This week, the Post’s Andrew Marchand spoke with ESPN’s David Justice. Justice, who will turn 38 next week, played 14 seasons in the majors.
Q: You retired after the 2002 season. What is the toughest transition from player to ex-player?
A: Probably the toughest adjustment for guys is being home all the time. They are used to traveling a lot. Another thing I think is a tough transition is scheduling your life. When you are a professional baseball player, your life is kind of scheduled for you. You know which months you are going to be playing and where. When you retire, there is no schedule. You have to schedule your life. Those are the two toughest adjustments.
Q: You’ve been a Yankee and now you are at ESPN. What is your take on the “trial” of the Yankees?
A: Is it more of a spoof? If it is a spoof, then I just think it is funny. You can not fault George Steinbrenner or the Yankees for anything that he has done.
Q: At the end of October, who will be hoisting the trophy?
A: I’m going to say the Yankees. Offensively, they can match up with anyone in the game. There are questions with their starting rotation, but they have the best trump card in the game. They have an owner who will go out there and get whatever they need. So come the trade deadline, if the Yankees are in the thick of it, you know that George Steinbrenner is going to go out and get whatever is available to make that pitching staff better. For that reason, I really can’t see anyone beating the Yankees.
Q: Do you think that guy will be Randy Johnson?
A: Think about what you just said. We really think [Steinbrenner] could pull that off, don’t we? That’s my point. He’ll go get the one person nobody thinks you can get.
Q: You’re a former Brave. Is this the year the Braves don’t win their division?
A: I truly believe if they win the division this year, then Bobby Cox is definitely the manager of the year. When I look at that ballclub, I don’t think their pitching is as strong as it has been in the past. I think it means a lot when you lose guys like Greg Maddux and Tom Glavine.
That rotation now really has no face. It is just “Braves pitching.” Think about it; John Smoltz is the last holdover from that whole pitching staff.