Johnny Damon #18

Resides in Orlando with his wife, Michelle, and their daughters, Devon Rose (4) and Danica Rayne (2)...he also has twins, Madeline and Jackson (10)...Graduated from Dr. Phillips High School in Orlando...batted .306 (26-for-85) as a senior in 1992 with 5 HR, 23 RBI and 22 SB...In January, Johnny traveled to the Dominican Republic to attend a gala hosted by Pedro Martinez, who launched the Pedro Martinez Youth Academy and Ballpark. David Ortiz, Carlos Beltran, Omar Minaya and Julio Lugo were also in attendance as well as President Leonel Fernandez...The Johnny Damon Foundation, founded in 2006, assists local and national programs that provide leadership and growth opportunities for disadvantaged, at-risk children. The Foundation hosts two annual events to raise funds and awareness, both in Orlando: the Celebrity Golf Classic and Johnny JaM (named after Johnny and Michelle, his wife)...He serves as a national spokesman for the Wounded Warrior Project, which provides programs and services designated to ease the burdens of severely injured service men and women and their families by aiding in the recovery process and smoothing the transition back to civilian life...Johnny was born on an Army base in Fort Riley, Kansas. His mother, Yome, is from Thailand, and met his father, Jimmy, while he was stationed in Thailand as a staff sergeant in the U.S. Army. He lived on Army bases in Okinawa, Japan and West Germany before the family settled in Orlando when he was in preschool.

2011

Seventeen-year veteran was the senior member of the Rays in his first season with the club, batting .261 (152-for-582) with 16 HR, 73 RBI, 79 runs scored and 19 SB...appeared in 150 games (144 starts, 133-DH, 11-LF), his 16th consecutive season of at least 140 games played...this tied the Major League record shared by Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose...Was honored by the Tampa Bay Chapter of the BBWAA with the Paul C. Smith Champion Award, given to the player who best exemplifies the spirit of true professionalism on and off the field...His 152 hits moved him from 83rd on the alltime hit list entering the season to 57th...along the way he passed several Hall of Famers including Ted Williams, Jimmie Foxx, Reggie Jackson, Ernie Banks and Lou Gehrig...advanced from 63rd on the all-time doubles list to 43rd with 516...passed Al Kaline, Roberto Alomar, Babe Ruth, Rickey Henderson and others...Reached several other milestones including 500 doubles (June 18 vs. FLA) and 400 stolen bases (Sep 13 at BAL)...is the 11th player alltime with 2,500 hits, 500 doubles, 100 triples and 200 home runs joining 10 Hall of Famers: George Brett, Lou Gehrig, Goose Goslin, Rogers Hornsby, Willie Mays, Paul Molitor, Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Al Simmons and Robin Yount...Became the 9th player all-time with 200 home runs and 400 stolen bases, joining Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonds, Rickey Henderson, Craig Biggio, Joe Morgan, Marquis Grissom, Roberto Alomar and Paul Molitor...he also joined Molitor as the only two players in Major League history with 200 home runs, 400 steals and 100 triples...Among active players ranks 2nd with 107 career triples, behind Carl Crawford (112)...ranks 5th with 516 doubles...ranks 5th with 2,723 hits...ranks 4th with 404 stolen bases...ranks tied for 4th with 2,426 games played...ranks 3rd with 1,643 runs scored...Had 7 triples, tied for 8th in the AL and his highest total since 2002 with Boston (11)...Recorded his 14th consecutive season of 25 or more doubles, tied with LAA Bobby Abreu for the longest active streak in baseball...His 16 HR were twice as many as his 2010 total with Detroit...his 19 SB were his most since 2008 with New York...Delivered 3 walk-off hits, 2 of them walk-off home runs...became the first player in ML history to hit a walk-off home run with 5 different teams (Royals, Red Sox, Yankees, Tigers, Rays)...on April 14 vs. MIN, hit a 2-run homer off Matt Capps in the 10th inning to win the game, 4-3...on April 16 vs. MIN, his 9th-inning RBI single off Jose Mijares scored B.J. Upton as the winning run in the 4-3 victory...on Aug 21 vs. SEA, hit a solo homer off Dan Cortes to win the game 8-7 in the 9th...according to SABR's David Vincent, his 7 career walk-off homers are tied for 8th among active players...Thirteen of his 73 RBI were game-winning RBI...had 5 straight games with a gamewinning RBI from April 11-16, the first Ray to ever do so and the longest streak by any player since ANA Troy Glaus (6) in 2002...his 6 game-winning RBI and 8 go-ahead RBI were both club records for the month of April...was named AL co-Player of the Week along with LAA Dan Haren for the week ending April 17, after batting .375 (9-for-24) with 2 HR and 11 RBI...Reached base safely in a career-high 39 straight games from May 3-June 14 (prev. high 31 in 2000 with KC)...broke the club record set by Ben Grieve (37) in 2001...it was the longest streak in the AL this season and 3rd longest in the majors to STL Albert Pujols and CHC Starlin Castro (40 each)...Had a 16-game hitting streak from April 8-28, the longest for a Rays hitter this season...it was the longest in club history in the month of April and tied for the 4th-longest overall in club history...it was Damon's longest streak since a career-long 29, June 10-July 17, 2005 with Boston...Recorded an RBI in a career-high 6 consecutive games from April 11-17...Made his first start in the cleanup spot on June 2 at SEA since May 8, 1999 at MIN as a member of the Royals...batted cleanup again on Sep 23 vs. TOR...Stole 19 bases, his 16th straight season of double-digit stolen bases...in Major League history only 9 players have more 10-SB seasons (consecutive or otherwise), and 8 are Hall of Famers: Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor, Ty Cobb, Joe Morgan, Lou Brock, Max Carey, Eddie Collins, Bert Campaneris and Harry Hooper...On Sep 16 at BOS he stole 3 bases...at 37 years, 315 days, he became the oldest player with 3 SB in a game since TEX Kenny Lofton had 4 SB on June 29, 2007 at BOS (40 years, 29 days)...On Aug 29 at TOR, had his first multi-homer game since Sep 9, 2008 at LAA as member of the Yankees...was his 13th career multi-homer effort and his 2nd against a left-handed pitcher (also May 6, 2000 vs. CWS with Royals)...Grounded into only 4 double plays...averaged 146 AB per GIDP, the best ratio in the AL...has only 93 GIDP in his career, fewest in the Majors since 1950 among players with at least 9,000 AB...Hit one leadoff home run, June 12 at BAL off Brian Matusz...has 27 leadoff home runs in his career...Had 5 HR in 16 games from Aug 12-31 after going homerless for 38 straight games before that (June 22-Aug 11)...had 5 HR in August after only hitting 5 over the previous 3 months (May-July).

