Hall of Fame Case: Albert Belle- Part 2

*My apologies for those that wanted to see this case whole, but it proved to be too long for one entry, sizewise.

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Now, some people may have objecttions that transcend the statistical record. Let's address those accordingly.

• Character

Let's cut to the chase.

Albert Belle, to make an understatement, was not the most popular baseball personality in his time. Some might say he was the worst in baseball history.

It was his character, not his record, that stymied me when he first came on the ballot. You see, I value character when I look at Hall of Fame ballots, even if I don't have a vote.

I value character a lot.

So Belle, with all his awesome stats, was, ah, something of an issue for me.

Then I saw this quote:

"Just look at his numbers. That's all you have to do. He's really different from how he's portrayed; you guys don't give him a chance. Everything is blown out of proportion."

-Ken Griffey, Jr.

I don't know about you, but I trust Ken Griffey, Jr. He's one of the most trustworthy people in the game, and as a multiple All-Star, he's someone who would know, having played alongside him multiple times in the Midsummer Classic.

I decided, right there and then, that Albert Belle is a Hall-of-Famer.

I think I've made the right choice.

If you think Belle was all unspeakable incidents, you'd be wrong. There's another side to Belle, as I learned when reading his quotes on albertbelle.net.

Here are a few, taken directly from the site:

"Moral values have been thrown out the window. Christianity is out the window. And that's wrong. Parents should be at home, teaching kids right from wrong, making sure they get a great education so they can be a success in life."
- Associated Press...

September 26, 1998

"In the past I've tended to overreact. I was sure I'd be a superstar by the time I was 21. Baseball messed up my plan of life. When I fail I get upset. Sometimes I get upset too quickly, without thinking of consequences."
- Sports Illustrated...

June 24, 1991

"I am concerned there is a lot of negative publicity about Albert Belle, and a lot of positive things I do haven't been brought to the surface. Maybe it's my fault for not being accessible to the media. So I guess I'm going to work on changing my image."
- The Sporting News...February 26, 1996

"Even Jesus Christ got angry at times, and He was perfect. Try as I might, I'm not perfect. I have to work on my shortcomings."
- The Times-Picayune...June 25, 2005

"Baseball's a team sport. In order for me to be successful the other guys on the team have to be successful. So, if you're gonna acknowledge me, you have to acknowledge all the guys I've played with. You know, if it wasn't for them, to put me in a situation where I have a chance to produce, I wouldn't be able to produce."
- The Kenny Roda Show...July 19, 2001

He doesn't sound like the heckbent demon the media tend to portray. He sounds considerate. He sounds respectful. He even sounds humble.

He sounds...human.

If this is who he is, why was he once the most hated man in baseball?

The answer is in his competitive spirit.

"Albert has a very intense personality, and that can be a double-edged sword. It contributes to his success, because he's so driven. But it's not something you can turn on or off."

-Paul DePodesta, former Dodgers' General Manager, who used to work in the Indians' organization (From here)

"He uses his emotions to propel him, especially anger."

-Frank Mancini, Indians clubhouse attendant and friend (From here)

"I mean, people think I'm too intense for baseball. I've always excelled to be the best, no matter what, but it's like people think something is wrong with that."
-Albert Belle (From here)

Intensity. Competitiveness. Both valued traits in baseball.

It's just that Albert Belle sometimes went a "little" too far.

But according to that site, he had his reasons, though his actions are, in their extent, ultimately unjustifiable.

"I'm the kind of person that as long as you respect me and don't distract me before the game, then I'll respect you in return and accommodate you after the game. Sometimes the situation dictates that I talk, but everybody should understand I'm not going to talk every day, whether we're in first place or last place."
-

USA

Today...

February 25, 2000

"In baseball, I don't fraternize with players when it's time to hit. I'm preparing for the game. It's the most important time of the day. And I know if I don't hit, I won't have a job in the big leagues. That's why I tend to get very upset when people try to talk to me."
- Baseball Weekly...

March 8, 2000

, on talking before games

"I notice a lot of hitters fraternize with pitchers. I see guys laughing and giggling before the game. These are the same pitchers who are trying to beat them. . . . I've never seen Roger Clemens talking to hitters before the game. Bob Gibson was the same way. Man, I don't even see Maddux playing golf with hitters."
- Baseball Weekly...

