Atlanta Braves history: Top 10 outfielders part 2

A great non-trade

In January 1994, the Atlanta Braves were looking for a closer and in discussions with the Royals for Jeff Montgomery. According to Max Rieper on SB Nation, in return, the Royals wanted Justice or Ron Gant and Mark Wohlers. The Braves wanted to substitute Ryan Klesko for Justice, but the Royals didn’t want the unproven player.

Justice was scorching the league with a .313/.427/.531 line and 19 homers when the strike ended play in 1994. Klesko appeared in 92 games, batted  .278/.344/.563/.907, hit 17 homers, and Wohler appeared in 51 games with just four bad outings.

In 1993 the Royals’ righty Montgomery saved 45 games in 1993, with a 2.27 ERA, 1.008 WHIP, a 10.1 k/9 rate, and hitters batted .206/.263/.291/.554 against him.

In 1994 he saved 27 games in 32 opportunities, his ERA jumped to 4.03, his WHIP jumped climbed 1.00 to 1.410, and his K/9 dropped to 6.7

Bullet dodged.

The Atlanta Braves World Series season

When baseball returned in 1995, Justice remained a dependable piece in the lineup. From April 26 through June 1 he batted .278/.398/.500/.898, but hit only four homers then miss two weeks with an injury. He returned June 17 and finished the season 253/.365/.479/.844 with 24 homers and 78 RBI.

He struggled against the Rockies in the NLDS and the Reds in the NLCS. In the World Series, he batted .250/.400/.450/.850, walked five times, struck out once, and as I recall, hit a home run you can watch by clicking this link; Tony Pena’s reaction; is worth watching.

Justice played in one more Atlanta Braves season, but it lasted just 40 games. In the bottom of the second inning, he swung at a pitch from future Brave Denny Neagle, and separated his shoulder, ending his season.

On March 25, 1997, the Braves traded Justice and Marquis Grissom to the Indians for Kenny Lofton and Alan Embree.

On August 17, 2007, David Justice became the first member of the team that began The Streak inducted into the Atlanta Braves Hall of Fame.

That’s a wrap

It’s remarkable that a player with Billy Hamilton’s credentials took so long to earn his place in Cooperstown, it just also shows how relationships with the press and owners affected how much fans knew about him.

Thirty-five years passed between Hamilton’s retirement and the first Hall of Fame vote.  Voting in the early days of the Hall was less effective than a Twitter poll for the best bagel. It took another 20 years or so to get voting better organized.

I think David Justice had one of the prettiest swings I’ve ever seen. Minus the injuries that cost him so many games and the strike, he might have ended his career with 450 homers and at least one MVP under his belt.

Part three coming soon.