Two-time World Series champ Johnny Damon had just wrapped up his baseball season with the Detroit Tigers and was driving back home to Orlando when he made a stop that led to a few more at-bats than he bargained for.
Denny Hamlin Brings A Real Designated Hitter To Softball Game – Johnny Damon
Damon, 36, took a detour to Charlotte, N.C. for lunch with a friend. The friend just so happened to be one of NASCAR driver Denny Hamlin’s managers, so Hamlin tagged along.
During the lunch, Hamlin floated an idea: Maybe Damon could suit up and play for Hamlin’s rec league softball team that night.
“We said, ‘Hey, we actually have a game tonight – would you like to play?’” Hamlin recalled Friday. “It didn’t take much convincing.”
Hamlin said Damon already had his equipment in the car, “so he just suited up.”
The next thing anyone knew, Damon was taking the field against an unsuspecting bunch of amateurs who were playing Hamlin’s team.
Were they mad Hamlin brought a ringer to play against them?
“First, they all wanted to take pictures with him,” said Hamlin, who is in the midst of NASCAR’s playoff Chase. “Second, we were hoping the league wouldn’t get us in trouble and make us concede the game.”
Damon played first base and “he did jack one out of the park,” Hamlin said, which helped the team win in the last inning.
(Above: Johnny Damon sports his Denny Hamlin Foundation softball team uniform / @DennyHamlin Twitter page)
"I was actually pretty amazed at how soft-spoken he was," Hamlin said. "He's played for a lot of teams and has a lot of championships.
"It's interesting to see how guys who have been successful at the top level of their sport carry themselves. I was very impressed with how down-to-earth he was."
So did Damon offer any advice to Hamlin for winning the Sprint Cup?
"He just said, 'Go get it,'" Hamlin said with a smile.
(Above: Johnny Damon poses with the Denny Hamlin Foundation softball team / @11mommalou Twitter page)
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