222 | Albert Belle says his numbers are better than Mike Trout’s | Chris Rose Rotation

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5x All-Star Albert Belle joins Chris Rose to discuss his relationship with the media in the 90s, if he’s still mad over 1995 MVP snub, signing with the White Sox, being snubbed from the Hall of Fame, getting hit by a pitch and wanting to keep hitting, running over Fernando Vina and more!

0:00 Intro
1:50 What is Albert up to now?
3:00 What he would have done had it not been for baseball
7:20 When did the at-bat scowl start?
9:49 Did you have fun playing baseball?
12:15 relationship with the media
13:39 MLB Debut
18:40 Still mad over ’95 MVP snub?
20:45 Did the snub drive him?
22:21 Was there any chance to re-sign with Cleveland?
28:10 First time back in Cleveland
34:40 Hall of Fame snub
37:50 Wants Pete Rose in the Hall of Fame
39:20 Getting HBP and wanting to stay in the box
43:00 Home run vs Boston 1995 ALDS
49:30 Running over Fernando Vina
52:00 Should you have regrets?

Featuring: Albert Belle & Chris Rose
Hosted by: Chris Rose
Edited by: Rob Scirocco

#JMBaseball

You get hit by the pitch and you don’t want to go to first base so first of all can you clear this up once and for all did you get hit yes I had already hit three home runs that day and I basically owned Hassen gawa and I knew first pitch

I said okay he’s gonna come up and in and I’m just gonna sit there and take and you know he ended up hitting me and I was like well I want a chance to get four homers I I never had a chance I’ve had one of chance to get four homers in

A game and I was like and I told the Umpire I was like I’m not going to first base I was like I want I want to hit hey everybody and welcome to episode number 222 of the Chris Rose rotation a production of John booy media I got to

Tell you I love doing this show um it allows me to introduce you to some people that I’ve gotten to know over the years and this is a guy who really made me fall in love with baseball in the mid 90s in Cleveland Ohio as you can see

I ordered his number eight Jersey back in the day and I am thrilled to have with us today for the first time Albert Bell Albert good to see you good how are you man to see I’m doing pretty good yeah see people roll around still with

Number eight I just want to tell you I was in Cleveland recently I see him all the time at Guardians games you know that yes yeah you know what they uh they still stick to the uh you know the old school jerseys uh you know the ’90s

Brought back some uh you know there was some great memories for um you know when you were younger um you know families used to bring you know come to the ballpark bringing their you know kids and stuff and uh you know we started winning and uh you know we made history

And made a lot of great memories and and people uh you know still talk about you know those memory nowadays I have a couple neighbors uh that are from Cleveland and I see them walking around and uh they they still love the 90s now what the heck do you think that’s like

For your neighbors when they’re rolling around out in Arizona where you live and they’re like Albert Bell’s living down the street you know what when I see them they have their Cleveland Browns you know gear on their die hard you know Cleveland sports fans uh you know they

Got tired of this the snow and they were tired and move out here to the warm weather and uh you know even though today is kind of overcast a little chilly um but we love that this time of year all right so I’m curious and I’m

Sure a lot of people are what do you do with your time these days well you know what um after I was done plan you know I settled down got married uh started a family um I have three daughters uh two in high school and you know my youngest one is 13 she’s

In eth grade so it’s pretty much a full-time job with uh you know teenage girls and uh you know I keep them busy uh they’re they’re straight A students uh they play multiple Sports s and you know right now there’s about four or five weeks before uh track season start

In their own uh club soccer break so they’re they’re busy any of them baseball or softball players you know what uh they wanted to um you know when they were younger but then when they saw like like wow there’s a lot of standing around like we don’t like that so you

Know they love basketball moving around love track uh they love soccer so uh baseball really wasn’t kind of in the cards for them they like to move around and keep busy got it got it um let’s talk a little bit about your your upbringing everybody has always told me

Albert Bell was one of these smartest not just hitters people they were ever around you graduated uh from your High School in Louisiana with about 250 260 other kids you were number six on the graduating list is that accurate yes that’s accurate okay so what would you

Be what would you have done do you think if you hadn’t been able to hit a baseball a mile well you know what uh you know because both my parents were uh School teachers and they stressed the importance of an education and I was hitting the books and I wasn’t allowed

To play sports unless I kept my grades up um I made a lot of A’s and B’s and I went to college at LSU and I ended up getting a degree in accounting and I just knew that uh I love working with numbers and if something didn’t work out

