Justice Served By Gammons Report
A
review of the facts shows ESPN's Gammons
should ask Justice for an apology.
By George Stahl
Cleveland Indians outfielder David Justice demanded an apology Monday from ESPN's Peter Gammons for implying that he asked out of the lineup for Game 5 of the American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees
However, after reviewing Gammons report and Justice’s version of events, I see little reason for Gammons to apology and feel that, in this case, Justice is blind.
Here for you to decide are the facts, the text of Gammons original report, Justice’s comments and version, and Gammons response. I also include my take on the whole situation.
In Game 4, Justice was hit in the right forearm with a pitch but stayed in the game.
Justice, who is hitting .250 in the postseason, was in the original starting lineup for Game 5, batting third as the designated hitter against Yankees pitcher David Wells. Within an hour of Game 5, Indians manager Mike Hargrove changed the Indians lineup to insert Richie Sexson, a rookie in a 1-for-25 slump.
The Indians lost, 5-3, to fall behind 3-2 in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series to the Yankees. In the game, Sexson went hitless in three at-bats with a strikeout and a grounded into a double play. Justice, meanwhile, pinched hit for catcher Einar Diaz in the ninth inning, walking against reliever Mariano Rivera.
"Well, he (Justice) told Mike Hargrove that he wasn't comfortable against Wells, but every left-hander in the league respects Justice because he normally hits left-handers. He is a presence and they missed his presence."
``I was hurt to my heart last night when I was watching ESPN `Baseball Tonight' and Peter Gammons said that I asked out of the lineup.''
``I never asked out of the lineup yesterday.”
"I didn't ask out of the lineup. Anyone who says so is telling a bold-faced lie."
"My job is not to manage, but I have to protect my reputation. I couldn't sleep last night after seeing that report on ESPN. Look at how many big games I've played in my career. I don't want little kids who watch ESPN thinking I wanted out of the lineup."
``You've got little kids out there that look up to me. All I've ever preached to kids is don't ever give up, give your best. And then for that to be displayed - that I asked out of the lineup - I didn't appreciate that.''
Justice said Hargrove asked him during the pregame warm-ups about his right arm. Justice said he told Hargrove that his arm was a little sore and suggested that Hargrove move him down in the order to bat seventh instead of third because “if [David Wells] makes tough pitches, it's going to be tough on me.''
According to Justice, Hargrove told him “‘I’ve been thinking about playing Richie Sexson,' and he said, 'so why don’t you just go ahead and rest your arm.’"
[NOTE: Hargrove was not at Justice’s news conference at Yankee Stadium on Monday. After Game 5, Hargrove said “He [Justice] could have played. [I] choose to go with the right-hander in the lineup just based on the fact that he [Justice] was hit in the forearm the night before and the fact that he told me that he wasn't feeling real comfortable with left-handed pitching right now, that's the reason the change was made." After Game 5, Justice did not make himself available to the media, for which he apologized for Monday.]
On why he didn’t fight to stay in the lineup, Justice said, ``I was raised that you are a player. You don't demand nothing. I don't run the team. My job is to be ready when called upon.''
``This is my ninth year in the big leagues,'' Justice said. ``I have built a reputation as being a good person, a good teammate, as well as a good player - a player who always shows up to play in the big games all the time. So I was hurt in my heart when I heard Peter Gammons said that I asked out of the lineup.''
On any possible lingering effects from this, ``This won't be a distraction,'' Justice said. ``Tell you the truth, once I leave from here, I have gotten it off my chest.''
Gammons response (from espn.com):
“It's hard to apologize for something that wasn't said, but I do feel very badly that David Justice lost sleep over whatever caused the misinterpretation.
“Justice is a very proud man, and we all respect that. And this may end up helping the Indians. It takes a little of the focus of the fact that the Indians are coming in to Yankee Stadium down 3-2. He did this back in 1995 when he criticized Atlanta fans and then went out to hit the home run to win the World Series.
“In the postseason, words tend to take on lives of their own. What's really important is that Justice will be back in the lineup against David Cone in Game 6.”
I don’t think Justice asked to be taken out, and I don’t think Gammons suggested that Justice did. I think Hargrove, knowing his players, didn’t like what he saw from Justice in the pregame warmups - whether it was his attitude or his injury - and decided to play the rookie instead. Justice may have called the news conference Monday because he was feeling a little guilty about not showing a greater desire to play in the series' most critical game.
However, all of that
doesn’t matter now because as Gammons said “what's really important is
that Justice will be back in the lineup against David Cone in Game 6.”
Return to top
Return to the baseball playoffs page
Return to main baseball page
To post a comment on our review, go to the Speak
Out page.
To e-mail your opinion to George, click
here.
Today's Lineup | Sports
Pages | Features | Newsstand
| Sports Links
Speak Out | Mailing
List | Scouting Dept. | About
Us | Home
Contact us at Info@ArmchairQB.com
