Boston Herald called him a "soon to be wearing pinstripes idiot". Now, ex-Boston Red Sox hero Johnny Damon will be Boston’s most-hated man and Fenway Park’s "Modern-day Judas" after he and the New York Yankees have reached a preliminary agreement on a four-year, $52 million contract. The signing represents a major strengthening of the Yanks lineup by weakening their despised rival. Clever move, huh?

Only a few even thought Damon would leave Fenway Park, where he became a World Champion, an "Idiot" and a best-selling author. Damon was very vocal in his disappointment on the failure of the Red Sox organization to resign close friends Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe. Also, Damon’s wife has voiced a displeasure over the way she has been treated by the Boston media. And the Red Sox never hiked their four-year, $40 million offer. The departure of Kevin Millar and Bill Mueller was simply too much for the sensitive Damon so he decided to jump to the Bronx Bombers. Go, Johnny go!!!

The Yankees have been branded as the "Real Madrid" of baseball. By accumulating a near monopoly on the best players, the baseball and soccer clubs annually sport an international dream team, relegating the rest of the field to underdog status. The Damon deal follows the acquisition of Alex Rodriguez. His price tag: about $110 million for seven years. While $110 million might equal the total payroll of some of the league’s poorest teams, for George Steinbrenner, money is not a problem. The cost of Damon’s sudden change of heart? Goodbye to his trademark scruffy look and long hair because Steinbrenner bans long hair and beards.

Damon is now a Yankee? Hard to believe if you’re a Red Sox (S-u-c-k-s) fan but guys, this Fenway to Bronx transfer has happened before. Remember Babe Ruth? Then Red Sox owner Harry Frazee sold Ruth to New York for $100,000 and a $350,000 loan to finance Frazee’s Broadway production interests. The result: Ruth converted to the outfield after his transfer to the Yankees and led New York to seven American League pennants and four World Series titles – finishing with 714 home runs and leaving a long-lasting "Babe Ruth Curse" which the Red Sox "reversed" last year.

Hey Steinbrenner, do you have plans of bringing back "the Rocket" Roger Clemens at the Big Apple? The Yankees are at 7/2 odds to get Clemens after the Astros released the future Hall-of-Famer. Sure they can get Damon, Rodriguez, Derek Jeter, Hideki Matsui, Gary Sheffield, Jason Giambi or even Clemens in one team, but is it enough to make them champions?