2010

Played in 145 games for the Tigers after signing a one-year contract on Feb 23...started 132 games (97-DH, 31-LF, 4-CF)...Reached several career milestones including 1,000 RBI (April 14 vs. KC), 1,500 runs scored (April 30 vs. LAA), 2,500 hits (July 6 vs. BAL off Jake Arrieta) and 100 triples (Sep 15 at TEX off Matt Harrison)...His 8 home runs, 51 RBI and 81 runs scored each marked his lowest totals since 1997 with the Royals...Collected 36 doubles for the second consecutive season...it was his 11th season of at least 30 doubles, one of five active players to do so - also Manny Ramirez (12 seasons), Bobby Abreu (11), Todd Helton (11) and Carlos Delgado (11)...Compiled a 15-game hitting streak April 13-28, batting .400 (22-for-55) with 7 doubles and 6 RBI...Belted a walk-off home run in the 9th inning on May 1 vs. LAA, his first home run of the season...Hit .291 (81-for-278) with 7 of his 8 HR at Comerica Park...hit .249 (65-for-261) on the road...Was 11-for-12 (91.7 percent) in stolen base attempts...is 23-for-24 (95.8 percent) over the last two seasons...In 2009 played his fourth and final season with the Yankees...tied his career high with 24 home runs (also 2006)...scored 107 runs, tied for 4th most in the AL...Recorded an extra-base hit for 10 consecutive games from May 4-14, tying a Yankees single-season record...tied Don Mattingly (July 7-19, 1987) and Paul O'Neill (July 22-Aug 1, 2001)...was named AL Player of the Week for May 4-10 after hitting .419 (13-for-31) with 5 HR, 15 RBI and 4 doubles...Connected for his 200th career home run on July 27 at TB, a 3-run shot off Brian Shouse...Was 12-for-12 in stolen base attempts.

2009

Hit .282 (155-for-550) with 36 doubles, 24HR and 82RBI in 143 games (127 starts in LF, four starts at DH) with the Yankees in 2009...With 24HR in 2009, tied his single-season career high established with the Yankees in 2006...tied Derek Jeter for the team lead with 107 runs scored...Now has 10 seasons of at least 100R, joining teammates Derek Jeter (12) and Alex Rodriguez (13) as the only active Major Leaguers to accomplish the feat-credit: Elias...Has played in at least 140 games in 14 consecutive seasons (1996-2009)...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the fifth player in Major League history with 14-or-more consecutive seasons of 140-or-more games played (Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose-16 and Willie Mays-15)...Is tied with Philadelphia's Jimmy Rollins for most career triples among active players (95)...over the last 10 seasons (2000-09), ranks second in the Majors in runs (1,115), sixth in hits (1,745) and seventh in games played (1,487)...over the same 10-year span, ranks fourth in the American League with 264SB...Is one of 15 players all time to collect 200HR, 300SB and 2,000H...Bobby Abreu and teammate Derek Jeter are the only other active players to reach the totals...Ranks second all time with 155 Interleague runs scored and is third with 252 Interleague hits...Was 2-for-3 with 1R, 1 triple, 1RBI, 1BB and 1SF in 4/6 Opening Day loss at Baltimore...made his 14th career Opening Day roster and 13th OD start, fifth in LF (also 1999-2001, '08)...Recorded the first hit in Yankee Stadium history and was 1-for-5 in 4/16 loss vs. Cleveland...hit solo-HR (#1) and was 2-for-3 with 2R, 2BB and 1SB-the first SB in Yankee Stadium history-in 4/17 win vs. Cleveland...Batted third in the starting lineup in 4/19 win vs. Cleveland for the first time since 8/28/04 w/ Boston vs. Detroit, going 0-for-3 with 1HBP and 1SB...Played in his 2,000th career game and hit solo-HR (#2) in 4/21win vs. Oakland, going 2-for-5 with 2RBI...Recorded his 500th hit as a Yankee with a sixth-inning two-run home run in 4/25 loss at Boston...Homered six times in a 10-game span for the first time in his career from 4/30-5/10...Hit game-winning three-run HR (#9)-his second three-run homer in as many games-and was 1-for-5 on 5/10 at Baltimore...Was named the American League "Player of the Week" for the second time in his career on 5/10 (also 8/21/06), batting .419 (13-for-31) with 7R and 4 doubles in seven games, while leading the Majors in homers (5), RBI (15) and total bases (32)...led the AL with 13H over the stretch...Hit in a season-high 10 consecutive games from 5/4-14, going 18-for-45 (.400) with 11R, 7 doubles, 1 triple, 5HR, 16RBI and six multi-hit games over the stretch...had at least one extra-base hit in each game during the streak, tying the single-season franchise record, shared now with Paul O'Neill in 2001 (7/22-8/1) and Don Mattingly in 1987 (7/7-19)-credit: Elias Sports Bureau...the only other active players ever to post extra-base hits in 10 straight games in a season were Chipper Jones in 2006 (14), Bobby Abreu in 2005 (11), Ken Griffey, Jr. in 1993 (10) and Cliff Floyd in 2001 (10)...also scored 1R in each of those 10 games, his longest such stretch since scoring in 12 straight games from 8/17-30/06...Streak was snapped in 5/15 win vs. Minnesota, going 0-for-2 before being ejected in the third inning (arguing balls and strikes)...was his third career ejection, second as a Yankee and first since 9/18/06...Hit "walk-off" HR (#10) in the 10th inning and was 3-for-4 with 1SH in 5/17 win vs. Minnesota...was his first "walk-off" home run as a Yankee, third career "walk-off" HR and first since 8/26/02 w/ Boston vs. Anaheim...was his seventh career "walk-off" hit and second as a Yankee (also 6/7/08 vs. Kansas City)...according to Elias, was the fastest he reached 10HR (in 35G and 142AB) in his career, surpassing his previous bests of 64G and 261AB in 2006...Hit leadoff HR (#11) in the first and was 1-for-3 with 2R and 1BB in 6/4 win vs. Texas...was his 26th career leadoff home run and first since 8/26/08 vs. Boston (off Tim Wakefield)...Played in his 500th regular season game as a Yankee in 6/24 win at Atlanta, after playing 597 for the Red Sox...according to Elias, became only the second Major Leaguer to play at least 500 regular-season games for both teams (also Wade Boggs, 1,625 games with Boston, 602 with the Yankees)...Hitthree-run HR (#17)-the 200th of his career-and was 1-for-5 with 2R and 1BB in 7/27 win at Tampa Bay...became the 292nd player in Major League history to reach the 200HR plateau...Homered in three straight games from 8/4-6 for the first time since 8/17/06 vs. Baltimore and both games of a doubleheader on 8/18/06 at Boston...batted .571 (8-for-14) with 6R and 5RBI over the three-game span...Had 12 extra-base hits in a 15-game span from 8/4-8/19 (7 doubles, 5HR), batting .333 (21-for-63) with 13R and 9RBI during the stretch...nine of his 11 hits from 8/8-18 went for extra-bases (7 doubles, 2HR)...Recorded his 600th hit as a Yankees with a seventh-inning double in 8/13 win at Seattle...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, became only the third player in Major League history-and the first in more than 60 years-to collect at least 600 hits for each of three Major League teams (also had 894 hits for the Royals and 730 for the Red Sox)...the only other players to accomplish the feat were Willie Keeler (Baltimore Orioles of the NL, Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Yankees) and Doc Cramer (Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox and Detroit Tigers)...Hit game-tying solo-HR (#21) in the eighth-the first of back-to-back HR with Teixeira-and was 1-for-4 in 8/9 win vs. Boston...marked the sixth time this season he and Teixeira hit back-to-back homers, setting a franchise record for consecutive homers by Yankees teammates and breaking a tie with Gary Sheffield/Alex Rodriguez (5, 2005), Lou Gehrig/Joe DiMaggio (5, 1936) and Gehrig/Babe Ruth (5, 1927)-credit: Elias...Missed 8/22 game at Boston with a bruised right knee...suffered injury the previous night after fouling a pitch off knee in his only AB and leaving game after the top of the first...Scored his 100th run of the season in the sixth inning of 9/8 win vs. Tampa Bay, marking the 10th time in his career he has reached the plateau...Had 2RBI in the eighth inning of 9/26 win vs. Boston, matching his total from his previous 17 games (9/3-25, 2RBI)...Was homerless in his final 94AB of the season (8/30-10/4), his longest drought since a streak of 156 consecutive at-bats without a home run from 5/27-7/28/08-credit: Elias...Hit .262 (17-for-65) with 1HR and 8RBI in 25 spring training games.

