What Would Johnny Damon Do?

I guess we finally have an answer: Sign with the Yankees.

I don't want to mention what Johnny said in May, which is that he could never play for the Yankees even if they did offer him the most money in his free agent year.

I don't want to mention that he's a hobbled 32-year-old, unable to make a strong throw from center to the cut-off man.

I don't want to mention that his batting average fell 60 points after the all-star break as he nursed a bad shoulder.

So instead I will say that this signing will hurt for about 18 months, when Johnny will live up to his $13 million average annual take in New York. But after that, he'll just be another unmovable overpaid declining New York Yankee.

The more pressing concerns are thus:

• Who will play centerfield for the Sox next year?


• Who will lead off?


• Who's in charge of negotiating contracts right now? The Globe reports that the Sox ownership didn't even know that Johnny had signed with New York until they were told by reporters last night. Is this the beginning of the end for the GM by committee approach?


• And most important: Who will replace Michelle Mangan Damon as team mom?