Citizendia

Albert Belle
Outfielder
Born: August 25, 1966 (1966-08-25) (age 41)
Shreveport, Louisiana
Batted: RightThrew: Right
MLB debut
July 15, 1989
for the Cleveland Indians
Final game
October 1, 2000
for the Baltimore Orioles
Career statistics
Batting average    . Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America Events 1099 - First Crusade: Christian soldiers take the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem after the final Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants (4-0 Dave Stewart, The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively 295
Home runs    381
Runs batted in    1,239
Teams
Career highlights and awards

Albert Jojuan Belle (born August 25, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, and Baltimore Orioles. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Oakland Athletics over San Francisco Giants (4-0 Dave Stewart, Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-2 John Wetteland, MVP The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Florida Marlins over Cleveland Indians (4-3 Liván Hernández, Headline events of the year Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, Ken Griffey Jr The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Atlanta Braves (4-0 Mariano Rivera, MVP Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League The Albert Jojuan Belle (born August 25, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball Outfielder for the Cleveland Indians Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in Baseball farthest from the batter The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. Standing at 6'2 and weighing in at 225 lbs, Albert was one of the leading sluggers of his time, and in 1995 he became the first player to hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs in a single season.

Belle was also considered a model of consistency, compiling a . 295 career batting average, averaging 37 home runs and 120 RBIs a season over the ten main years of his major league career from 1991 to 2000. Batting average is a Statistic in both Cricket and Baseball measuring the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters, respectively Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Minnesota Twins over Atlanta Braves (4-3 Jack Morris, MVP Champions Major League Baseball Regular Season Champions Other champions Caribbean World Series: Belle is also one of only six players in major league history to have nine consecutive 100-RBI seasons. However, his combative personality combined with occasional angry outbursts created a reputation for surliness that often overshadowed his on-field hitting performance.

Currently (2008 May 15th) working out in Scottsdale, Arizona in a attempt to revitalize his career. Albert was also spotted playing a round of golf with Cleveland Indians GM Mark Shapiro.

Contents

Early life

Albert Belle, and his fraternal twin, Terry, were born on August 25, 1966, in Shreveport, Louisiana, the son of Albert Belle Sr. Twins are Offspring resulting from the same Pregnancy, either of the same or opposite Sex. Events 1248 - The Dutch city of Ommen receives city rights and fortification rights from Otto III the Year 1966 ( MCMLXVI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the 1966 Gregorian calendar. Shreveport is the third-largest city and the principal city of the third largest Metropolitan area in the U The State of Louisiana ( or, État de Louisiane, pronounced) is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America , a high school baseball and football coach, and Carrie Belle, a former math teacher. A former Boy Scout, he attained the rank of eagle. Some troops are co-educational for those troops this article is relevant to them Belle attended Huntington High School in Shreveport, where he was a star baseball and football player, a member of the National Honor Society and vice president of the local Future Business Leaders of America. Started in 1921 the National Honor Society, or NHS, is an organization whose intent is to recognize middle and high school students who show achievement in scholarship FBLA redirects here For other uses see FBLA (disambiguation The Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda, or FBLA-PBL He graduated sixth in his high school class and made the all-state baseball team twice. In 1984, he was selected to play for the USA in the Junior Olympics in which the U.S. won a silver medal. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the He played outfield and pitched, winning one game. After graduation, Belle was offered many football and baseball scholarships, including one to the University of Notre Dame and an appointment to the United States Air Force Academy. The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm is a private Roman Catholic Research university located in The United States Air Force Academy ( USAFA or Air Force) is an accredited college for the undergraduate education of officers for the United States Air However, Belle decided to stay close to home and accepted a baseball scholarship to Louisiana State University. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, generally known as Louisiana State University or LSU, is a public, Coeducational

College

Belle played college baseball at LSU from 1985–1987 where he made 1st team All-SEC in 1986 and 1987 and played in 184 games, with 585 at bats, 194 hits, 30 doubles, 49 home runs, 172 runs batted in, 157 runs, a . The LSU baseball team represents Louisiana State University in NCAA Division I College baseball. The Southeastern Conference (SEC is a College Athletic conference headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama, which operates in the southeastern 670 slugging percentage, and a . 332 batting average.