You know I would have you know been a CPA uh you know in an in an office and um but you know it worked out where uh you know I I got a couple breaks here and there and and end up playing professional baseball and you know once

I was done playing um in order for me to play professional baseball I had to make a promise to my parents that I would go back to college and finish and get my degree and I did um so I do have a degree in accounting and um you know

I’ve shared some of that uh knowledge with my daughters and they love accounting so um they want to go to college um they want to either be in finance or accounting or you know business analytics so um they’re pretty sharp kids um they decided they didn’t want to play college sports and they

They’d rather I hit the books nothing wrong with that by the way so I’m curious did you do your own accounting when you played no uh actually my brother uh my my twin brother uh he graduated fifth in the class and we at a LSU together uh he

End up uh getting his degree in accounting uh he was in Corporate America for a while but um you know we had always talked about the idea of you know him being my business manager and uh he became my business manager in 1997 um after I signed uh with the white

Socks and you know he managed you know managed my money and stuff and uh he just told me he’ go out focus on baseball and he’ll take care of all the business read all the paperwork uh do all the deals and it worked out pretty

Well I gotta tell you if my twin brother graduated fifth in the class and I finished sixth I don’t know what I would have done really you know what it you know we were very competitive you know growing up but we always pushed each other in a positive way we weren’t you

Know very combative where we were trying to uh you know hold each other down we always trying to push forward and and and to be better uh you know that was a great thing about in college you know having a twin you know he was my roommate you know we played B baseball

So um after we’d study we’d go over to the stadium late night and uh you know we’d practice on the baseball fields and some of our teammates uh would come over and practice and and the coach uh he didn’t have a problem he loved it uh you

Know we weren’t out like you know running and partying in college uh not so much uh after our freshman year freshman years fun times but uh you know our sophomore in junior year you know we buckle down and uh you know we wanted to make LSU a top-notch program in the

Country and we end up becoming number one but uh we had some some players that were committed and and they worked hard and you know that program they they worked us pretty hard and you know our coach to us that when you leave LSU you’re G to be fundamentally sound and

Learn how to play and know how to play baseball Albert I’m curious because the scowl that you had when you went to the plate is Infamous right like today’s generation is is learning about it because they’ll see all your highlights on YouTube I lived through it because I

Saw your entire career when did I mean were you mean Muggin guys in Little League too you know what I it must have happened in college um you know and maybe in the minor leagues or something uh you know actually minor leagues wasn’t very uh fun times you know it’s

Tough down to the miners but you know it’s worth it when you get to the major leagues but uh I I never really realized I was doing that uh you know until until I got to the big leagues but uh you know in a little league when we were pretty

Much winning just about every game I was probably all smiles all the time I think we only lost like a couple games over the course of a few years but uh you know then in high school you know baseball became competitive and uh probably got the Scout from football

Because we were a decent team but we got pretty roughed up um pretty good but uh you know the same players we saw in football we saw him in basketball then we saw him in baseball and you know kids play multiple sports but uh probably the Scout came from playing

Football yeah I mean if you were that tough on the baseball diamond what the heck were you like on the grid iron you know what um my senior year I was uh the quarterback um in my junior year I started at strong safety but because I

Was a quarterback I got moved to weak safety because my coach didn’t want me to do all that hitting and I was also the punter and the kicker so I pretty much stayed on the field the whole time and uh you know those were some great

Memories you know I kicked a few field goals here and there uh you know we won some games made the playoffs but uh you know and that’s the one thing I remember and always cherish about high school is uh we had coaches that made sure we had

A lot of fun and you know they didn’t know if we were going to go to college and play sports but they made sure high school was a fun experience so my father who passed away 12 years ago now you were always one of his favorite and this

A guy who lived through the Indians last championship in 1948 and was friends with those players and everything you were always one of his favorite guys because he was like that dude just means business it is that simple did you have fun playing Major League

Baseball I did did I did I actually had fun you know we had some you know some fun guys on the team whether it was Cleveland Chicago Baltimore uh but I just kind of wanted to keep this you know kind of tough guy image um but you know there’s a couple

Times like um you know you know when I had some great highlights you know hitting the the the game with at home runs you know there was a lot of laughter and stuff in the locker rooms but I really didn’t show it uh you know out on the field

Um but I I did I mean I I was excited to play Major League Baseball every day uh cherish playing against you know some great players some Legends they’re Legends nowadays um you know playing in the old stadium at Cleveland you know that that’ll probably put a scowl on your

