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 Tall tales Belle's reputation already precedes him in Baltimore
Posted: Thursday April 01, 1999 08:25 PM
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- The numbers Albert Belle has compiled over a very successful baseball career can be summed up precisely and accurately on page 53 of the Baltimore Orioles 1999 media guide. When it comes to assessing his personality and reputation, however, there are no shortcuts. Plenty of tall tales, though. Belle's six suspensions, his disdain for reporters and his unyielding desire to win have made him somewhat notorious among his peers. Although a few of the anecdotes become embellished with time, that doesn't make them any less believable. "There was a time when he was hit square in the nose by a pitch and refused to go to first base. Instead, he pounded his bat on the plate, called the pitcher a name and demanded that he throw a strike," Baltimore's Brady Anderson said earlier this week. "Apparently, when Albert Belle doesn't want to go to first, he doesn't have to. [Umpire] Ted Hendry wasn't going to make him, either," Anderson said. Great story. Not true. Actually, Hendry ruled that the pitch never hit Belle, who was batting for the Chicago White Sox in the sixth inning of a game in Cleveland last season. Belle glared and screamed at pitcher Dave Burba before finally lining out to the left fielder. Once there was the time when Belle took a bat and smashed the thermostat in the Cleveland clubhouse because he was tired of the players turning it up a notch to keep the place from becoming a refrigerator. That incident earned him the nickname "Mr. Freeze." Great story. Absolutely true. Belle just might add another tale or two to his continuing saga this season as he begins a $65 million, five-year contract with the Orioles. Few players in baseball are as durable or as consistent at the plate as Belle, who hasn't missed a game in years and had at least 30 homers and 100 RBIs in each of the past seven seasons. That, of course, is only part of the package. The Orioles can only hope that all the headlines Belle produces this season come by virtue of his actions on the field. When he arrived in Baltimore, Belle spoke excitedly about playing with a contender, giving more of himself to the fans and making an effort to be more accessible to reporters. "I make a promise today that I am going to improve my relationship with the media," he said in December. The new era lasted about three weeks into spring training. After he smashed a bat and threw a spiked shoe while sitting at his locker during an exhibition game, the tirade was reported the next day and Belle promptly announced that he was done talking with members of the Baltimore media. Still, there's a very good chance that the surly slugger will give reporters plenty to write about this season. Playing 81 games in cozy Camden Yards, Belle just might make a run at the Triple Crown or even at Mark McGwire's record of 70 home runs. "If he gets off to a good start, he'll have an unbelievable year," Orioles manager Ray Miller said. "If he gets off to a slow start, he'll have a great year." Anderson, a fierce competitor in his own right, has already taken a liking to Belle, as evidenced by a picture taped above Anderson's locker throughout spring training. The photo shows Anderson and Belle standing shoulder to shoulder, both smiling, near the batting cage. "I find him to be a likable guy. Professionally, I've always appreciated the way he approached each at-bat. He doesn't give anything away," Anderson said. There are few players in the game who work harder to excel and who take more pride in their work. Belle has played in 334 consecutive games, the longest current streak in the majors, and he hasn't slacked off after signing the most lucrative contract in franchise history. "He's out here every morning early on the back fields. Then he does all the hitting we do," Miller said. "He loves the game, loves to work and doesn't like to lose. What more can I ask?"
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