Johnny Damon's going to have to cut his bushy hair and beard - but Yankee fans say the self-proclaimed rebel will fit in just fine with the button-down pinstripes.

Even though the scruffy Damon has spent the past four years with the hated Red Sox, Bombers loyalists welcomed him yesterday with open arms to the Bronx.

"If they're crying, I'm smiling," said John Quirk, 35, a manager at the Yankee Tavern across from Yankee Stadium. "We're back on top now and the Red Sox are definitely in trouble."