Face pretty quick playing the old stadium but you know the new stadium you know was unbelievable and and you know we I’m just glad that we were able to provide some great memories for uh lots of families in that area always important to look your best my hair it

Stinks right now it’s why I’m wearing my guardian’s cap so maybe you’re interested in getting a haircut sometime in the near future well do you want a free haircut after this year’s big game that’s right if the big game between the AFC and the nfc’s best if that final

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So I’m curious you said you know you did have a great time playing the sport do you wish retrospectively now that you had allowed yourself to maybe let other people see how much fun you were having or could you not have been the player that you ended up being if

You had let that guard down well I think what probably kind of gets lost is when I went over to Chicago um I said down you know the the owner set me down and the um public relations manager and we just had a conversation and I just told him I said

Look you know what I don’t have a problem talking with the media I don’t want to before the game so uh you know I’m willing to talk to you know the especially the local beat writers after the game you know it won’t be all the

Time but you know we sat down and we found a schedule that worked and um I I gave out a lot of interviews um so I I know um they probably didn’t see them back in Cleveland but between Cleveland um I’m curious I want to take you back

To your major league debut in in July of 89 first of all how do you remember how you got called up yes um we had just finished having the allstar break and we had a long home stand before the allstar break and Bobby Malino was my manager

And he called me in the office and we were down in Ken Ohio uh that was the first year the team was there and he said he said listen he said all the big guys are coming they said they want to watch and see what you can do um so I’m

Just letting you know uh there’s a chance you could get called up and Skip Triple A but they want to see how you play and I had a phenomenal home stand and then we had the allstar break you know I playing the allstar game and then we end up traveling to

Williamsport and that was probably about a 12 or 14 hour bus ride and you know it wasn’t one it was probably like an rundown Greyhound that they kind of spruced up a little bit but as soon as we get to Williamsport he calls Bobby calls me in the office and uh he says

You know congratulations you got called up to the big leags and and I was like oh okay that was great I was like well I was hoping they would have told me back when I was in K Ohio so I could just drive like an hour away and so I had to

Get a rent a car and and and drive back and 14 hours and then you know I saw we were gonna play the Rangers and I was like I bet you we’re gonna face Nolan Ryan and you know sure as you know sure as hell we did and I don’t think I got

Much uh sleep that night but I was excited um you know we were in the old stadium There Was You Know few thousand fans and uh you know all the players you know they came up to me and said hello and congratulate me and you know

Whatever they can do and uh you know Joe Carter kind of took me under his wings and but I think it lit kind of lit a fire under the team because they were like wow like they called up a kid from doua so uh we better like you know put a

Little pepper our step and we actually started playing well and uh I think we were about maybe like two games out of first place and this was when you know Corey Schneider went on the uh you know at the time it was the disabled list and

Uh you know so you know Joe Carter got hot I mean he had a phenomenal second half uh and we started playing some great baseball and and it was fun it was fun yeah I remember we only a couple games out going into August I seem to remember something like that but I’m

Curious when you first step foot into the Batters box and Nolan Ryan is looking at you what the heck were you feeling well you know what I was I was like well you know he’s he’s got the gas I’m looking for some gas and uh he threw

Me a big curveball ball one and big curve ball and for a strike and I got a base hit and an RBI and I mean I was excited and I you know I wanted to scream and jump up and down but uh you know I you know kept my cool because you

Know you know I you know I knew Nolan Ry was like you know hardcore you know pitcher from Texas and um I know the second time I came up it was like fast ball strike one fast ball strike two fast ball strike three but at least I

Got my three swings in and and uh but it was it was fun times you know we end up winning the game and and you know beat Nolan Ryan so um you know we we were off to a pretty good start from there you still have the ball yes it’s at my

Parents house in Louisiana uh most of my memor Bay is there I have a I have a few items here um but you know I let I let my mom and dad keep that stuff they they put it up in the trophy cases and uh you know they

Enjoy it what’s the most important piece of memorabilia you’ve got from your career you know what I have I have my uh silver Sluggers here in Scottdale Arizona I have I have five of them I have them in a trophy case um I have a um baseball

Players uh award where the players voted on me being the best player in baseball in 1995 uh so that means a lot you know coming from the players where uh they thought I was the best player in baseball so I I have a few here um I’m

Not sure I think my jerseys are in Louisiana and I have some I have some autographed bats here from guys who eventually got their 3,000 hits and you know a pretty big collection pretty good I like that so the players voted you as the best player in

