Johnny Damon

The son of military parents, Johnny Damon was born at Fort Riley and raised in Orlando, Florida.  As a high school senior, he was rated the top prospect in the country by Baseball America.  

Damon was drafted by Kansas City and quickly rose through the Royals’ minor league system.  Twice, he was the Royals’ minor league player of the year.  In 1995 with the Wichita Wranglers, Damon hit .343 and was named Texas League player of the year.

Damon made his major league debut with the Royals in August of 1995.  In 2000, he led the American League in runs (136) and stolen bases (46).  The following season he was traded to Oakland, where he played one season before signing with the Boston Red Sox.

Damon was twice an all-star with Boston and led the Red Sox to the 2004 World Series title, their first since 1918.  Damon authored a book about that season,
Idiot: Beating “The Curse” and Enjoying the Game of Life.

Following the 2005 season, Damon signed with the New York Yankees and played on another World Series champion in 2009.  Altogether, Damon played 18 Major League seasons, collecting 2,769 hits.

Damon has been active in several charities the Johnny Damon Foundation.

For more, read Johnny Damon’s Society for American Baseball Research bio.