Outfielder Johnny Damon had a great career. He spent 18 seasons in the big leagues and was a two-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion. His mix of power and speed made him one of the best outfielders in the game.
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It’s easy to forget that Damon spent one season in Cleveland, his last in the majors. In 2012, Cleveland signed him on a one-year, minor league contract. The hope was he would platoon with Shelley Duncan and Aaron Cunningham, and help boost the team’s poor outfield production. It wasn’t crazy. Despite being 38 years old, he hit well with Tampa Bay in 2011 (109 OPS+). He was also durable, and coming into 2012 was on a streak of 16 consecutive seasons with at least 140 games played, a feat he shared with only Hank Aaron, Brooks Robinson, and Pete Rose.
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Damon’s time in Cleveland didn’t go great. In 224 at-bats Damon hit .222 with a .610 OPS and was released in August. What is a shame is that he had 2,769 hits–just short of 3,000. His time in Cleveland would also mark the end of his career.