1995 the writers did not it pisses me off are you still mad no I’m I’m not I mean everybody knows you know the story why why I I wasn’t you know voted the um most viable player but you know to to me my focus was on you know the team was

Winning uh you know we had a phenomenal year uh you know got a chance to to win a pennant in you know X number years uh get into the playoffs you know get into a World Series and just watch the city just light up I mean everybody I think

Just about every half the people were walking around with Cleveland Indians Year all everybody was happy you know they were excited we you know we put smiles on faces and uh so so that means more um you know know to me than anything you know baseball is the

Ultimate team sports and you know in order for me to be successful you know I had to have some pretty good teammates around me to have some pretty good success to put me in a position to succeed and uh you know that 95 team was

A special team um you know I just got a text message from Carlos and Kenny and uh they’re doing fantasy camp and I didn’t even know and they text me and they were like why don’t you come on over and I was like uh you guys are like

Way over in Good Year I like you know that’s a long way that’s but uh you know it’s always good to talk to those guys you know uh you know I don’t know when they’re coming into the town but I know they’ll pop into town you know for spring training

So I’ll try to get a hold of their schedule Sam um so for our younger viewers and listeners they’re not going to know right because you lived through this the rumor was because you weren’t nice enough to the media that they weren’t voting for you and so when that didn’t

Happen when you had such an exceptional year and led Cleveland to its first pennant in 41 years and everything else did it carry through the next year I mean now you’re past it but in 96 did it drive you you know what I I 96 was my free agency year

And I knew there was a chance that I would probably test the free agency market and probably go to another team I I really want to come back uh my agent you know he was talking to John Hart all the time you know they wanted to get a deal done in spring

Training um we we tried to get it done you know I end up turning down the deal but the main uh thing I wanted was I said okay we can negotiate in spring training but let’s not let it leak to the media because if something happens and we

Don’t sign I’m gonna look like the bad guy so let’s keep it under wraps and they all agreed it was it was the owner uh dick Jacobs John Hart Dan O Dow and myself and arn talum and we had a meeting and then when we came out of

The meeting like Hoin was kind of snooping around and then the next day it was like Bill turns down Indians deal and and I was like uh oh so you know I end up looking like the bad guy and I just I just told John Hart I was like

Let’s just go in and play baseball and and uh you know try to win this year and and see what happens so um you know I wasn’t happy about that because they had promised not to uh leak anything to the media and they did so just tell me as a uh lifelong

Cleveland Fan once that happened did was there any shot you were coming back or that was it well here’s here’s the thing about the end of the 95 season we had you know you had a 25man roster we had 22 guys under contract Eddie Murray wanted to come

Back he didn’t want to pay he wanted to come back for the same amount it was Paul sarento and Kenny heel they all want to come back for the same amount uh me Carlos and Kenny we met with John hard and we like John just bring us back

We will win it all same guys nobody wants to pay raise we all on the contract you know sign those three guys and let’s do this and he was like you know wow like you know they didn’t want to give Eddie Murray they wanted Eddie

Murray to take a pay cut and he was making like $3 million and they they offered him $2 million and he was pissed and that was kind of like the start of the snowball to where uh we end up trading him uh sento and Kenny Hill left and we

Brought in some guys and it kind of changed our chemistry and you know we won 99 games and but we had a losing record against left-handed pitching and um we were like okay John Hart you gotta find us like a left-handed BP pitcher because you know in the playoffs we’re going to see

Nothing but left-handers and he’s like oh you know what we’ll work about that when we get to the World Series and sure as hell the first game was against David Welles we played the Orioles and he beat us and then uh we end up facing him again and he beat us

Again and and we were we were packing our bags going home so uh you know just tinkering with the chemistry that much kind of threw everything off and you know we just work the same and you know I became a free agent and and uh you know my age was like you

Ever thought about playing for the white socks I’m like no why he’s like he’s like they’re interested in and they want to meet with you and I’m like all right you’re you’re pulling my leg he’s like no he’s like he’s like they want to me they’re out in Vegas they want to meet

You and I was like okay and I met uh um Jerry Ry dorf and uh uh Schuler uh was the uh the GM and we sat down and we just talked and and uh you know R was like Hey like you kind of like a cool

Guy and stuff he’s like and I was like yeah you probably shouldn’t read what you believe all the time you know but you know I just have to be like a tough guy out there in between the lines and uh they end up you know working out a