After college, he was drafted by the Cleveland Indians. The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio, United States. While in the minor league system he was known as "Joey" (his childhood nickname) and was thought of as a top prospect, but high-risk due to his temper and excessive drinking. Belle underwent counseling and became known as "Albert. " Umpire Durwood Merrill, who wrote a book called You're Out, and You're Ugly, Too, tweaked Belle by calling him "Joey" long past the time when Belle was known by that name publicly. Edwin Durwood Merrill ( March 12 1938 - January 11 2003) was an American umpire

Major League career

Belle became the fourth player to have eight straight seasons of 30 home runs and 100 RBI, joining Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, and Lou Gehrig. George Herman Ruth Jr (February 6 1895 &ndash August 16 1948 also popularly known as " Babe " " The Bambino " and " The Sultan of James Emory "Jimmie" Foxx ( October 22 - July 21) ( nicknamed Double X and The Beast) was an American First Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig ( June 19 1903  – June 2 1941) born Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig, was an American He was a mediocre fielder, but had a powerful throwing arm and was a smart base runner and base stealer, with a career high of 23 steals in 1993, and a surprising 17 steals in 1999 despite hip problems. Belle led the league three times in RBI, three times in total bases, three times in extra-base hits, and twice in slugging. He was a five-time All-Star between 1993 and 1997.

Notably, Albert Belle's career highs in home runs, RBI, batting average, runs scored, and walks occurred in five separate seasons.

In 2006, the Hardball Times published a statistical comparison of Belle's career statistics with that of 60 of his current and former peers. The article ranked Belle ranked in career "prime value," behind current Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner and presumed future inductee Frank Thomas. A hall of fame (sometimes HOF) is a type of Museum established for any a field of endeavor to honor individuals of noteworthy achievement in that field Ralph McPherran Kiner (born October 27, 1922) is an American former Major League Baseball player and current Announcer. Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. [1]

In 1994, Belle lost the batting title to the New York Yankees' outfielder Paul O'Neill, . The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Paul Andrew O'Neill (born February 25, 1963 in Columbus Ohio) is a former Right fielder Major League Baseball player who won five 359 to . 357. Belle's post-season record was limited to two heavy-hitting appearances, in which only his batting average suffered: he hit . 230/. 405/. 557 (batting average, on base percentage and slugging percentage, respectively) with six home runs and 14 RBIs in 61 at-bats. In Baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP (sometimes referred to as on-base average ', as the statistic is rarely presented as a true Percentage) In Baseball statistics, slugging percentage (abbreviated SLG) is a popular measure of the power of a hitter.

In 1995, Belle became the first player in the history of the major leagues to hit 50 homers and 50 doubles in the same season; before Belle, the last player to reach as many as 40 in both categories had been Willie Stargell in 1973. Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell ( March 6, 1940 &ndash April 9, 2001) nicknamed " Pops " in the later years of Year 1973 ( MCMLXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar of the 1973 Gregorian calendar. The achievement was especially impressive because Belle only played 143 games in 1995 due to a season shortened by the previous year's players strike. The 40-40 mark has been surpassed since, most recently by Alfonso Soriano in 2006, but Belle's 50-50 combo remains unique. Alfonso Guilleard Soriano (born January 7 1976 in San Pedro de Macoris, Dominican Republic) is a professional Major League Baseball Outfielder

His reputation, and more specifically his disdain of the media, cost him votes for the 1995 MVP Award. Belle finished second in the media voting to the Boston Red Sox's Mo Vaughn. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn (born December 15, 1967 in Norwalk, Connecticut) nicknamed "Hit Dog is a former Major League Baseball This result occurred despite Belle's having led the American League that season in runs scored, home runs, RBI, slugging percentage, and total bases, and despite his outpacing Vaughn head-to-head in every important offensive category except RBI (both men had 126); both players' teams reached the playoffs. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in This was in the middle of a three-year streak in which Albert Belle finished 3rd, 2nd, and 3rd for the American League MVP. Belle had two other top ten MVP finishes, in 1993 (7th) and 1998 (8th).

In the winter of 1996, Belle signed a 5-year, $55 million deal with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent. The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. This contract made him the highest paid player in baseball for a brief period. Belle enjoyed two great seasons in Chicago, including a career-high 27-game hitting streak in May 1997. Belle came close to having another 50/50 season in 1998, with 49 home runs (a White Sox team record that still stands) and 48 doubles. Additionally, when Cal Ripken ended his record consecutive game streak in September 1998, it was Belle who took over as the major leagues' active leader in the category.

Belle's White Sox contract had an unusual clause allowing him to demand that he would remain one of the three highest paid players in baseball. In October 1998, Belle invoked the clause, and when the White Sox declined to give him a raise, Belle immediately became a free agent. Belle again became the game's highest paid player, signing a five-year, $65 million deal with the Baltimore Orioles. The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland. However, Belle ended his career just two seasons later, retiring at age 34 as a result of degenerative osteoarthritis in his hip. Osteoarthritis ( OA, also known as degenerative Arthritis, degenerative joint disease) is a clinical syndrome in which low-grade inflammation However, he was kept on Baltimore's active 40-man roster for the next three years, as a condition of the insurance policy which largely reimbursed the Orioles for the remainder of Belle's contract.

