Chipper Jones Decries Remarks

ATLANTA (AP) â€” Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is upset over what he calls racially motivated criticism from former teammate David Justice. <br><br>Jones, who acknowledged publicly in 1998

Wednesday, October 25th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

ATLANTA (AP) â€” Atlanta Braves third baseman Chipper Jones is upset over what he calls racially motivated criticism from former teammate David Justice.

Jones, who acknowledged publicly in 1998 that he had fathered a child out of wedlock, signed a six-year, $90 million contract extension in August.

Justice, now with the New York Yankees three years after the Braves traded him away, told Atlanta radio station WQXI-AM that the Braves ``look the opposite way on certain guys.''

``If I had had a personal situation the way Chipper had it, you think they would have signed me to a $90 million contract?'' Justice said Monday. ``You must be crazy.''

Jones suggested Tuesday that Justice was referring to race.

``I know he would never say this publicly, but I'm a white guy,'' Jones told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. ``I honestly believe that's what spurred all the talk. But to use my situation like that, I don't think that's right.''

Jones called Justice a longtime friend. He said there are ``a lot of better reasons'' why Atlanta did not offer Justice a long-term deal, including his frequent injuries.

Justice is 2-for-10 in the World Series, which the Yankees lead 2-1 over the New York Mets.