Deal and uh but I really wanted to stay in Cleveland and so Ain tellum was my agent and he goes up to John Hart and he says John Hart we have this deal on the table can you match it and John Hart was like [ __ ] you don’t have that and AR

Was like okay we’re gonna sign with the white socks tomorrow and he’s like [ __ ] and we’re like okay there we go next day we’re flying to um Chicago did the interview and um you know sign with the white socks and and then I remember flying home uh when I got home guess

John Hart had an um you know a press conference and he was like yeah you know we knew all along it was like all about the money and and this and that and so that’s what I end up going to Chicago I was I’m gonna tell you a

Little story I was working at CNN uh Sports when you change teams and I was it was my shift where there was breaking news Albert Bell not only leaving but signing the biggest deal in baseball history and I I had to deliver the news as a heartbroken Cleveland Fan so I’m

Like Albert Bell has signed a 5year $55 million deal with a white socks and here I I I almost wanted to cry on TV is what I wanted to do I was like it was it was tough you know it it was it was a tough

Time because you know I lived over in you know euklid uh I spent the the off seasons in Cleveland uh you know I i’ golfed and and hung out with people and and you know got a chance to be involved in the community um you know I knew uh the

Pastor uh Blandon Harper over at um um his church on in East Cleveland and so I built some roots in the community and I really wanted to stay and um you know it didn’t work out that way and I end up leaving but I knew I did not want to

Spend any winners in Chicago because they were saying the winners are are worse in Chicago and I remember I sit at home and I’m watching the Golf Channel and and you know I’m out here playing in the snow I got all my gortex gear on and

The pool carts and and they were like yeah it’s sunny and 75 in Scottdale Arizona and like you know they’re doing all these Golf shows and I’m like why am I sitting here in this cold weather like I could be playing golf in Scottdale and uh spent I spent a couple Winns in

Tucson Arizona and then I found out most of the baseball players were you know living in Scot in the off season and then I moved here in the winter of 99 and became a full-time resident in’ 01 so I’m curious about you know it’s well documented what happened the first

Time you came back it was a little bit like when LeBron came back to Cleveland wasn’t pretty right they’re throwing the money at you you gave the gesture the whole bit when you told me earlier that that was a a little bit not who you were

Were you sad the way that went down afterwards you know what I was more angry because I know I remember when Manny and Tommy game came back they got like a video tribute I I know when LeBron came back you know he got a nice tribute and um mine was different

And you know I was kind of expecting a a harsh you know harsh treatment but you know I would I would have hope you know the fans would have remembered you know the great times because we went from perennial losers to now winners um and I I was you know excited

To be a part to to basically turn the organization around and uh you know it just kind of it just kind of made you feel bad that you know they turned on me that quick and you know obviously you know everybody knew it was about the

Money and like I told people before I’m like you know I’m just basically doing this same thing you’re doing like you’re changing jobs like why did you change jobs because and they were like well I got a better offer and I’m like well I’m doing the same thing it’s just you know

In baseball and you know you’re doing it in your your way of life so you know you shouldn’t be too hard on me when you know you’re basically everybody else is doing the same thing so no and I agree with you having worked in this industry for 30 years like I’ve been heartbroken

I was heartbroken when you left I was heartbroken when Manny did it same with Tomy same with LeBron I would never begrudge anybody because I understand the industry right and you know you know that most people don’t you know we’re fans we buy your look I’ve got your

Number and I put my name on it because I loved watching you play Nobody Does that for politicians or their favorite businesses they don’t do that it’s like so we feel like the minute you leave it’s personal instead of something else so you get it yeah I I get it you know

You know the fans like you know I I’m a diard Vikings fan and I I stick by them through thick and thin and I’ve seen players come and go and um you know and I I just stick with them and I understand why they leaving I understand

Why the organization wants to make a business decision um and you know that’s part of the game you know it’s unfortunately you know that’s how it is but you know it comes down to Dollars and cents and um you know some of the players would love

If the team show a little bit more loyalty but sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t so uh you know you just got to make a decision was best for you and your family and uh you know take advantage of the situation um I want I want to kind of

Pick your baseball brain for a second here I’ve gotten it bat of you during the 95 season against future Hall of Fame closer Lee Smith and this happened in the same week where Manny Ramirez took Dennis Eckersley deep so I want you to kind of walk through the bases are

Loaded uh the Indians are down I think two runs in this situation you remember this at bat yeah of LE Smith oh yeah yeah all right so kind of walk us through we’ve got a pitch by pitch here if you can kind of just take us through