Albert Belle homered in the final at-bat of his major-league career on October 1, 2000. Events 331 BC - Alexander the Great defeats Darius III of Persia in the Battle of Gaugamela. 2000 ( MM) was a Leap year that started on Saturday of the Common Era, in accordance with the Gregorian calendar.

Awards and accomplishments

College (LSU):

Major League Baseball (Cleveland Indians, Chicago White Sox, Baltimore Orioles):

Preceded by
Cecil Fielder		American League RBI Champion
1993		Succeeded by
Kirby Puckett
Preceded by
Frank Thomas		American League Player of the Month
June 1994		Succeeded by
Frank Thomas
Preceded by
Garret Anderson		American League Player of the Month
August & September 1995		Succeeded by
Frank Thomas
Preceded by
Ken Griffey, Jr.		American League Home Run Champion
1995		Succeeded by
Mark McGwire
Preceded by
Kirby Puckett		American League RBI Champion
1995-1996
(1995 with Mo Vaughn)		Succeeded by
Ken Griffey, Jr.
Preceded by
Rafael Palmeiro		American League Player of the Month
July 1998		Succeeded by
Derek Jeter
Preceded by
Derek Jeter		American League Player of the Month
September 1998		Succeeded by
Manny Ramírez
Preceded by
Rafael Palmeiro & Iván Rodríguez		American League Player of the Month
September 1999		Succeeded by
Jermaine Dye
Preceded by
Edgar Martínez		American League Player of the Month
June 2000		Succeeded by
Johnny Damon

Controversy

Belle was involved in several controversial incidents during his major league career. Cecil Grant Fielder (ˈsɛsəl (born September 21, 1963 in Los Angeles California) is a former Professional baseball player who was a noted Major League Baseball recognizes Runs batted in champions in the American League and National League each season Year 1993 ( MCMXCIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar) Kirby Puckett (March 14 1960 – March 6 2006 was a Center fielder Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. Garret Joseph Anderson (born June 30, 1972 in Los Angeles California) is a Major League Baseball Left fielder and Designated The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Frank Edward Thomas (born May 27 1968 is a Major League Baseball Designated hitter for the Oakland Athletics. George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey Jr (born November 21 1969 in Donora Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball Center fielder for the Chicago Major League Baseball recognizes home run champions in the American League and National League each season Mark David McGwire (born October 1 1963 in Pomona California) is a former professional baseball player who played the majority of his Major League career with the Kirby Puckett (March 14 1960 – March 6 2006 was a Center fielder Major League Baseball recognizes Runs batted in champions in the American League and National League each season Year 1995 ( MCMXCV) was a Common year starting on Sunday. Events of 1995 Year 1996 ( MCMXCVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display full 1996 Gregorian calendar) Maurice Samuel 'Mo' Vaughn (born December 15, 1967 in Norwalk, Connecticut) nicknamed "Hit Dog is a former Major League Baseball George Kenneth "Ken" Griffey Jr (born November 21 1969 in Donora Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball Center fielder for the Chicago Rafael Palmeiro Corrales (born September 24, 1964 in Havana, Cuba) is a former Major League Baseball player with a career spanning The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Derek Sanderson Jeter (ˈʤitɚ born June 26 1974 is an American Major League Baseball player Derek Sanderson Jeter (ˈʤitɚ born June 26 1974 is an American Major League Baseball player The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Manuel "Manny" Aristides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30 1972 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican-American professional Rafael Palmeiro Corrales (born September 24, 1964 in Havana, Cuba) is a former Major League Baseball player with a career spanning Iván Rodríguez Torres (born November 30 1971 in Manatí Puerto Rico) also known as "Pudge Rodríguez" and "I-Rod", is a Major The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Jermaine Terrell Dye (born January 28 1974 in Vacaville California) is a Right fielder in Major League Baseball for the Chicago White Sox For the other professional baseball player named Edgar Martínez see Edgar Martínez (pitcher Edgar Martínez, born January 2, The Player of the Month award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season Johnny David Damon (born November 5 1973 in Fort Riley, Kansas) is a Thai American Major League Baseball Outfielder for the He was suspended in 1994 for using a corked bat. In Baseball, a corked bat is a specially modified Baseball bat that has been filled with cork or similar light less dense substances to make the bat lighter He was fined in 1996 for knocking down Brewers infielder Fernando Viña, who had blocked his way on the basepaths (though many observers felt the collision was a legitimate play). Fernando Viña (pronounced VEEN-ya (born April 16, 1969 in Sacramento California) is a retired Cuban - American Major League He also had unpleasant interactions with the public. In 1990, he threw a baseball into the stands, where it struck a fan who had been taunting him about his alcohol rehab. He also chased down rowdy trick-or-treating vandals who were celebrating Halloween by throwing eggs at his home; Belle ended up bumping one of the vandals with his car. Halloween, or Hallowe’en, is a Holiday celebrated on the night of October 31. In 1986, he went after a heckler in the stands who was shouting racist insults at him; he was suspended while his team played in the College World Series. The College World Series or CWS is a Baseball Tournament held in Omaha Nebraska that is the culmination of the NCAA Division I Baseball