2008

Hit a team-high .303 (168-for-555) with 95R, 27 doubles, 17HR, 71RBI, 64BB and 29SB in 143 games with the Yankees (75 starts in LF, 33 starts in CF and 25 starts at DH)...Over the last 10 seasons (1999-2008), ranks third in the Majors in runs (1,109), fifth in hits (1,769) and ninth in games played (1,489)... over the same span, ranks third in the American League and eighth in the Majors with 288 stolen bases...Has played in at least 140 games in 13 consecutive seasons (1996-2008)... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the seventh player in Major League history with 13-or-more consecutive seasons of 140-or-more games played (Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson and Pete Rose-16; Willie Mays-15; Lou Gehrig and Billy Williams-13)...Hit .344 (105-for-305) with 70R, 12 doubles, 3 triples, 13HR, 52RBI and 30BB in 75 Yankees wins in 2008... played in 68 team losses, batting .252 (63-for- 250) with 25R, 15 doubles, 2 triples, 4HR, 19RBI and 34BB... the Yankees were 31-15 when he recorded a multi-hit game... hit .305 (165-for-341) as a leadoff batter, ranking fourth in the American League...Was 1-for-4 with 1 triple in 4/1 Opening Day win vs. Toronto... made his 13th career Opening Day roster and 12th Opening Day start, fourth in LF (also 1999-2001)... reached base safely in 19 consecutive games with an official plate appearance from 4/13-5/4... during the streak, batted .352 (25-for-71) with 21R, 10 doubles, 4HR, 13RBI and 14BB...Had at least 2H, 2R and 2RBI in three consecutive games from 4/20-23, the longest such streak for any Yankee since Dave Winfield had three in-a-row from 9/17-18/83 (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)... during the three-game streak, went 7-for-14 with 7R, 2 doubles, 2HR and 7RBI, scoring a run seven of the last eight times he reached base...Recorded his 400th career double and was 3-for-5 with 3R, 2 doubles and 1HR in 5/3 win vs. Seattle... was his first game with three-or-more extra-base hits since going 3-for-6 with three doubles on 8/19/06 (G2) at Boston...Hit safely in 14 straight games from 5/20-6/5, his longest hitting streak since a 15- game run in 2005 with Boston... during the stretch, led the AL with a .483 (29-for-60) batting average while recording 9R, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 1HR and 10RBI... recorded nine multi-hit contests over a 12-game span from 5/27-6/8, batting .549 (28-for-51) with 10R, 5 doubles, 2 triples, 1HR, 11RBI, 5BB and 4SB, leading the Majors in hits and batting average...Went 6-for-6 with 1R, 1 double and 4RBI and provided a "walk-off" single in the ninth in 6/7 win vs. Kansas City... tied the AL record in a nine-inning game and established a career high with six hits, becoming the first AL player with six hits in a nine-inning game since the Angels' Chone Figgins on 6/18/07 vs. Houston (6-for-6 also with a walk-off hit)... tied the Yankees' franchise mark for most hits in a nine-inning game (also Myril Hoag on 6/6/34 at Boston)... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, became the first Yankee ever to record six hits in a game of any length at the original Yankee Stadium and joined Cleveland's Omar Vizquel (6-for-7 on 8/31/04 in a 22-0 Indians victory) as the only two players to record six hits in a game of any length at Yankee Stadium... was the most hits by a Yankee in any game since Gerald Williams went 6-for-8 on 5/1/96 at Baltimore in a 15-inning game... was his first "walk-off" RBI as a Yankee and sixth career "walk-off" RBI (last on 6/17/05 w/ Boston vs. Pittsburgh-single)...Owns seven career games with at least five hits, tying Rod Carew, Paul Molitor and Ichiro Suzuki for most such games during the expansion era (since 1961), according to the Elias Sports Bureau...Finished with a .363 (37-for-102) June batting average, his highest in a calendar month since hitting .365 (35-for-96) with Boston in April 2005...Was injured in the third inning of 7/4 loss vs. Boston after crashing into the left-field fence while attempting to catch a Kevin Youkilis fly ball... was examined by Yankees Team Physician Dr. Stuart Hershon and X-rays taken at Yankee Stadium were negative... later underwent an MRI at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, which revealed a contusion and sprain of the AC joint of the left shoulder...Was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left-shoulder AC sprain from 7/6-20, marking his first career D.L. appearance (missed 10 team games)... when placed on the D.L., had the second-most service time (behind Brad Ausmus) among all active Major Leaguers who had never previously been on the D.L. (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was also just one of four current players with at least 10 years of service that had never been placed on the disabled list: Brad Ausmus, Derek Lowe and Livan Hernandez...Led the Majors in batting average from 5/20 (Day Alex Rodriguez returned from the D.L.) through 7/4 (day of his left shoulder injury), hitting .389 (61-for-157) with 22R, 10 doubles, 2 triples, 1HR, 20RBI, 15BB and 8SB...In 61 games after returning from the disabled list on 7/20, hit .281 (68-for-242) with 45R, 4 doubles, 2 triples, 11HR and 34RBI...Hit three-run HR and was 2-for-5 in 7/28 loss vs. Baltimore, snapping a 156AB homerless streak (longest since a career-high 189AB from 9/1/97-4/30/98)...Recorded multi-hit games in six straight games from 8/6-12, accomplishing the feat for the first time since collecting seven straight multi-hit games from 7/3-10/04 (w/ Boston)...With his stolen base on 8/6 at Texas, became just the second active player to have at least 2,000 hits and 350 stolen bases, joining Omar Vizquel...Hit 6HR in the month of September, his highest career total for the month... was his highest total in any calendar month since hitting 9HR in August 2006...Was caught stealing in the third inning of 9/10 loss at Los Angeles (AL), snapping his streak of 15 consecutive steals... according to the Elias Sports Bureau, it was the second-longest active streak among AL players at the time behind only Tampa Bay's Cliff Floyd (19 straight stolen bases)...Did not play in 9/18 win vs. Chicago (AL), missing the game to be with his wife for the birth of their daughter Danica Rayne (6 lbs. 8 oz.)...Hit three-run HR (#16) in the third inning in 9/21 win vs. Baltimore and was 1-for-4 with 1BB... his homer was the second-to-last HR in Yankee Stadium history (Jose Molina later homered in the fourth)... the bat he used to hit the home run was given to the National Baseball Hall of Fame (the bat was borrowed from teammate Xavier Nady)...Batted second in the lineup in 9/23 win at Toronto, going 0-for-4... hit No. 2 for the first time since 9/24/02 at Chicago-AL (w/ Boston).

