BROUGHT TO JUSTICE

NEW YORK —  They say it’s better to be lucky than good. And then there’s New York Yankee General Manager Brian Cashman, who was both lucky and good in June when he swung the deal that may be responsible for the Yankees being in a position to win their third consecutive World Series title.

With the New York tabloids abuzz about a possible trade for sluggers Sammy Sosa or Juan Gonzalez, Cashman called Cleveland assistant general manager Mark Shapiro looking for Indian scout Gary Tuck. Tuck was a Yankee catching instructor in 1999, and Cashman needed to send him a World Series ring.

Shapiro and Cashman got to talking, and Shapiro asked Cashman if he’d be interested in David Justice, an outfielder the then-struggling Indians were looking to dump to clear payroll for this winter’s attempt to re-sign outfielder Manny Ramirez.

Intrigued by the thought of adding a veteran run producer for a fraction of the cost of a Sosa or Gonzalez, Cashman hooked up with Cleveland GM John Hart and quickly consummated the trade, sending outfielder Ricky Ledee and minor league pitchers Jake Westbrook and Zach Day to the Indians for Justice.

In Justice, the Yankees have been well-served.

Since the June 29 deal, Justice hit .305 in 78 games and had more home runs (20) and runs batted in (60) than any other Yankee. The left fielder was the most valuable player of the American League championship series after producing the Yankees’ two biggest hits in their six-game victory over the Seattle Mariners.

With the Yankee offense stringing together more zeros than Alex Rodriguez’s next contract, Justice’s leadoff double sparked a seven-run eighth inning that snapped a 16-inning scoreless drought and won Game 2, 7-1.

And with the prospect of a seventh game looming, Justice’s three-run homer in the seventh inning of Game 6 Tuesday erased a 4-3 deficit and propelled the Yankees to a 9-7 victory and their 37th pennant.

“You knew he could hit, but what he’s done is above and beyond anyone’s expectations,” Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter said. “There have been times where he’s carried this team.”

Justice began the postseason batting fifth, but with right fielder Paul O’Neill struggling, Manager Joe Torre moved Justice to third. So in less than four months, Justice has gone from expendable Indian to dependable Yankee, filling the marquee lineup spot for a team that will open the World Series against the New York Mets in Yankee Stadium on Saturday night.

“We didn’t know Justice was available at the time,” Cashman said. “And when he was, we felt he was the best fit. For our payroll, for the cost of the players we had to give up, for his left-handed bat, for the whole shooting match.”

After going through his celebrity marriage to and divorce from actress Halle Berry, Justice is no stranger to the kind of media hysteria surrounding baseball’s first Subway Series in 44 years. And he is no stranger to postseason pressure.

Justice is only 34, but the former Atlanta Brave and Indian is the all-time leader in postseason plate appearances and has appeared in more playoff games (88) than any other player.

His three-run homer Tuesday gave him 51 playoff RBIs, moving him ahead of Reggie Jackson (48) and into the top spot, and his 13 homers are the sixth most in postseason play. His 23 league championship series RBIs are No. 1 on the list.

Though Justice bats left-handed, he hit .321 with nine homers and 20 RBIs in 81 at-bats against left-handers for the Yankees this season, which should give him confidence going against Met lefties Al Leiter and Mike Hampton in Games 1 and 2.

“Sosa’s name took the headlines, but David was such a perfect fit for our type of club,” Torre said. “He hits home runs, but he’s not necessarily a home run hitter. He’s a good hitter, a contact guy, and he plays the outfield well.”

Justice’s salary was a good fit. He didn’t come cheap--Justice made $7 million this season and is guaranteed $7 million in 2001 and $7 million in 2002--but the cost to re-sign Sosa or Gonzalez would have been in the $15-million-a-year range.

Most important, Justice, after a rough transition period, seemed a perfect fit in a veteran clubhouse of players who are used to winning, expect nothing less than World Series titles and who know how to go about the business of winning them.

“You go to spring training with a team you hope to win the World Series with, and then all of a sudden they call you in in the middle of the season and say we’ve traded you to the world champions,” Justice said.

“Next thing you know, 24 hours later, you’re wearing a different uniform, you’ve got a different route from your new home to your new stadium, you see new people who work here. It’s like your world is turned upside down.

“It took me a week [before I felt comfortable here] because I know when I first got here, I was trying to hit everything out, just to show [Torre] that everything was working, but that wasn’t working. But I settled down after a week to 10 days, and it was the guys who made my transition smooth.”

Justice was one of the most heckled of Yankee opponents when he was with the Braves and Indians, fans often greeting his plate appearances with chants of “Hal-le-Ber-ry, Hal-le-Ber-ry.”

But in half a season, he has endeared himself to Yankee fans with his consistent production, and his Game 6 homer elevated him to legend status, worthy of an emotional curtain call.

After checking his swing on a 2-and-1 Arthur Rhodes pitch, a critical umpire’s call because Justice went from a possible 2-and-2 pitch to a hitter-favorable 3-and-1 count--Justice lined his homer into the upper deck in right field, probably the Yankees’ most clutch postseason homer since Jim Leyritz’s blast turned the 1996 World Series in the Yankees’ favor.

“What was really special was watching the stadium erupt,” Justice said. “That was just unbelievable.”

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Post Player

With a three-run home run against Seattle in Game 6 of the ALCS, New York Yankee left fielder David Justice passed Reggie Jackson for most RBIs in the postseason. Justice’s statistics in the postseason.