Sports reporters resented Belle's refusal to grant interviews before a game. A profane outburst directed at a group of reporters in his team's dugout, including NBC Sports personality Hannah Storm, was widely reported during the 1995 World Series. NBC Sports is the brand used for sports programming on NBC, responsible for the televising of many Sports events on the network Hannah Storm (born Hannah Storen on June 13, 1962, in Atlanta Georgia) is co-anchor of ESPN's Sportscenter airing live from 9 a The 1995 World Series matched the Atlanta Braves against the Cleveland Indians, with the Braves winning in six games to capture its third World Championship in Later, Belle was unrepentant: "The Indians wanted me to issue a statement of regret when the fine was announced, but I told them to take it out. I apologize for nothing. "

Eventually, Belle routinely refused to speak with the media. "I don't get excited talking about myself", he explained. "Guys such as Sandy Koufax, Joe DiMaggio, and Steve Carlton did not interview, and it was no big deal. Sanford Koufax (ˈkoʊfæks (born Sanford Braun, on December 30, 1935) is an American Left-handed former Pitcher in Joseph Paul DiMaggio, born Giuseppe Paolo DiMaggio Jr ( November 25, 1914 &ndash March 8, 1999) nicknamed Joltin' Joe Steven Norman Carlton (born December 22, 1944 in Miami Florida) is a former left-handed Pitcher in Major League Baseball, from to They were quiet. I am also quiet. I just want to concentrate on baseball. Why does everyone want to hear me talk, anyway?" Belle rarely even conducted interviews regarding his various charitable donations and scholarships that might have burnished his sour image.

But the media did not ignore Belle. ESPN's Buster Olney would write about Belle's outbursts while a Cleveland Indian:

It was a taken in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts. ESPN, originally an acronym for Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, is an American Cable television network dedicated to Robert Stanbury "Buster" Olney III (born 17 February 1964 in Washington D . . The Indians billed him $10,000 a year for the damage he caused in clubhouses on the road and at home, and tolerated his behavior only because he was an awesome slugger. . . He slurped coffee constantly and seemed to be on a perpetual caffeinated frenzy. Few escaped his anger: on some days he would destroy the postgame buffet. . . launching plates into the shower. . . after one poor at-bat against Boston, he retreated to the visitor's clubhouse and took a bat to teammate Kenny Lofton's boombox. Belle preferred to have the clubhouse cold, below 60 degrees, and when one chilly teammate turned up the heat, Belle walked over, turned down the thermostat, and smashed it with his bat. His nickname, thereafter, was "Mr. Freeze. "[2]

In 2001, following Belle's retirement, the New York Daily News' columnist Bill Madden wrote:

Responding to this, The New York Times sportswriter Robert Lipsyte observed:

When Belle did choose to communicate with fans, it was generally via unfiltered forums such as his website, or in columns for the Baltimore Sun and Baltimore Press. The Baltimore Sun (officially just The Sun) is Maryland ’s largest general circulation daily newspaper and provides comprehensive coverage

In Belle's first year of Hall of Fame eligibility (2006), he garnered only 7. 7% of the baseball writers' votes—missing election by an extremely wide margin. [1] But Belle's vote total was high enough to keep his name on the ballot for the following year. In 2007, however, Belle only garnered 19 votes (3. 5%) and dropped off the ballot.

In February 2006, Belle was arrested on suspicion of stalking a woman who was identified in court as a former licensed escort. [2] He was again arrested in charges related to the same case on May 17, 2006. [3] On July 27, 2006, Belle plead guilty to one count of stalking and he was sentenced on August 24 to 90 days in jail and five years supervised probation. [4] Belle had attached a GPS tracking device onto her car and obtained her phone records. Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth Belle issued an apology to the woman stating, "I have made mistakes in my life, but I have admitted my mistakes and learned from them to be a better person. "[5]

See also

References

  1. ^ Rice, Belle, and Dawson in Context - The Hardball Times
  2. ^ Olney, Buster, The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty" (Harper Collins, 2004) p. See also List of lifetime home run leaders through history This is a list of the top 500 Major League Baseball home run hitters. Below is the list of 257 Major League Baseball players who have reached the 1000 RBI milestone In Major League Baseball, the 50 home run club is an informal term applied to the group of players who have hit 50 or more Home runs in a single season Players denoted in boldface are still actively contributing to the record noted Major League Baseball recognizes Runs batted in champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes home run champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes runs scored champions in the American League and National League each season Major League Baseball recognizes doubles champions in the American League and National League each season Listed below are the occurrences of Major League Baseball players who have hit three Home runs in a single game 133-134

External links

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