Grissom, Justice Show the Way for Indians

Mr. October?

“No,” says Marquis Grissom, shaking his head. “I don’t want to take that from Reggie Jackson. I don’t consider myself a big-game player. I’m just having fun, enjoying myself. It’s the World Series, where we all want to be. Why panic?”

The Cleveland Indians continue to reap the benefits of the trade that sent Kenny Lofton to the Atlanta Braves, who are home, sleeping.

Do Marquis Grissom or David Justice care about that?

Do they care that they are playing the Florida Marlins in the World Series rather than the Braves, the team that traded them to the Indians?

“Why should I care,” Grissom said after he and Justice contributed big to the Indians’ 6-1 victory over the Marlins on Sunday night.

“They didn’t want me. I can’t feel sad or sorry for them.”

Said Justice: “People were tired of seeing the Braves in the World Series. This is different, and I think people around the country are excited about that.”

Another 67,025 of the Fish faithful were excitedly looking for a sweep of the two games at Pro Player Stadium, but the Indians gained a split Sunday night as the Series now leaves the warmth of Florida for the tundra of Ohio.

Grissom, the most valuable player in the American League pennant victory over the Baltimore Orioles largely because of his decisive, three-run homer in Game 2, had three singles in Game 2 of the World Series and drove in the run that broke a 1-1 tie in the fifth.

He has hit in all 14 of the World Series games in which he has played, the second-longest streak in Series history, three shy of Hank Bauer’s record. His Series average of .441 (26 for 59) is the highest in Series history among players with 50 or more at-bats.

“He’s a big-game, big-time player,” General Manager John Hart said. “We knew that when we traded for him.

“Players with track records who are in the prime of their careers like Grissom and Justice generally play back to that resume. They’re both pros and winners. I mean, we added three leaders--David, Marquis and Matt Williams.”

Justice, in his fifth World Series in the last six years and batting .319 in the current postseason, the same average as Grissom, gave Cleveland starter Chad Ogea a first-inning lift Sunday when he singled in the first run against Kevin Brown. He also walked in the sixth and upended second baseman Craig Counsell on a hard slide to break up a sure double play, keeping an inning alive for Sandy Alomar, who slugged a two-run homer.

While Grissom struggled some in his first year in the American League, Justice, coming off a final Atlanta season in which he was limited to 40 games by shoulder surgery, batted .329 with 33 homers and 101 runs batted in. “I didn’t think I’d ever see a hitter as prepared and as knowledgeable about hitting as Albert Belle, but David is,” Cleveland Manager Mike Hargrove said, adding:

“These two guys [Justice and Grissom] have been golden for us by the attitude they’ve brought to the club--on the field and in the clubhouse.”

Belle left as a free agent. Lofton was traded because the Indians were convinced they would not be able to re-sign him at the end of the 1997 season, when he is eligible for free agency.

Hart and Hargrove call it their most enjoyable season. The Indians have a new, friendly face, a warm clubhouse. The belligerent Belle and often surly Lofton carted off several summers of distractions.

“You’re talking about two team guys compared to two individual guys,” an Indian veteran said, categorizing Justice and Grissom as the team players compared to Belle and Lofton.

Said Grissom, referring to his early struggles in the AL: “I don’t care if I’m hitting .220, I’m going to give positive support to my teammates.”

Both he and Justice are credited with helping keep the team loose when it was battling to get above .500 in midseason.

And it was Justice who suggested displaying the full length of their uniform socks in tribute to Jim Thome’s birthday in August.

“I was hesitant to express myself at first, but I started to open up more because I know only one way of playing, and that’s as a rah-rah guy who gets behind his teammates,” Justice said, adding he was hurt by the Braves’ decision to trade him but has been invigorated by the enthusiasm of Cleveland fans.

He has come full circle in that it was during the 1995 World Series between the Braves and Indians that Justice spoke out before Game 6 and criticized Atlanta fans in bold headlines, saying they lacked the zeal of Cleveland fans and inherently expected the Braves to lose.

He was greeted by boos that night, until hitting the home run that won the game and Series, 1-0.

“The biggest day of my career was the Game 6 day in Atlanta where everybody in the park wanted me to fail,” Justice said.

“I prayed all day, ‘God, if you let me come out of this I’ll never doubt my faith in you again.’ Well, we all know what happened [with his decisive homer], so when I was traded I said, ‘Well, we’re both going to Cleveland.’ ”

Both? He might have been referring to Grissom, but he was actually referring to his heavenly helper. It has definitely been a divine package for the Indians.