BOSTON (AP) – New Red Sox center fielder Covelli “Coco” Crisp, with his sugar-cereal nickname courtesy of his great-grandmother, is already filling that eccentric void left by Johnny Damon.

Crisp, the headliner in a seven player trade between the Red Sox and Cleveland Indians finalized late Friday, said he and the now-New York Yankee Damon have a lot more in common than idiosyncrasies.

“I love the game,” Crisp said Saturday in a conference with reporters. “I play hard. I’m not afraid to run into a wall and get hurt.

“I think that’s the type of player they love in Boston. That’s the type of player that Johnny was.”

The Red Sox have primed the speedy, switch-hitter to take over both center field and the leadoff spot from Damon, but that doesn’t mean he is about to grow out his hair on don a beard.

“Coco Crisp is not Johnny Damon,” said Red Sox general manager Theo Epstein in a separate conference call Saturday. “He’s his own player. He brings his own strengths.”

Damon, who helped anchor Boston’s 2004 World Series win, signed a four-year, $52 million free agent contract with the New York Yankees last month.

Red Sox scouts had been watching Crisp for 18 months, Epstein said. When talks broken down with Damon this winter, interest in Crisp intensified.

Crisp is an athletic player who the Sox hope will get on base and steal bases. He has deceptive power, Epstein said, and is billed as an excellent teammate. He batted .300 with 16 homers, 69 RBIs and 15 steals last season.

And at 26 years old, Crisp is six years younger than Damon, who was hampered by left shoulder problems late last year.

“He has an energy and swagger that we think will play well at Fenway,” Epstein said.

The Red Sox got Crisp, reliever David Riske and backup catcher Josh Bard for reliever Guillermo Mota, third base prospect Andy Marte, minor league catcher Kelly Shoppach, a player to be named and cash.

But all eyes have been the replacement for Damon, whose shaggy beard and long hair became a hallmark of Boston’s first World Series championship in 86 years.

On Saturday, Crisp shook off any notions that he had to fill Damon’s shoes for the Red Sox.

“I like a lot of ball players, and I like Johnny,” Crisp said. “But as far as going into his shadow, I don’t believe it’s like that.”

“I”m just going to go out there and play my own game,” Crisp concluded. “Hopefully I’ll be able to bring some excitement and enjoyment from the fans.”

AP-ES-01-28-06 1934EST