Johnny Damon probably won't wear a Tigers uniform next season. But he plans to play somewhere. And his name will definitely be on the Hall of Fame ballot someday in the not-too-distant future.
    How many of his current Tiger teammates can make that same claim?
    All too often, I fear, Damon's performance and presence have been under-appreciated this year.
    On Wednesday, in a losing cause, Damon tripled for the 100th time in his career.
    Among active players, only Tampa Bay speedster --  who, by the way, will be a free agent at the end of this season and who would certainly fit nicely into the Tigers' lineup next year -- has more three-baggers (104).
    Among all big leaguers, all-time, Damon ranks 158th. Tigers' great Sam Crawford is baseball's all-time leader with 309.
    Damon is fourth among active players in runs scored with 1,560. Alex Rodriguez is the active leader with 1,745. Damon ranks 51st all-time -- ahead of Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson, Wade Boggs, and Mike Schmidt.
    Damon is ninth among active players with 482 doubles. Surprisingly, ex-Tiger Pudge Rodriguez is the leader with 564. All-time, Damon is 70th in doubles. Hall of Famer Tris Speaker is the all-time leader with 792.
    Damon is seventh among active players with 2,557 hits. It likely won't happen here, but he has a shot at 3,000 which would virtually guarantee him a plaque on the wall in Cooperstown.
    Damon is also fourth among active players in stolen bases (383) fifth in at-bats (8,893),  and eighth in games played (2,261).