Go ahead Robbie you can roll that bad boy okay so the reason why I took the first pitch he had just walked byga and I had never faced him before so I didn’t know what his release point was and I you know and I’ve seen all the great

Hitters like especially like Wade balls and stuff and Tony gwy they’ll take the first pitch and I just wanted to make sure like okay now I know uh what his fast ball looks like you know and and let’s kind of go from there so let’s see what the second Pitch

Was boom okay I wasn’t gonna let another fast ball go I mean it’s pretty much in the same spot so uh you know and I think this you know I think he wasted an 02 pitch yeah he put one a little little bit outside um yeah he’s he’s taking his time and

Then delivers one a little bit off the plate yeah that was that was um that was a fast ball away should be breaking ball yes and I knew he was going to pretty much throw me a fast ball in and uh you know he hung a breaking ball and I just reacted

To it I thought he was just going to keep throwing fast balls and and try to elevate you know up in the zone and and he hung that one and and U you know usually the closer in those situation they want to get you up their best pitch

And uh he was just going to kind of show it you know his breaking ball and end up uh you know hanging one and and uh I mean it was right there in the Wheelhouse what the heck is it like when you hit a walk-off Grand Slam in front of 41,000 people

You know what that I mean that stadium and the thing about it is like no one left everybody stayed at home like and we just kind of knew like you know even though you know we’re down to her last you know couple outs we still in this

Like you have to get 27 outs but that was the kind of confidence uh we developed uh you know in the new stadium you know with the with the new uh Personnel the new coaching staff and and it we just kind of fed off of each other

Uh you know everybody was pushing each other everybody was so proud to if you know I wasn’t a hero one day Manny was the hero uh we got great pitching uh they were excited to know that they were going to get a ton of run support and

You know we had a great mix of homegrown talent that we drafted and developed and we sprinkled in some some great veterans and we all got together and uh you know it just kind of clicked C and we and we just kind of you know snowballed and you

Could just see the confidence building and and then pretty much we just became a runaway freight train and just ran over whoever got in the way we are uh we’re taping this two days after the latest Hall of Fame induction class came out and your name always pops up at this

Time of year I don’t know if you if you know this but on social media people always talk about what a decade of dominance you had you left early because of the hip injury your counting stats phenomenal right 295 381 homers more than 1,200 ribs but your Ops plus which

You know listen these numbers when you were playing weren’t as big a deal as they are today your Ops plus was 144 your Ops all time 933 uh you had a better Ops than Hank Aaron you had a better Ops plus than Frank Robinson does it bother you that you

Didn’t get more Hall of Fame consideration no it doesn’t bother me it’s probably you know the same guys that you know voted for me for uh the MVP they probably Hall of Fame votes but um and and I brought up an interesting um s you know statistics on Tony Rizzo

Because right now you know when I watch MLB Network they’re saying that Mike Trout is a first ballot Hall of Famer and he just finished his 13th year um I played 12 years and my stats are better than his so uh you know and I’m like okay well you know before

Last year we were we both had 12 years in the big leagues and my stats are better than hiss you know he has the you know uh the MVPs I don’t have the MVPs I had a buddy of mine look up my 1998 stats and he was like well how are you

Not the MVP and I was like well I said’ I think Juan Gonzalez had a better year and he’s like no he didn’t he’s like I looked it up he’s like you blew him away and I was like I did and I looked up the

Stats and I was like oh okay he just beat me in RBI he had five more I had a uh 152 and he had 157 RBI so um but you know it’s it’s always an argument U but we know you know it’s pretty much a you know popularity contest um I looked up

Myers stats um you know they they love that Hometown you know number one draft pick born of Minnesota played for the twins uh um you know so they love that but you know Adrian belan got the you know the 3,000 hits and um you know it’s nice to still be remembered for

Dominating um the steroid era in the 90s and you know guys on steroids and putting up big numbers and I I still was able to outperform those guys so uh you know I’m proud of you know you know playing I wish I would have played longer you know obviously I think if I

Would have you know I played 12 I’m sure if I would have played 15 Seasons that would have been a different story but uh you know I don’t have any regrets you know if they don’t you know want me in a Hall of Fame you know that that’s that’s

No big deal but um I I will say this and I always say this that I always can’t campaign for Pete Rose to be in a Hall of Fame and I think it’s about time for us as a Baseball Nation to forgive him and and and let him enjoy I mean when

