01:00 AM EST on Tuesday, February 22, 2005

BY STEVEN KRASNER
Journal Sports Writer

FORT MYERS, Fla. -- Johnny Damon arrived in camp late yesterday afternoon, sporting a new flashy wedding ring to go along with his signature long hair and full beard.

"This is the first spring training I've been excited to get back to," said Damon, who, as their center fielder and leadoff man, helped the Red Sox capture their first World Championship in 86 years last fall.

Damon is in the last year of his contract. He said in a brief meeting with the media that he has no desire to play elsewhere.

"I'd like to lock up the rest of my career in Boston, but it's up to them. I know they wanted to see what shape I was in for spring training," said Damon. "I'm mentally strong and physically strong. I've trimmed up a lot. I ran hills in Jamaica, I've been swimming a lot and I've been doing a lot of pushups with and without (new wife) Michelle on my back."

This offseason, though, he said his conditioning drills did not include chasing cars, as he said he had done prior to training camp in 2004.

"I didn't get a chance to chase after cars this year because, number one, there weren't as many drunken nights as there were last year," he said.

Damon also became an author over the short offseason. His book -- Idiots: Beating the Curse and Enjoying the Game of Life -- is due out this spring. It is stipulated in his contract that he not cut his long locks.

And, naturally, he was asked about the Alex Rodriguez comment about working out early in the morning while other big leaguers were sleeping or taking their kids to school.

"If it takes him waking up at 6 in the morning, that's good. There have been many nights when I might not have been in bed at 6 in the morning," said Damon.