Thursday, March 27, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.
According to David Justice, he did not start thinking of his World Series-winning home run against Cleveland when he was traded to the Indians.
"I haven't thought about that," Justice said Wednesday night before playing his first game for Cleveland, the team he beat with a home run in Game 6 of the 1995 World Series. "That's pretty much in the past."
Justice joined the Indians Wednesday, a day after the Atlanta Braves traded him in a blockbuster deal that included All-Stars Marquis Grissom and Kenny Lofton.
Batting fifth and playing left field, Justice hit a two-run single on a 3-2 pitch with the bases loaded in his first at-bat. He took such a hard cut on his first swing that he fell down in the batter's box, an eerie reminder of the shoulder injury that caused him to miss almost all of last season.
Justice was 1-for-3 with two walks, a strikeout and two runs. He came out of the game after flying out in the seventh inning.
Trade rumors swirled around Justice because he will make $12.5 million the next two seasons. But no one expected the deal to include Grissom and Lofton.
"I didn't feel bitter," Justice said. "I understand the business of baseball."
Grissom was expected to join the Indians today for a day game against the Kansas City Royals. Lofton will play for the Braves against the Yankees tonight.
Justice's dramatic solo homer clinched Atlanta's first World Series title and denied Cleveland its first title since 1948. The home run was even more unforgettable because it came a day after Justice criticized Braves fans for not cheering as loud as those in Cleveland.
The comments caused quite a stir in Atlanta, where Justice was one of the city's most recognizable sports figures, in the same celebrity mix as two-sport star Deion Sanders.
"It was tough," Justice said. "I didn't feel like anybody was behind me."
Justice was drafted by Atlanta in 1985 and moved there from his native Cincinnati. He became a two-time All-Star, appeared in a soap opera, married a movie star and had his life dragged through the tabloids during his divorce from Halle Berry last year.
"If I had it my way, I wouldn't want the attention," Justice said. "It doesn't work like that always."
Wearing Eddie Murray's old No. 33, Justice took the field for warmups and shook hands first with Matt Williams, the cleanup hitter he'll be protecting in the Indians' reshaped lineup.
"If I can't wear 23, I'll take 33," said Justice, noting that Cleveland's Julio Franco wears his old number. "They had numbers like 47, 6 and 8, something like that. I can't imagine a single-digit number."
Justice, who only arrived at the Indians' camp a few hours before the game, didn't know who used to wear No. 8 for Cleveland - his predecessor in left field, Albert Belle.
"Who was No. 8?" Justice asked, confused by the reporters' laughter.
"Albert," they said.
"Oh," Justice said. "I knew there was a joke behind that I missed."
Justice will bat fifth behind Williams in a Cleveland lineup that could be as potent as 1995, but with different faces. The trade gives the Indians power at every spot in the order but second (Tony Fernandez) and ninth (Omar Vizquel).
Justice had his best year in 1993, when he had 40 homers and 120 RBIs. He missed most of the 1996 season after dislocating his right shoulder on a hard swing May 15.
"My goal is to play all the games," Justice said. "If I get the at-bats, I'll put up the numbers."
Mike Maddux cut
Meanwhile, Howard Johnson decided he no longer could fight his body and announced his retirement. Johnson, 36, last played in the majors in 1995. He hit just .129 in 31 at-bats this spring with the New York Mets and had one home run and two RBIs.
Todd Van Poppel and Las Vegan Mike Maddux were placed on unconditional release waivers on the last day teams could get rid of players with non-guaranteed contracts and not pay their full salaries.
Anaheim, which claimed Van Poppel on waivers from Detroit last Nov. 12, will give the former first-round draft pick $84,530 in termination pay rather than pay his $340,000 salary. Players placed on waivers Wednesday get 45 days of termination pay.
Boston decided to cut Maddux and infielder Chris Donnels. Maddux, brother of Atlanta pitcher Greg Maddux, will get $149,171 rather than $600,000, and Donnels will receive $93,729 rather than $377,000.