You think about playing 20 five years and 4,000 Hits and The Grind of playing and winning and you know it’s time for us to let him enjoy his time uh in in the Hall of Fame you know I would love to see Manford I I would I would love

Manred if he you know hey you know what let’s forgive him let’s Embrace him let’s let him have his day where he’s just the only one going into Hall of Fame and and and I think that’ll be great for baseball no question that’s always a hot button topic there’s a

Certain faction that’ll say no no no the words are very clearly written there in every Clubhouse which they are and then there’s another faction will’ll say listen it’s he never bet against his own team uh and he’s served his penalty Etc so it’s I mean you you could discuss that one for

Hours I do think right I think that there’s no question about that um so you end up getting to Baltimore and you end up hitting a home run and you’re last at bat there once again there’s another video that is floating around social media view recently it

Just for what for whatever reason it just popped up and it’s the one where you get hit by the pitch and you don’t want to go to first base so first of all can you clear this up once and for all did you get hit yes okay so I think

That’s uh Hassen gawa yep and I had already hit three home runs that day and I basically owned Hassen gawa and I knew first pitch I said okay he’s gonna come up and in and I’m just going to sit there and take and you know he ended up

Hitting me and I was like well I want a chance to get four homers I I never had a chance I’ve had one other chance to get four homers in a game and I was like and I told the re I umpire I was like I’m not going to first

Base I was like I wantan I want a hit and I think it was U Matt Wallback and I was like Matt go tell him you know throw the ball over the plate like I wantan I want a hit like let’s go I like I got a

Chance to get four home runs let’s see what hasawa can do and uh you know so Ray came out and the Umpire was you know he was kind of like well well you like I know you kind of want to hit but I was

Like he hit you and I said well no just tell him ball one give him you know or give him strike one either one pick one I said I want to stay in the game and I want to hit and uh yeah so you know it grazed me it grazed

Me and uh you know it was it was no big deal I should have I should have got out the way because I wanted to keep I wanted to keep hitting but uh you know we ended up winning the game and that was the um the futuristic game was kind

Of like turn four the clock so we had those uniforms and they were pretty cool looking so uh that that was a fun day that was a fun day to beat the Angels so I I am curious when you tell the catcher Matt wallbach tell him to [ __ ] throw

The ball over the plate because that’s what I saw go go th tell him to throw the ball over the plate what the heck was his reaction uh he he he was caught off guard too like he he wasn’t exped to have like a conversation so and I and I I know I

Think hassa he did not have an interpreter so um but and and I I I think he didn’t so he spoke English and I was just Bas hey you know go tell him and say hey you know what throw it over the plate let’s go you know I got a

Chance to hit four home runs I say don’t worry about anything else get me out so uh you know so that you know that’s the kind of you know fun I loved I remember we were in the old stadium in Cleveland and we were playing

Seattle and I hit three home runs and so hard grve took me out and uh I was like Haro you you sure you want to take me out he said oh you know what don’t worry about this game is over we’re gonna win this game well Seattle end up tying the

Game in the top of the ninth and I would have come up with The Bases Loaded in the bottom of the knif and Thomas Howard had was a defensive replacement for me and he came up with the bases loaded it was like one out and

He end up striking out and we end up losing that game and hard gr told me came up to me after the game he’s like okay I’m never taking you out of a game again how the heck does he take you out of a game when you have a chance at four

Homers I think we were we were up like 12 to four and you know the way that it looked like the lineup it wasn’t going to get to me in in the ninth the bottom of the ninth and uh see I think Seattle end up timeing they tied the

Game and and Thomas Howard came up with the bases loaded one outk bottom of the knife tank Howard oh man um speaking of Tanks you hit one in the 95 playoffs against the Red Sox Kevin Kennedy the manager ends up taking your bat right we all know what

Happened the year before in Chicago with the bat and the suspension when did you realize that they were asking for the bat like did you did you follow the whole story when you were around the bases and then you point to the biceps you got to give me a

Little bit on this okay so I think after you know I crossed home plate I was I was walking to the Dugout and hard Ro was kind of coming out and I was like okay that’s kind of weird why is hard grve coming out and then by the time I I

Took my helmet off and turned around uh he was at the plate talking to you know the umpires and they compensated the bad and uh you know so when I saw they The Dugout you know I was basically screaming a bunch of you know bad words

