From Belle to Bonds
Two of the most prominent sluggers of the 1990s had big events happen this week.
Barry Bonds, who hit at least 30 homers in all but one year in the decade, tied Babe Ruth this week.
Albert Belle, who hit 50 homers in 1995 and was the driving force of the Indians offense in the '90s, was arrested for stalking.
The two men who were two of the top sluggers in baseball just a few years ago are now in very different places. Bonds is chasing one of the sport's greatest records, and remains, even at 41, one of the most feared hitters in the game. Albert Belle is out of the game, and has been since 2000, when a degenerative hip condition forced him to retire.
In truth, the two men had as much in common off the field as on. Even today, the similarities are striking.
Bonds is heckled almost everywhere he goes, unless he's playing in San Francisco, where he is loved.
People may not remember this, due to the way the partnership ended, but Belle was the exact same way in Cleveland. He was jeered everywhere he went. Fans in Boston chanted "Corky" at him, in reference to his corked-bat suspension in 1994. He was booed everywhere. Bob Costas, self-appointed moral-authority on everything, launched into an anti-Belle speech at the 1996 All-Star game, encouraged the star to seek help.
Growing up in Cleveland at the time (and being a baseball-obsessed teenager), I was a constant Belle apologist. He was the only player whose jersey I owned, and I supported him despite some somewhat horrifying incidents. I had an answer for everything.
• Belle threw a ball at a heckling fan. Well, he shouldn't have been on him so bad. Belle did what anyone would have done.
• Belle chased some kids who egged his house. Hey, lousy kids got what they deserved.
• Belle corked his bat, then the Indians stole it when it was confiscated by umpires. Um, the White Sox probably set him up.
• Belle took then-Brewers second baseman Fernando Vina out with an elbow when Vina tried to tag him going to second in 1996. See, Vina shouldn't have been there in the first place. He could have underhanded it to the shortstop.
The more Belle did, the more fans in Cleveland went nuts for him. He was the best player not only on the team, but in the city.
Of course, when Belle left Cleveland for the White Sox, Cleveland became just like the rest of the country - only it booed louder.
Belle finished his career with Baltimore 2000 with a career-total of 381 homers and 1,239 runs batted in. In his final season, he drove in 103 runs.
Belle was arrested Wednesday for the second time on stalking charges. He was charged with stalking in February after he allegedly installed a GPS device on his ex-girlfriend's car and threatened her.
When looking back on Belle's career, I think of two men. The first was one of the best hitters I have ever seen. If I had to pick one batter from my lifetime to bat in a clutch situation, Belle would be it.
Now I look at Belle's off-the-field antics differently. In truth, Costas was right about Belle. He needed help. He appears to still need help.
Indians fans knew over a decade ago that Belle had issues. But he was a great player, and more importantly he was our great player. But a decade later, the realization is we defended him not because we wanted to downplay the incidents, but because he was a great player.
I wonder, in light of the steroid allegations that make Bonds' guilt evident to almost everyone outside of San Francisco, how the Giants' outfielder will be regarded in a few years there.
The Giants fans may not want to face Bonds' issues now. But what about when he's no longer wearing a Giants uniform?
Also can be read on www.blogcritics.org