2007

Hit .270 (144-for-533) with 93R, 27 doubles, 12HR, 62RBI and 27SB (in 30 attempts) in 141 games with the Yankees in 2007 (48 starts at designated hitter, 45 starts in center field and 31 starts in left field)...Made 31 starts in LF in 2007, batting .348 (46-for-132) with 29R, 9 doubles, 4HR and 24RBI...the Yankees were 23-8 in those starts...hit .262 (48-for-183) as a centerfielder with 9 doubles, 4HR and 22RBI...as a DH, hit .229 (46-for-201) with 8 doubles, 4HR and 15RBI. 4 Was the fifth-hardest player to double-up in the American League, grounding into just four double plays in 533 AB (once every 133 AB). 4 Over the last 10 years in the Major Leagues (1998-2007), Damon has scored the third-most runs (1,118), collected the fifth-most hits (1,779) and stolen the fifth-most bases (285)...Has played in at least 140 games in each of his last 12 Major League seasons (since 1996), the longest current streak of its kind in the Major Leagues...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, only six players in Major League history have had longer streaks: Pete Rose (16, 1965-80), Brooks Robinson (16, 1960-75), Hank Aaron (16, 1955-70), Willie Mays (15, 1954-68), Lou Gehrig (13, 1926-38) and Billy Williams (13, 1961-73)...Had his streak of nine consecutive seasons (1998-2006) with at least 100 runs and at least 30 doubles snapped...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, was one of three players all-time to accomplish the feat (also Lou Gehrig, 1926-34 and Stan Musial, 1946-54). 4 Made his 11th career Opening Day start in 4/2 win vs. Tampa Bay...was 1-for-2 with 1R, 1BB and 1SB before being removed in the sixth inning with cramps in both calves...Missed the second and third games of the season (4/5-6) with a mild strain of his right calf...Did not start in 4/21 loss at Boston because of mild back stiffness...pinch-hit in the ninth inning and went 0-for-1...Became the 20th active player to reach the 2,000-hit milestone with his second inning single in 5/30 win at Toronto...also hit a leadoff HR (#3) in the first inning-the 22nd of his career and sixth as a Yankee...was the only leadoff homer by the Yankees this season...Entered 6/19 loss at Colorado in the seventh inning at 1B...was his second career appearance at 1B (also 7/18/06 vs. Seattle).4 Went 39 consecutive plate appearances without a strikeout from 7/6-16, his longest such streak since going 50 plate appearances without a strikeout in May 2005 (credit: Elias Sports Bureau)...Was 1-for-4 with 1BB in 7/20 loss vs. Tampa Bay, snapping a career high 0-for-20 stretch with an eighth-inning single...Recorded a season-high 4RBI in 7/21 (Game 2) win vs. Tampa Bay, going 2-for-5 with 2 doubles, 1BB and 1SB...Grounded into two double plays for the first time in his Major League career in 7/28 loss at Baltimore, going 0-for-4 with 1BB and 1SB...his third-inning GIDP was his first since 9/16/06 (102G/370AB)...Scored a season-high four runs in 7/29 win at Baltimore, going 3-for-5 with 1 double, 2RBI and 1BB...Hit .358 (43-for-120) with 26R, 10 doubles, 1 triple, 4HR and 23RBI from 7/20-8/29...the stretch was sandwiched between 0-for-20 and 0-for-17 stretches. 4 Went 4-for-6 with 1R, 2 doubles and 1RBI in 9/14 win at Boston...was his first four-hit game since 6/17/06 at Washington...Was 1-for-4 with 1R, 1RBI and 1BB in 9/17 win vs. Baltimore, making his first start in CF since 8/17 vs. Detroit...Tied a career-high with five hits on 9/25 at Tampa Bay, going 5-for-5 with 2R and 2SB...has collected five hits in a game six times in his career, tying Ichiro Suzuki for the most among active players...according to the Elias Sports Bureau, the only American League players with more five-hit games than Damon during the expansion era are Rod Carew and Paul Molitor (each with seven)...Hit solo-HR (#12) and was 2-for-5 with 2R and 1 double in 9/28 loss at Baltimore...his sixth-inning home run was his 21st career HR against the Orioles, his most against any team...was the only home run to reach Eutaw Street this season (beyond the RF wall at Camden Yards)...was the Yankees' 200th home run in 2007...Hit a team-high .565 (13-for-23) with 7R, 3 doubles, 1HR and 3RBI over the final six-game road trip of the season (9/25-30)...in his final 14 games of the season, hit .356 (21-for-59) with 11R, 6 doubles, 1HR and 6RBI.