Atlanta cut left-hander Yorkis Perez and will give him $93,232 rather than his full $375,000 salary. The Mets got rid of Alvaro Espinoza, paying the infielder $101,834 rather than $410,000.
* TIGERS 16, INDIANS 11: At Lakeland, Fla., Bobby Higginson's three-run triple off Jose Mesa broke an 11-11 tie in the eighth. Manny Ramirez hit a three-run homer for Cleveland.
* PHILLIES 14, ROYALS 10: At Haines City, Fla., Wendell Magee hit three home runs and Derrick May hit two. Magee drove in five runs, hitting a three-run homer off Jose Rosado in the second, a solo homer off Rosado in the fourth and a solo homer in the sixth off Mitch Williams. Wild Thing, brought back from the minor-league camp for a second look, gave up three runs and four hits in two innings.
* DODGERS 5, MARLINS 4: At Vero Beach, Fla., Karim Garcia singled home Tripp Cromer with the winning run in the eighth inning as Los Angeles overcame a 4-0 deficit against Florida, which dropped to 23-5 this spring. Kurt Abbott and Gary Sheffield hit consecutive home runs in the third inning off Pedro Astacio. The Marlins had won eight straight.
* RED SOX 7, PIRATES 2: At Brandenton, Fla., Tim Naehring went 3-for-3 and was credited with a two-run triple when center fielder Jermaine Allensworth slipped chasing his long fly ball. Boston starter Steve Avery walked four and gave up two runs and two hits in 3 1-3 innings.
* TWINS 16, WHITE SOX 3: At Fort Myers, Fla., Greg Myers hit a three-run homer and drove in five runs as Minnesota had 18 hits. Rookie Todd Walker had four hits, including a solo homer, and Las Vegan Marty Cordova added a two-run drive. Chicago starter Doug Drabek was pounded for nine runs and 12 hits in five innings.
* BLUE JAYS 13, CARDINALS 3: At Dunedin, Fla., Shawn Green homered twice and drove in five runs in a 20-hit attack. Green also singled twice and scored four runs.
* ORIOLES 13, METS 2: At Port St. Lucie, Fla., Willie Otanez hit two home runs and Rafael Palmeiro and newly acquired Tim Laker each hit one. Palmeiro, who added a sacrifice fly, finished with four RBIs.
* YANKEES 14, RANGERS 7: At Port Charlotte, Fla., Tino Martinez and Jorge Posada drove in three runs each. Texas starter Bobby Witt allowed seven runs and six hits in three innings.
* REDS 6, ASTROS 3: At Kissimmee, Fla., Willie Greene went 2-for-5 with a homer. His leadoff drive in the second was followed by RBI singles by Eddie Taubensee and Deion Sanders.
* EXPOS 2, BRAVES 0: At West Palm Beach, Fla., Atlanta lost its final spring home game in Municipal Stadium. Montreal scored twice in the fourth on singles by Doug Strange, Vladimir Guerrero and Torey Lovullo and an infield out.
* MARINERS 6, ANGELS 2: At Peoria, Ariz., Ken Griffey Jr. hit his third home run of the spring and Alex Rodriguez hit his fourth.
* ATHLETICS 10, BREWERS 1: At Phoenix, Mike Mohler allowed six hits in six shutout innings and Tony Batista went 3-for-3, including a two-run homer.
* PADRES 14, ROCKIES 7: At Tucson, Ariz., Wally Joyner and Ken Caminiti each hit two-run homers in the first inning off Roger Bailey. Tony Gwynn put the Padres ahead for good in the fifth with a solo homer off Bailey. Archi Cianfrocco went 4-for-5, including a pair of doubles. Dante Bichette, who went 3-for-3, made his first outfield start of spring training following off-season reconstructive knee surgery.
* CUBS 6, GIANTS 3: At Scottsdale, Ariz., Ozzie Timmons hit a pinch three-run double in the 10th.
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