March 8, 2000

Yes, Belle could have done a better job controlling himself. But that's not to say he wasn't provoked.

If you look it up, every incident had its justification. It was just that Belle took things too far.

Yes, his actions embarrassed the game. But so have all steroid users, and Mark McGwire still got one heck of a lot more votes than Belle in the last election.

Albert Belle was a better individual than people remember. I have no worries that he will explode if he gives his Induction speech.

Unless some ***** provokes him.

• Belle's hitting stats should be held to a higher standard because of the inflated numbers of his era
  
  This view has been taken by ESPN Senior Writor Rob Neyer.

Now, I really respect Rob Neyer. I really do.

So it kind of hurts to say this: Mr. Neyer, you'd be wrong.

Higher standard? What did he have to do, edge out Ruth somewhere?

Wait a minute. I thought he already did.

(You know, during that whole doubles and home runs thing.)

Belle was probably the best hitter in the loaded '90's. His statistical record beats McGwire's on every aspect that doesn't say home run.

And therein lies the problem.

It's not that Belle was a better hitter than McGwire.

It's that McGwire is a member of the 500 Home Run Club and Belle isn't.

Think about what that means: a great hitter is pushed aside by an inferior simply because he didn't reach a particular milestone.

With all due respect, Mr. Neyer, Hall of Fame standards do not equal milestones. Only about 20-30% of all Hall of Famers have actually achieved a major milestone. Like it or not, players that enter Cooperstown become part of the Hall standard, and even if you think so-and-so was illegitimate, you can hardly argue against a major theme of Hall voting.

That's right, a major theme.

So many players have been inducted despite stunting of some sort--be it injuries, military service, or simply a late start--that I could say 50% and I wouldn’t be off by much. Heck, two have been inducted since Belle retired after 2000--Kirby Puckett and Bruce Sutter.

So much for being against Hall of Fame standards.

And as for the high production of the era, a large part was probably steroid fueled.

And Belle did not take steroids.

What a great segue to the next critique...

• Steroids

I haven't heard anyone take this view, but I'll make my point nonetheless.

Albert Belle did not take steroids at any point in his career.

No one who has any knowledge of what steroids do to the body ought to make this assertion. I may not know much, but I do know steroids could not possibly cause an arthritic hip.

Steroids may hurt the muscular system, but they certainly don't cause arthritis.

It wouldn't even make logical sense. How something concerned with cartilage possibly be connected to something that affects muscles?

Oh, and we also have Belle's personal statement, from that site:

"I was too scared to take (steroids). . .I was into fitness and concerned about side effects and how it would affect me later in life."
- The

Arizona

Republic...February 25, 2005, on steriods

Conclusion

Albert Belle, quite frankly, is a Hall-of-Famer.

Some may say Belle's statistics were too short for the Hall of Fame, but Hank Greenberg, Hack Wilson, and Ralph Kiner would say differently (Their stats would, at least).

Belle is tied with history's best in a multitude of categories, 30/100 seasons to extra-base hits to doubles and home runs.

Belle, arguably, is the single greatest hitter of the '90's, and few could challenge him for being its greatest player.

For that matter, Belle could very well belong on the Top 10 list of the greatest hitters of all time. His stats are just that could.

His character? Not the cobra we tend to believe.

The era? Well, Belle was on top of even his own inflated era.

Steroids? A ridiculous argument (At least against Belle).

Surely by now you've come around to my position, as otherwise you're being--with all due respect--ridiculously biased and/or stubborn.

Perhaps your standards are too high. In that case, I'll bet this is what your ballots look like:

...

...

...

Albert Pujols.

...

...

...

Okay, that's enough.

Albert Belle is a Hall-of-Famer. Few have matched his stats, and few may do so in the future. He was truly a once-in-a-lifetime player.

Despite that, he has moved on from the Writer's Ballot to, hopefully, the Veteran's Ballot. There, hopefully, he will get his due. Then, hopefully, writers, fans, players--all will have forgiven.

For if Belle can't get in to the Hall of Fame, who can?