2006

Brought his dynamic abilities to the Yankees' lead-off position in his first season in pinstripes, batting .285 (169-for-593) with 115R, 35 doubles, a career-high 24 HR, 80 RBI and 25 SB in 149 games with the Yankees in 2006 (129 starts in center field and 15 starts at designated hitter)...Was tied for third in the American League with 115 runs scored and was tied for ninth with 25 stolen bases...has scored at least 100 runs and posted at least 30 doubles in nine consecutive seasons (1998-2006)...he joins Lou Gehrig (1926-'34) and Stan Musial (1946-'54) as the only players in Major-League history to top 100 runs and 30 doubles in nine straight seasons (courtesy of Elias Sports Bureau)...Became the fourth player in franchise history to hit at least 20 home runs and steal 20 bases in his first season with the Yankees, joining Alex Rodriguez (36HR/28SB in 2004), Rickey Henderson (24HR/80SB in 1985) and Bobby Bonds (32HR/30SB in 1975)...Tied a single-game career high with 3SB on 4/26 vs. Tampa Bay (also compiled 3SB on 4/26/00-with K.C.-vs. Tampa Bay)...was caught stealing in the third inning of 4/28 loss vs. Toronto, snapping his streak of 19 straight stolen bases...scored a career-high five runs and hit two home runs in 4/29 win vs. Toronto, going 3-for-5 with 3RBI, 1BB and 1SB...was his ninth career multi-home run game in the regular season and first since 7/17/04 at Anaheim...Hit game-winning 10th-inning solo-HR (#7) and was 3-for-5 with 2R, 1BB and 1SB on 6/3 at Baltimore...hit grand slam (#10) and was 4-for-6 with 2R, 2 doubles and a season-high 5RBI in 6/17 loss at Washington...was his second grand slam of the season (also 5/4 at Tampa Bay) and the sixth of his career in the regular season (also hit a grand slam on 10/20/04 in Game Seven of the ALCS vs. the Yankees at Yankee Stadium)...Missed two games (7/6-7) with soreness in right oblique muscle...made the first appearance of his career at first base in the 10th inning of 7/18 win vs. Seattle...recorded the 300th stolen base of his career with a sixth-inning steal of second in 7/22 win at Toronto...hit two solo home runs in 7/30 win vs. Tampa Bay, his second multi-HR game of the season (also 4/29 vs. Toronto) and the 10th of his career in the regular season...Hit solo-HR (#18) to lead off the first inning and was 3-for-4 with 1 double in 8/17 loss vs. Baltimore...was his fifth leadoff HR of the season and 21st of his career...hit two-run HR (#20)-his third in as many games and fifth in his last eight-and was 3-for-6 with 1R and 3RBI in 8/18 Game Two win at Boston...was 3-for-6 with 1R, 3 doubles and 1RBI in 8/19 win at Boston, his fourth-straight three-hit game...Became the first player in the Majors to have four straight games of three or more hits since Edgar Renteria accomplished the feat from 5/26-29/05...the last Yankee to match Damon's streak was Steve Kemp from 5/30-6/3/84...was named American League "Player of the Week" for the week ending 8/20...hit .390 (16-for-41) with 4 doubles, 2 triples, 4HR, 12RBI, 36 total bases and a .878 slugging percentage...had season-high 12-game hitting streak from 8/17-30, scoring at least one run each of the 12 games...hit .414 (24-for-58) with 15R, seven doubles, 5HR and 15RBI over the 12-game span...Hit 9HR in the month of August, the highest monthly total of his career (hit 7HR in July of 2004)...also led the league with 27 runs scored and ranked third with 39 hits...was ejected from 9/18 win at Toronto in the top of the fifth inning by HP Umpire Bill Miller (arguing from dugout)...missed three games (9/20-22, 23) with a bruise and abrasion of left hand...hit .235 (4-for-17) with 1HR and 3RBI in four Division Series games vs. Detroit.

2005

Enjoyed one of the finest seasons by any Major League leadoff hitter, earning his first career All-Star start...batted .316 (197-for-624) with 117 runs, 35 doubles, 6 triples, 10 HR, 75 RBI, and 18 SB in 19 attempts...his .316 average led the Red Sox and ranked fourth in the American League...also finished among league leaders in runs (4th), hits (5th) and 54 multi-hit games (7th)...his 20 games with three or more hits tied for the league lead with Cleveland's Grady Sizemore... With one strikeout every 10.0 plate appearances, was the sixth-hardest player to fan in the league...was the second-toughest A.L. player to double up, as he hit into just five double plays (one every 124.8 AB)...from 6/10-7/17, hit safely in 29 consecutive games, the fourth-longest hitting streak in Red Sox history and the longest in the Majors since Albert Pujols hit in 30 straight in 2003...the streak was the longest in the A.L. in 2005 and the second-longest in the Majors behind only Jimmy Rollins' season-ending 36-game tear...Batted .348 (46-for-132) with 11 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 13 RBI and 26 runs scored during the streak...was voted to start the All-Star Game for the first time, making his second career All-Star appearance (also 2002)...batted leadoff in the A.L. victory on 7/12 in Detroit, going 1-for-2 with 1R...Hit .327 (68-for-208) vs. lefties, the sixth-best mark against lefties by any left-handed hitter in the Major Leagues and the fourth-best by a lefty in the A.L...hit .339 (63-for-186) vs. lefties after 4/24...also posted a .377 on-base percentage and a .438 slugging percentage vs. lefthanders in 2005...hit .310 vs. right-handers...hit .305 with men on base, .331 with runners in scoring position, and .347 with runners in scoring position and two outs...batted .348 (8-for-23) with 3 doubles and 21 RBI with the bases loaded...Including four steals in the season's final four games, finished 18-for-19 in stolen base tries, a 95% success rate...only Pittsburgh's Jason Bay (21-for-22) had more stolen bases while only getting caught once...was charged with six errors (his highest total since committing six in 1996) after making a total of seven errors in his first three seasons with the Boston...batted .331 (92-for-278) with six of his 10 HR and 33 of his 75 RBI against A.L. East foes...hit .339 with 82R, 8 HR, 50 RBI, a .380 OBP and a .490 slugging percentage in 98 games through the end of July...in 50 games the rest of the way, hit .267 with 35R, 2 HR, 25 RBI, a .339 OBP and a .337 slugging percentage...After going 0-for-4 on Opening Night (4/3) at New York, posted four straight two-hit games, going 8-for-20 (.400)...went 4-for-5 with 2R, 1 double, 2 RBI, 1BB and 1SB on 4/24 at Tampa Bay, capping a three-game series in which he went 8-for-14 with 5 RBI...the next day, again reached base five times, going 3-for-3 with 2BB on 4/25 vs. Baltimore...the multi-hit effort was his fourth consecutive, going 11-for-17 (.647) in the four-game run to lift his average from .301 to .358...Hit three-run double off Scot Shields with two outs in the bottom of the eighth to snap a 4-4 tie and give the Red Sox a 7-4 win on 6/4 vs. Anaheim...drove in four of the club's seven runs in the game...had a hit or a run scored in 58 consecutive games from 6/10-8/20...finished a single shy of the cycle on 6/12 at Chicago (NL), hitting a double in the third, a solo homer in the fifth and a two-run triple in the sixth...walked in the eighth and flew out in the ninth...Ripped RBI-single off Mike Gonzalez with the bases loaded and one out in the bottom of the ninth to give Boston a "walk-off" win on 6/17 vs. Pittsburgh...made a leaping, game-saving catch to end the bottom of the ninth, then led off the top of the 10th with a solo homer off Danys Baez to help lift Boston to a 10-9 win on 7/26 at Tampa Bay...hit his 16th career first-inning leadoff home run on 8/29 vs. Tampa Bay off Seth McClung...scored his 100th run on 8/30 at Tampa Bay in the club's 130th game...hit .231 (3-for-13) in three games versus the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series.

