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Here’s Johnny! Dec. 23: Johnny Damon talks about his future with the Yankees and about his departure from the Red Sox.

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When asked about his conversations with “Jason,” he automatically assumed it was Boston’s Varitek, whom he described as “just in shock,” not New York’s Giambi, a former Oakland teammate whose speech pattern Varitek mimicked to perfection. He sounded sad to leave the Fenway Park faithful.

“Those fans were very loyal to me,” he said. “It took some thinking, but I realized that the organization did not hold me at that level. I understood that I needed to go elsewhere.”

Yankees manager Joe Torre had made a recruiting call to Damon but didn’t think he’d be lured from Boston.

“You can dream, anyway,” he said.

On Tuesday night, Yankees general manager Brian Cashman called Boras and made the Yankees’ four-year offer. Within an hour, Damon accepted, according to Cashman.

Torre didn’t know New York had landed Damon until the following afternoon, when he got off a plane from Italy and was told by a U.S. customs officer at Newark Liberty International Airport in New Jersey.

“He said, ‘You’ve got your center fielder,’” Torre recounted. “Yeah, I believed him. It sounded like it was more than something that somebody was guessing about.

“But,” Torre, added, “I called Cashman right away.”

Yankees officials fawned over Damon at the news conference. Cashman presented Michelle with 18 roses, standing for her husband’s uniform number.

“The new style looks great,” Yankees president Randy Levine said. “You’re on Broadway, and it fits a Broadway premiere.”

A few dozen fans stood outside Yankee Stadium to await Damon’s arrival and then his departure.

The 32-year-old, an All-Star in 2002 and 2005, takes over the leadoff spot in a lineup that was second to Boston in the major leagues last year in runs and batting average. Derek Jeter moves back down to No. 2 in the lineup, followed in some order by Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, Jason Giambi, Hideki Matsui and Jorge Posada.

“You want to separate the left-handers or not? I don’t know,” Torre said. “I have not thought about it.”

Not realizing that three straight losses suffice to set off pinstriped panic, Damon predicted an easy transition.

“There’s not going to be pressure on us because — guess what? — I’m going to get going,” he said. “You know, if I don’t, Jeter and A-Rod, it’s a domino effect. These pitchers who have to face our team, they don’t have breathing room.”

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