All Johnny Damon needed to hear from Tigers manager Jim Leyland and/or general manager Dave Dombrowski was reassurance that the team still wanted him and would continue to play him.
If Leyland told him the Tigers, well out of the postseason race, were going to go with their youngsters, Damon would have agreed to join the Red Sox, who put in a waiver claim on their former outfielder Monday.
But that’s not what he heard.
Leyland told him, “Do what your heart tells you.’’
But that wasn’t all Leyland said.
“Is he going to play here the rest of the season? Yes, he’s going to play,’’ Leyland said. “Is he going to play every game? No. He hasn’t played every game up to this point.
“Am I going to sit Johnny Damon on the bench and forget about him? No, he’s going to play a lot. Am I going to look at a kid once in a while and give him a day? Yeah. It’s that simple.’’
That’s all Damon needed to hear. So he ended the suspense about whether he would accept a trade or assignment to Boston by announcing to the Tigers media shortly after meeting with Leyland yesterday that he was staying in Detroit.
Damon said he thought long and hard about a return to Boston. He was encouraged by a Boston.com poll in which more than 60 percent of almost 5,000 respondents were in favor of him returning. Damon seemed heartened by that, but he felt a bond with his Tiger teammates, has enjoyed mentoring young outfielder Austin Jackson, and loves playing for Leyland.
“I understand that, heading into September, certain guys are going to be playing, and so am I,’’ Damon said. “I understand the process. We’re trying to make a push up right now.
“They do plan on playing me. How much, it remains to be seen. Guys get super hot, and we have to use the super-hot guys. But even when I’m not hot, I bring something to the table. They pitch me differently than most guys. The presence in the lineup is key.’’
Damon could have been an impact hitter in Boston’s lineup. His track record in pennant races and the postseason is impeccable. In the absence of Kevin Youkilis — a hitter who sees a lot of pitches and wears down pitchers — Damon would have been a perfect replacement.
The Sox succeeded in blocking the Rays by making the waiver claim. They had first dibs because they have a worse record than Tampa Bay.
Damon’s approval was needed for the Sox obtain him, because his contract gives him veto power on trades to all but eight teams, and the Sox aren’t one of those teams.
Damon said David Ortiz and Jason Varitek tried to persuade him to return.