2004

In another standout season, hit .304 (189-for-621) with 123R, 35 doubles while establishing career highs with 20HR and 94 RBI in 150 games...has played in at least 150 games five times in his career, including four in his last five seasons...his 76 walks also represented a career best...led Boston with 19SB, but saw his run of six straight 20-stolen base seasons come to an end...Won the Jackie Jensen Spirit Award presented annually by the Boston chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America...ranked among A.L. leaders in runs (2nd, one behind Vladimir Guerrero), hits (6th), multi-hit games (57, tied for 7th), at-bats (9th) and walks (tied for 10th)...his .355 (55-for-155) average with runners in scoring position was third-best in the league...hit .330 at Fenway Park, the ninth-best home average in the league...his .317 average at night was 10th in the A.L...hit .319 off right-handers, 9th in the league...struck out once every 9.9 at-bats, tied for the league's 6th-best ratio...His 91 RBI out of the leadoff spot were the second-most in Red Sox history behind Nomar Garciaparra, who knocked in 98 from the top spot in the lineup in 1997...only two other players have driven in more runs in a season out of the No. 1 spot in the lineup in baseball history: Anaheim's Darin Erstad, 100RBI in 2000; and the Yankees' Alfonso Soriano, 99RBI in 2002...Topped 100 runs and 30 doubles for the 7th year in a row...batted .436 (34-for-78) with runners in scoring position and less than 2 outs...was 7-for-15 (.467) with 2 doubles, a triple and 16 RBI with the bases loaded...hit three first-inning leadoff home runs, bringing his career total to 15...went deep on 6/29 at New York off Javier Vazquez, 7/17 vs. Toronto off Ted Lilly and 9/7 at Oakland off Mark Redman...tied a career-high with five hits, going 5-for-5 with 2R, 1 double and 2 RBI on 4/7 at Baltimore...singled in his first at-bat the next night, giving him six hits in 6AB before grounding out in the third inning...hit a solo homer on 5/7 vs. Kansas City, his first long ball at Fenway Park since 7/27/03 vs. New York (AL)...His third walk on 5/28 vs. Seattle was the 500th of his Major League career...went 3-for-5 with 3 doubles on 6/6 at Kansas City, his most two-base hits since hitting a career-best four doubles on 7/18/00 vs. the Cubs (with Kansas City)...had a run scored or RBI in 13 straight games from 6/4-18, scoring 13 runs and knocking in six over the span...posted his third two-homer game of the season-the eighth of his career-on 7/17 at Anaheim...also hit a pair of solo homers on 6/29 at New York and 7/9 vs. Texas...collected career hit No. 1,500 on 7/7 vs. Oakland...again tied his career high with five hits on 7/6 vs. Oakland, the 10th time in Sox history a player had five singles in a game...Posted a 16-game hitting streak from 6/24-7/11...batted .436 (34-for-78) during the streak...was the longest by a Red Sox player in 2004 and two games shy of his 2002 career high...had multiple hits in seven straight games from 7/3-10, batting .579 (22-for-38)...scored a run in nine straight games from 7/2-11 (14R) and in 15 of 16 games from 6/24-7/11 (23R)...stole a base on 8/24 at Toronto, his first steal in 28 games since his previous successful attempt on 7/21 vs. Baltimore...returned to action on 9/7 after missing four games with a jammed right pinky finger and reached Oakland's Mark Redman for his 15th career first-inning leadoff home run...hit safely and scored a run in 11 straight games from 8/24-9/8, batting .404 (19-for-47) with 13R...Reached base safely in 26 straight games from 8/16-9/17...singled home Gabe Kapler with two outs in the top of the ninth to cap a two-run rally off Mariano Rivera, giving the Sox a 3-2 win on 9/17 at New York (AL)...had homered in the third inning of the game to give Boston a 1-0 lead...Started and batted leadoff in all 14 post-season games for the World Champion Red Sox...hit a combined .268 (19-for-71) with 13R, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 3HR, 9 RBI, and 5SB...had a big Division Series vs. Anaheim, going 7-for-15 (.467) with 4R and 3SB in the three-game sweep...was 2-for-5 with a double and 2R in Game One in Anaheim, 2-for-5 with 1R in Game Two and 3-for-5 with 1R and 1BB in the Game Three finale at Fenway...hit just .171 (6-for-35) in the ALCS against the Yankees, but helped propel the Sox to the pennant with a strong finish...was 1-for-18 with 8K in the first four games of the series and was 3-for-29 with 8 K through six games before going 3-for-6 with 2 HR and 6 RBI in the decisive Game 7...greeted reliever Javier Vazquez with a first-pitch grand slam to give the Sox a 6-0 advantage in the second inning and--on the next pitch he saw, slugged a 2-run homer off Vazquez to make it 8-1 in the fourth...the 6 RBI were a Boston ALCS record...Batted .286 (6-for-21) with 4R, 2 doubles, 1 triple, 1HR and 2 RBI in the four-game sweep of the Cardinals in the World Series...went 2-for-5 with 1 triple, 1HR and 1RBI in the 3-0 series-clinching win in Game Four at Busch Stadium...led off the game with a homer to right off Jason Marquis on a 2-1 pitch, the second first-inning leadoff homer in Red Sox post-season history...Patsy Dougherty led off Game Two of the inaugural 1903 World Series with a homer for Boston.

2003

In his second season with the Red Sox, batted .273 (166-for-608) with 103R, 32 doubles, 6 triples, 12 HR, 67 RBI, and a team-best 30 steals in 145 games...ranked 6th in the A.L. with 30 stolen bases in 36 attempts (an 83% success rate), as he topped 20 steals for the sixth consecutive season and for the seventh time in his eight full big league campaigns...only one player in the A.L. with as many or more stolen bases was thrown out less...Carlos Beltran was 41-for-45 in stolen base tries, good for a 91 percent success rate...worked 68 bases on balls, at the time a career best...Was tied for 10th in the league in runs, topping 100 for the 6th year in a row...batted .237 (52-for-219) in his first 53 games through 6/4 but hit .293 (114-for-389) in 92 games the rest of the way...hit .294 in June, .287 in July, .311 in August and .256 in September...led Red Sox left-handed hitters with a .275 (53-for-193) average against lefties...hit .272 (113-for-415) vs. righthanders with nine of his 12HR...saw an average of 4.12 pitches per plate appearance, fourth-most in the American League behind Seattle's Edgar Martinez (4.32), Chicago's Frank Thomas (4.26) and New York's Jason Giambi (4.22)...in all, saw a total of 2,842 pitches in 2003, second to only Giambi in the A.L...Made 144 appearances (141 starts) in centerfield and tied for the lead among A.L. outfielders with a .997 fielding percentage, making just one error in 370 total chances...did not commit an error until 9/8, the 143rd game of the season, when he dropped a fly ball while trying to avoid a collision with Todd Walker in Baltimore...had played error-free ball in his first 129 games in the outfield, the third-longest single-season run ever by a Red Sox outfielder...Carl Yastrzemski went 140 games without an error in 1977 and Ken Harrelson went 132 games without a miscue in 1968...Damon went his first 123 games without an error in 2002...Hit his first 4HR of the season in a four-game span from 4/10-13, including his fifth career two-homer game on 4/10 at Toronto...posted the second two-triple game of his career (also on 9/8/00 with Kansas City vs. Texas) on 5/19 vs. New York (AL)...the two-triple effort was the first by a Red Sox since Troy O'Leary accomplished the feat on 5/26/98 vs. Toronto...also doubled to finish the game 3-for-5 with 2R...lifted his average to .258 from .239 during a season-best 13-game hitting streak from 6/11-24...batted .339 (20-for-59) with 1HR and 9RBI during the stretch, his longest streak since hitting in a career-best 18 straight games from 4/15-5/8/02...Went 5-for-7 with 3R, 1 double, 1 triple and 3 RBI in Boston's 25-8 win on 6/27 vs. Florida...went 3-for-3 with a single, double and triple in the club's 14-run first inning, joining the Red Sox' Gene Stephens (1953) as just the second player in Major League history to collect three hits in a single inning, the first ever with a single, double and triple...the bat Damon used to make history was sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame...the five-hit game was the third of his career, his first as a Red Sox...Went 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles in a 2-1, 12-inning win on 7/8 at Toronto...doubled to start the 12th and scored the winning run on a Jason Varitek single...hit his 100th career home run on 9/8 at Baltimore, a 3-run shot off Rodrigo Lopez and drove in a season-high 4RBI...batted .256 (10-for-39) with 4R, 3 doubles, 1HR and 3 RBI in 10 post-season games against the Athletics and Yankees...recorded a .316 (6-for-19) average with 1HR and 3RBI in five ALDS games vs. Oakland...launched a go-ahead two-run homer off Steve Sparks in the third inning of Game Four, as the Red Sox stayed alive with a 5-4 win...Left Game Five of the ALDS and missed the first two games of the ALCS vs. the Yankees after sustaining a concussion in a collision with second baseman Damian Jackson as they pursued a seventh-inning fly ball off the bat of Oakland's Jermaine Dye...having re-gained consciousness, Damon left the field in an ambulance...returned to action in Game Three of the ALCS and went 3-for-4 with 1R in the 4-3 Fenway Park loss...went just 1-for-16 in the rest of the series...the hit came in Game Six, when he also drew 3BB, including one from Felix Heredia with the bases loaded to snap a 6-6 tie in the seventh inning of a 9-6 Boston win.

