Johnny Damon can run, but he won’t be able to hide in New England.
For the first six games of an unforgettable ALCS, Damon – one of the most popular and recognizable figures in Red Sox Nation – was just along for the ride.
Boston’s speedy leadoff hitter had done nothing as the Red Sox rallied from a three-games-to-none canyon, bringing a .106 average (3-for-29), three runs and one measly RBI into last night’s do-or-die Game 7.
“Yeah, we definitely won’t be happy if history’s not made,” he said after the 4-2 victory in Game 6. “One thing’s for certain: We are going back to Boston [today], and hopefully to a bunch of happy people.”
The alternative is unthinkable. The 30-year-old center fielder may be the heartthrob of single gals from Colchester, Vt., to Clinton, Conn. “What Would Johnny Damon Do?” T-shirts were a huge presence at Fenway Park. But Damon would be first in the lynching line were the Red Sox to lose – because their catalyst became an automatic out.
The Sox center fielder said he was inspired by Mark Bellhorn’s clutch three-run homer in Game 6. Bellhorn began the series 1-for-14 with eight Ks.
“I know where Mark’s coming from,” Damon said. “He knows to focus on every single at-bat.
“He struggled, but one at-bat could be the big deciding blow. That’s what happened. His home run decided the game.
“He’s been having good at-bats. Sometimes, especially in a short series, when you hit line drives and they don’t find holes. . . . ”
Damon was 1-for-5 Tuesday night, which represented a step forward for him. He had nearly become a goat in Game 5. He was thrown out trying to steal second in the ninth inning and popped up a sacrifice attempt in the 11th inning of the 14-inning, 5-4 victory.
“We stayed loose, stayed positive and that’s why we’re in the situation we’re in,” he said. “The two games we won in Boston, we didn’t play that well.
“We played decent [in Game 6].”
As if Damon didn’t have enough to worry about, the slumping hitter admitted that some of the pressure shifted back to the Red Sox for Game 7.
“Yeah, it was a tough game last year,” he said. “To get to the World Series, we’re going to rewrite history, make history.”
