Johnny Damon is Kenny Rogers incarnate

When Rogers signed with Detroit in 2006, I wasn't exactly thrilled. He had the reputation of a self-absorbed, over-the-hill asshole. From day one, he proved me wrong. Not only did he log ace innings, he was the only Tiger pitcher not to completely fall apart in September as the Twins rallied to steal the Division. He led a glorious run through the playoffs with a streak of 20+ scoreless innings, including 7 strong in a 2-0 win in Game 2 of the Series.

More importantly, Rogers quickly became the soul of that team right out of Spring Training. He took an interest in our young arms, acting as a mentor to Verlander, Bonderman and Robertson. He taught them how to pitch and not just how to throw. Every game, Rogers could be seen surrounded by several young guns as they pelted him with questions. Rogers became another pitching coach in the clubhouse (and we needed one because Chuck Hernandez was as worthless as tits on a bull). Rogers was a master at staying in games even when he didn't have good stuff and our pitchers had a reputation for cashing it in when they gave up runs early.



Damon is quickly becoming this year's version of Kenny. Damon is delivering at the plate, having reached base in 20 of his first 22 games and already has a 15-game hitting streak and walk-off home run. More important than his stats, Damon is a professional who knows how to make an impact on a game even when he doesn't have his best stuff. Damon knows when to take a pitch and when to be aggressive. He will swipe a base and lay down a bunt in the right situation. Like Rogers, he can be seen chatting up our young players and outright said that his mission is to get Cabrera an MVP.

With men on 2nd and 3rd and no outs tonight, Damon wasn't looking for a long ball. He fouled off 4-5 pitches he didn't like until he saw an inside pitch that he could pull to the right side. He got his lazy inside pitch and weakly grounded out to 2nd base which just happened to knock in a run. With the type of young talent we have, they can learn immensely from Damon's brain. Austin Jackson, Miggy Cabrera and Brennan Boesch should spend as much time next to Johnny on the bench as possible. With Jackson leading the league with 41 hits, it looks like he's been doing his share of listening already.