2002

In his first season with the Red Sox, was named to his first American League All-Star team, chosen by fans on MLB.com's "30th Man" ballot...hit .286 (178-for-623) with 118 R, 34 doubles, 11 triples, 14HR, 63RBI and 31SB in 154 games...led the A.L. with his 11 triples (the fifth time in six seasons he'd ranked among the league's top three in three-base hits)...ranked second with 35 infield hits, fourth in stolen bases, and fifth in runs...was the hardest player in baseball to double up, bouncing into an average of one double play in every 155.8 plate appearances (Montreal's Brad Wilkerson was 2nd with one GIDP for every 101.4 at-bats)...His 31 steals were the most by a Red Sox since Otis Nixon swiped 42 in 1994...his 22 steals at the break were the most by a Red Sox since Otis Nixon swiped 34 before the break in 1994...went 1-for-3 with 1R and 1SB in the All-Star Game at Miller Park in Milwaukee...replaced Torii Hunter in center field in the fifth inning...hit .412 (7-for-17) with 1 triple, his 4th career grand slam and 13 RBI with the bases loaded...batted .388 (31-for-80) with 2 doubles, 2 triples, 2 homers and 7 RBI during a career-best 18-game hitting streak from 4/15-5/8...appeared in his 1,000th career game on 5/23 vs. New York...Recorded his 200th career stolen base on 6/20 at San Diego...homered in three straight games for the first time in his career from 8/1-3...slugged a 10th-inning walk-off home run off Scot Shields to give Boston a 10-9 win on 8/26 vs. Anaheim...the walk-off homer was the second of his career (also 4/10/00 with Kansas City)...was charged with his first error in 205 games (592 total chances) on 8/31 vs. Cleveland...his 123 consecutive errorless games as a Red Sox was the third longest within a single season in Sox history (Carl Yastrzemski went 140 games without a miscue in 1977 and Ken Harrelson played 132 games without an error in 1968)...matched his career high with 4R on 6/4 at Detroit and 7/23 vs. Tampa Bay...Connected for a pair of first-inning leadoff home runs, the 11th and 12th of his career, on 4/5 at Baltimore (off Josh Towers) and 8/1 at Texas (off Chan Ho Park)...homered in back-to-back innings (off Sidney Ponson in the seventh and off Eric DuBose in the eighth) on 9/22 at Baltimore...batted leadoff in 111 games, second in 38 and ninth in two...had 52 multi-hit games, 3rd-most on the team...recorded a .997 fielding percentage, charged with just one error in 360 total chances...recorded seven outfield assists...was presented with the Tommy McCarthy Good Guy Award by the Boston Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

2001

In his lone season with Oakland, hit a career-low .256 (165-for-644) with 108R, 34 doubles, 9HR, 49RBI and a team-high 27SB in 155 games...hit leadoff in all 152 games he started...opened the year in left field, where he started 64 games, before moving to center field on 6/23...started 82 games in center...the Athletics were 34-38 before Damon's switch to center, 68-22 after...set Oakland club records with 644 at-bats (third-most in the A.L.) and 719 plate appearances...his 108 runs ranked 7th in the league and were 10th-most in Oakland history, marking his fourth straight season with 100 runs...Fanned only 70 times in 719 plate appearances, one K every 10.3 trips to the plate, third-best in the league...grounded into only seven double plays, one ever 92.0 at-bats, the fourth-best ratio in the A.L...ranked fifth among A.L. outfielders with 345 putouts...tied for third in the league with 2,801 pitches seen...was hitting .211 through 6/11, but recorded six straight two-hit games beginning on 6/12...went 12-for-27 (.444) during the tear...posted his third career two-homer game on 7/7 at Arizona...also singled and doubled in the game, giving him his 14th career game with at least four hits...hit safely in a season-best eight straight games from 7/15-22, batting .378 (14-for-37) during the streak...Collected his 1,000th career hit with a first-inning double off Charles Nagy on 8/1 at Cleveland...had three hits that night and again the next...posted consecutive 3-hit games again on 8/6 at Detroit (when he hit a game-winning three-run homer off Danny Patterson in the top of the 9th to snap a 3-3 tie) and 8/7 vs. Boston...the A's were 8-0 in games in which Johnny homered...posted seven games with three hits over a 21-game stretch from 8/1-22, batting .352 (32-for-91)...with two hits on 8/24 vs. Detroit, lifted his average to a season-high .263, but he hit .225 (25-for-111) in 27 games the rest of the way...hit .290 (107-for-369) over his final 88 games...appeared in the post-season for the first time in his career, batting .409 (9-for-22) with 3R, 2 doubles, 1 triple and 2SB in the ALDS vs. New York...in his post-season debut, went 4-for-4 with 1R and 2SB in Game One, a 5-3 A's win...after going 6-for-9 in the first two games, went 3-for-13 in the next three as the Yankees rallied to win the series.

