I think by the time a-rod is done he'll have a few rings. A-rod is a talented player and that is all that matters.

I think his point was that Jeter has been an offensive catalyst for multiple championship winning teams. I think it's a bit silly to compare what one player actually has done to what you think another player might do eventually. Time will tell if you're right or not but up to now his point is 100%accurate. Jeter has gotten it done in the clutch almost as many times as A-Rod has failed to and that's saying A LOT.

[AFJF]

**** that waste of oxygen Johnny Damon. The Yankees are a joke.

I can understand not being a Johnny Damon fan..I really can. But to trash him in a thread where he's being celebrated for doing a good deed? C' mon.

[Smizzy]

I can understand not being a Johnny Damon fan..I really can. But to trash him in a thread where he's being celebrated for doing a good deed? C' mon.

I think his deed is worthy of being recognized...I fully support our troops.

On the baseball front...he is terrible.

[AFJF]

I think his deed is worthy of being recognized...I fully support our troops.

On the baseball front...he is terrible.

I hear you Smizz. I'm not one to question anothers patriotism and I wasn't questioning yours. I just figured a "johnny damon sucks" thread would have been more appropriate. I do concur though...Damon is pretty bad.