BRONX, N.Y. — On this date in 2000, the New York Yankees acquired outfielder David Justice from the Cleveland Indians. Searching for a big bopper, the Bronx Bombers had inquired about the likes of Sammy Sosa and Juan Gonzalez but ultimately found their ma

The trade came somewhat out of the blue, with those aforementioned marquee names garnering attention and given how the Yankees and Indians were usually jockeying for the top record in the American League. At the time of the trade, the Yankees were 37-35, three games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.

After sending outfielder Ricky Ledee and pitching prospects Jake Westbrook and Zach Day to the Tribe, Justice and his sweet lefty swing was an instant fit in pinstripes.

In 78 games, Justice swatted 20 home runs, ranking third on the team, behind Bernie Williams and Jorge Posada.