2000

In his final season with the Royals, enjoyed the finest offensive season of his Major League career, posting career highs in batting average (.327), hits (214), runs scored (136), doubles (42), RBI (88), stolen bases (46) and at-bats (655)...led the A.L. in runs scored and stolen bases, while ranking second in hits and at-bats...his 10 triples were third-most in the league, marking the fourth straight year he had ranked among the top three in the league in three-base hits...His 136 runs were a club record, three more than Willie Wilson's 1980 total...batted a Major League-best .386 with an M.L.-high 127 hits after the All-Star break to finish with 214 hits, third-most in franchise history...Wilson had 230 in 1980 and George Brett had 215 in 1976...started 132 games in the outfield...after playing the first half of the season in left field, made 67 starts in center in the second half after Carlos Beltran went on the D.L. on 7/5...stole a career-best three bases on 4/26 vs. Tampa Bay...led off 10 straight games with a hit from 4/26-5/7, believed to be the longest such streak in Major League history...posted a pair of five-hit games, the first two of his career, 7/18 vs. the Cubs (5-for-6 with a Major League record-tying 4 doubles, 2 RBI and 1R) and 9/11 at Seattle (5-for-5 with 2R, 2 doubles, 1HR and 2RBI)...Hit .436 (51-for-117) with 12 doubles, two homers and 20 RBI in 27 July contests to earn A.L. Player of the Month honors...was just the fourth Royals player to collect 50 hits in a month...tied an A.L. record with 15 hits in four games from 7/18-21, going 15-for-22 (.682)...tied a club record with 8H over a two-game span on 7/18-19...hit .435 (30-for-69) during a 16-game hitting streak from 8/5-21...was named Royals Player of the Month for August, when he hit .382 with 12 doubles, 2 triples, 4 homers, 18 RBI and 30 runs scored...his grand slam-the third of his career-on 9/15 at Texas was his 200th hit of the season...won team Player of the Month honors for the third month in a row in September when he batted .322 with 6 doubles, 4 triples, 3 HR and 19 RBI...for the season, hit .342 with runners in scoring position and went 10-for-15 (.667) with the bases loaded.

1999

In his fourth full big league campaign, topped .300 for the first time, hitting .307 (179-for-583) with 101R, 14HR, 77RBI and 36SB in 145 games...set then-career highs with 77 RBI and 36 stolen bases, sixth-most in the A.L...tied for ninth in the league with 39 doubles, also a career best to that point...fanned just once every 13.2 plate appearances, fifth-best in the A.L...batted .403 (27-for-67) with 17R and 19 RBI during a 16-game hitting streak from 4/27-5/12...collected Royals Player of the Month kudos for May, when he hit .336 with 19R and 5HR...legged out his only career inside-the-park home run on 8/25 vs. Baltimore off Doug Linton...converted 24 consecutive stolen base tries from 7/2-9/11...for the season, was successful on 36-of-42 attempts (86%)...Saw a Royals record run of 305 consecutive games played end when he sat out Game 2 of a 9/14 doubleheader vs. Anaheim due to a muscle strain in his lower right rib cage...had not missed a game since the final day of the 1997 season...played in just one game after the injury, appearing as a pinch runner on 10/2 vs. Detroit...for the season, his .329 with 1HR and 20 RBI vs. lefties and .300 with 13 homers and 57 RBI vs. righthanders...posted a .987 fielding percentage with only four errors...recorded eight outfield assists.

1998

Appeared in all of Kansas City's 161 games, batting .277 (178-for-642) with 30 doubles, 10 triples, a career-high 18 HR, 66 RBI and 26 SB...was the only player in baseball to reach double figures in doubles, triples, homers and steals...his 10 triples were ranked second in the A.L. behind Jose Offerman (13)...joined Hal McRae and Al Cowens (162 games in 1977) and Paul Schaal (161 games in 1971) as one of only four Royals to play in every game in a non-strike season...hit into just four double plays, one every 160.5 at-bats, third-best in the league...hit his second career grand slam on 5/14 at Tampa Bay off Dennis Springer...was named Royals "Player of the Month" in May and September...hit two homers in a game for the first time on 6/23 at Cincinnati...led the club with a career-high 10 outfield assists.

1997

Although he did not start on Opening Day, appeared in 146 of Kansas City's 161 games...hit .275 (130-for-472) with 8HR and 48RBI...tied for third in the A.L. with 8 triples...was the second-toughest hitter to double up in the A.L., bouncing into only three twin killings, one every 157.3 at-bats...stole 16 bases in 26 tries, converting 14 of his final 18 attempts.

1996

Spent his first full season in the Majors and batted .271 (140-for-517) with 6HR, 50 RBI and 25SB in 145 games for the Royals...tied for eighth in the league in stolen bases, while his 83 percent success rate ranked second (25-for-30)...his 10 sacrifice bunts, still a career high, were 10th in the league...was the third-toughest hitter to double up in the A.L., bouncing into an average of one double play every 129.3 at-bats...drove in a career-high seven runs 8/10 vs. California...hit his first career grand slam in that game, connecting off Jim Abbott in the bottom of the first.

1995

Opened the year at Double-A Wichita, then made his Major League debut appearing in 47 games for the Royals after his contract was purchased on 8/12...led off and played center field that night vs. Seattle and went 3-for-5 with 1R, 1 triple and 1RBI, collecting his first Major League hit off Tim Belcher...his first Major League home run was a game-tying solo shot off Milwaukee's Mike Fetters in the bottom of the 9th on 8/31, as the Royals rallied for a 7-6 victory...at Wichita, was the most-decorated player in Minor League Baseball...was named Minor League and Double-A Player of the Year by Topps and the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues...hit .343 (145-for-423) with 16 HR, 54 RBI, 26 steals and 83 runs scored...was named to USA Today's All-Prospect team...Was named to Baseball America's Double-A All-Star team as well as to the magazine's all-class minor league All-Star squad...BA also named Damon Double-A Player of the Year and the top prospect in the Texas League, the third time in four years he has been named his league's No. 1 prospect...despite spending the final three weeks of the minor league season in the majors, finished second in the TL in batting, tied for third with 145 hits and 83 runs scored, tied for fourth with 9 triples and 67BB and ranked fifth with 226 total bases...led the league in on-base percentage (.434), slugging (.534) and intentional walks (13)...among all Double-A players, was first in on-base percentage, third in batting, fourth in slugging, seventh in triples and tied for ninth in sacrifice hits.

1994

Playing at Wilmington of the Single-A Carolina League, was co-winner of Royals Minor League Player of the Year honors...shared the award with Larry Sutton...was named the league's top prospect by Baseball America, and was a CL mid-season and post-season All-Star...BA named him to its mid-season Dream Team...in the magazine's annual Best Tools survey of league managers, Damon was named the CL's Best Batting Prospect, Best Defensive Player and Most Exciting Player...hit .316 with 25 doubles, 13 triples, 6 homers, 75 RBI, 44 steals and 96 runs scored in 119 games...finished 2nd in the league in triples and stolen bases, 3rd in runs scored and hits (149) and 4th in batting and on-base percentage (.399)...hit .344 with 19 RBI, 10 SB and 26 R in May to earn Topps/NAPBL Carolina League Player of the Month recognition.

1993

Named the No. 1 prospect in the Midwest League in Baseball America's annual survey of league managers after batting .290 (148-for-511) with 25 doubles, a league-high 13 triples, 5 HR, 50 RBI and 59 SB in 127 games at Single-A Rockford...was named a MWL All-Star after ranking second in the league with 511AB and 148 hits, fifth with 82 runs scored and second with 59 steals.

1992

Was selected by the Royals as a sandwich pick between the first and second rounds of the June Draft (as compensation for losing free agent Kurt Stilwell to the Padres)...made his professional debut with the Royals' club in the rookie-level Gulf Coast League...was named a GCL All-Star and the league's top prospect after helping the Royals to the GCL title by leading the league in batting (.349), runs (58), triples (9), total bases (109), on-base percentage (.449) and slugging percentage (.568) in 50 games.