BRAVES AREN'T HERE, BUT JUSTICE IS; OUTFIELDER THRIVES AFTER BEING TRADED.

Byline: Claire Smith New York Times

The last time David Justice was seen or heard in a World Series in which he had a chance to effect change, the outfielder did so twice.

Justice, then with the Atlanta Braves, challenged the fans of the city two years ago because of their perceived passivity, then answered their newfound bluster - boos - by hitting a home run to win the World Series clincher against the Cleveland Indians.

That verbal blast, followed by the more impressive physical one, came many changes removed from Justice's reality now.

For the 31-year-old Justice is a member of a Cleveland team that is on the threshold of a second chance, preparing for another World Series, this time against the National League champion Florida Marlins.

And Justice, never shy or without an opinion, has again voiced his opinions on fans. This time, however, he has come to praise, not bury, either those who await the visiting Indians tonight in Game 1 at Pro Player Stadium or the ones who will fill Jacobs Field when the Series shifts there Tuesday.

``This is the second most outstanding of all my five Series because it's so exciting in Cleveland,'' said Justice, the still-baby-faced outfielder who started appearing in World Series for the Braves in 1991. ``Our fans are so incredible. I know how much it will mean to our city and those fans if we take it all the way.''

Justice, well-traveled and well-versed, needed only a day to sense how much this series also means to South Florida. ``We were eating today in South Beach,'' he said, referring to the posh tourist section of Miami, ``and just to see the people here so excited about the Marlins, I really like that kind of stuff, because so many people's lives are being affected right now just because the Marlins are in.''

That is why, Justice said, ``I think this series already is great, and we haven't even started yet.''

For most ex-Braves, such a sentiment might be blasphemy. Not for Justice. ``I think everybody is tired of seeing the Braves,'' he said, laughing. ``I just think around the country a lot more people are really excited because it's different.''

In a sense, Justice seems different. Gone is the combative, moody player who seemed hemmed in by his former team and a conservative town. Instead, here stands an introspective, but happier player.

Justice has been matured by injuries that still dog him. The series will force Justice, with a tender elbow and knee, to play left field, a new position and a new challenge, rather than his accustomed right.

It will not be Justice's biggest challenge, just the latest. Last fall, the good will engendered by the 1995 series home run was all but gone by October. By the time the Braves were losing last year's World Series to the Yankees, Justice was no longer Atlanta's angry young man, but its forgotten one, relegated to cheerleading because of an injury to his right shoulder that limited him to 40 early regular-season games.

When Justice's replacement, Andruw Jones, became a postseason hero with his own home runs, it all but sealed the Braves' desire to move on. So Justice was traded, along with Marquis Grissom, to Cleveland for Kenny Lofton just before this season opened.

Justice was transformed by the change, though not right away. ``This was my first time ever being traded,'' he said. ``Basically, I just thought I was going to come over and be quiet and try to fit in because I didn't know what type of personality the team had. I didn't know anything.''

Well, he knew one thing. The Indians, two-time American League Central winners, had a core of veteran leaders. ``And I definitely didn't want to walk in and be the one who set the standard on how well we were going to be this year,'' he said, ``because I didn't feel that was my place.''

Yet his voice and spirit, which hardly remain still for long, eventually came through. It was Justice who was credited with helping keep the club loose when it could not stay above .500 early this season. It was Justice who stumbled onto the last galvanizing action of the season when in August he suggested that the team salute the high-stockinged first baseman Jim Thome by hitching up their knickers on Thome's birthday.

``I think I'm a natural rah-rah guy,'' said Justice, who backed up the cheers with a .329 average, 33 homers and 101 RBI this season and hit .300 in the playoffs against the Yankees and Orioles.

``Eventually, I just started opening up more, because I know only one way of playing, and that's getting behind my teammates.''

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PHOTO Elbow and knee injuries are forcing David Justice to play left field for the Cleveland Indians. He is accustomed to playing in right field.

Associated Press