David Justice enjoyed many highlights in his 14-season career: Two World Series (one with the New York Yankees), a Rookie of the Year, three All-Star nods and 305 home runs, to name a few.
But one of the lowlights occurred in the final years of his career when he (briefly) landed with the New York Mets in December 2001 via a trade with the Yankees for Robin Ventura.
When I got traded to the Mets, man, I was like there’s no way I could play with the Mets,” Justice said on the “Flippin’ Bats” podcast with Ben Verlander on Wednesday. “Because when I play for a team, it means something to me. And I played with the Braves — couldn’t stand the Mets. I played with the Yankees — I really don’t like the Mets. And you’re asking me to leave this allegiance that I have internally — because it’s more than just a unform to me — to go play for the Mets? I hate the Mets. I was so happy when they traded me. I was so happy when they traded me to Oakland.”
Luckily for Justice, he was only a Met from Dec. 7 to Dec. 14 when the Mets sent him packing for Mark Guthrie and Tyler Yates. Perhaps they knew Justice’s internal struggle, one he said he never told anyone about because a reporter he didn’t name tipped him off to another trade in the works.
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