In something of an about-face, Damon sounded frustrated enough to leave the organization for which he became world champion, chief Idiot and marketable marquee man. What's more, Damon suggested in a phone interview with Newsday that he'd be happy to do the once-unthinkable and bolt for the short-haired, straight-laced arch-enemy Yankees. Damon, a natural for the biggest stage, actually seemed as excited about the possibility of becoming a Yankee as he was annoyed about his slow-moving negotiations with Boston. And he seemed quite annoyed. "I think New York's a great city," Damon said. Damon also thinks the Yankees have a great team, and he's thought about joining them. "I have," he said. "That's a lineup people dream about. It would be one of the best lineups we've seen in a long time." Meanwhile, Damon portrayed negotiations with Boston as somewhat of a nightmare. The way he described it, Boston's first and second offers were the same -- three years for $27 million and a fourth-year option. That's not close to the three-year, $39-million contract the Dodgers gave less accomplished leadoff man Rafael Furcal. Nor is it in the ballpark of the asking price of agent Scott Boras: $84 million over seven years.