And uh because we knew we knew the Red Sox uh you know they were the wild card team and we knew they were just gonna if they couldn’t beat us they were going to try something to grass with straw so we were kind of prepared and ready for

Everything and and then if you go back and look at that season um um and that was the 94 season after they checked my bat I actually performed a lot better um so uh and then 95 was just continuation and you know uh but I I I was prepared

To to face um what’s his name and and hit a home run and and that was the the series where uh Moon struck out almost every time Jose cono struck out every time and I was like well this is pretty much you know the the the MVP race right

Here and he didn’t get it hit and we’re moving on and and U but he’s he’s still won it anyway and we went on to the World Series so uh you know but you know it was it was great times uh you know emotions you know obviously in the playoffs emotions were

Hot you know we had faced Roger Clemens uh we had knocked him out of the game uh and you know we beat their best uh we went on to play Seattle we beat Randy Johnson so uh you know it was great times and great memories uh so I worked

With Kevin Kennedy at Fox Sports years later and I had to ask him about it he goes Chris I didn’t want to ask for Albert’s bat but every player on in The Dugout was like you have to check his Bat he’s like oh my God he’s going to be

So mad at me but my players are asking me to check the bat I gotta go check the bat yeah yeah that that didn’t work out too well did it Kev not so are you are you able to laugh at the bat incident from the year before

Because of the Jason Grimley story of climbing through the ceiling or does that still strike a nerve with you no no I I laugh about it because um you know during the game you know I don’t know what happened you know you hear stories and you know we

Knew uh you know the white socks thought they were the team to beat but like we were kind of like the new kid on the Block and we just knew you know since you can’t beat us you’re gonna try things and you’re gonna try to you know

Knock us off our game and uh I think it’s kind of like in San Antonio remember they used to turn the air condition on or turn the air off for LeBron when he came to town and he couldn’t perform so you know you had to try something and uh you know we that

Was the year you know I wish we didn’t go on strike because you know we were going to put a beat down on on the uh on the white sock but we end up doing it the next year I mean we we ran score up on them I think we end up winning

Division by like 30 games and and I mean like we didn’t we didn’t we stepped on everybody’s throat everybody was mad at us and we were like well we didn’t see when we lost 100 games nobody felt sorry for us so why should we we we we owe

Some people and um so so that’s what we did and that’s why a lot of people didn’t like us because we were like well hey you got to fight the bully sooner or later so now it’s our time to be a bully so it was the first time in my life

Where we had the ability to be cocky you can’t be cocky when you’re winning you’re losing a 100 games right so like we were like as Indians fans back then we were like [ __ ] what do like this is great I mean Lofton would with all his Swagger and by Era didn’t mind chirping

And you know you would sit there with the you know the scowl on your face like we were I don’t think we were a popular team outside of Cleveland but I like that you know what and and and you if you go back the years before that you

Know 91 92 93 we were all young players but you know what they said you know what go out and play figure out this game we can’t lose forever uh you know we we we made a couple key trades uh we were all young uh I mean we made mental

Errors we made physical errors but we learned from those and then you could just see in 94 how how it changed like our confidence changed uh we were in this brand new stadium and then we’re like wow like it’s sold out like we got like you know 47,000 fans like this

Feels good okay now it’s you know it’s time to go out and perform and you know when the fans are cheering for you it it helps it certainly does help you know take your game to the next level and and then you know we’d go on the road and I

Mean you know we get everybody booze and and that was that was the one thing that I love it’s like I knew um you know even when I came back to Cleveland like I was gonna get the best booze from everybody that has ever given them out like and you know and

That and that’s like the big compliment because you know and I tell people you know you you know you’re not going to waste your booze on like Joey Gallow hitting like 160 you’re not going to waste your booze on him you know you you know you’re going to waste your booze on

LeBron when he’s like you know dropping 40 on you and and beating you like a drum so I get it I get it um do does anybody ever walk past you and just yell out the name Fernando Vena and if so do you turn around no no you know what some of my

Buddies they’ll they’ll I guess it pops up on Twitter and they’ll text me and and um and you know I was like you know what the and I was like and I tell people I said go back and watch that I said Fernando Vena he got up dust

Himself off and like he was going to come after me and I’m like bro it’s not gonna look good me whooping up on you I was like it’s not gonna look good like you know I’m a big guy you’re a little guy you know you just need to go by and

And I had told him earlier not to come in the Baseline because it happened on Eddie Murray’s at bat the couple Innings before Eddie Murray in the first first bat he hits a ground ball to him and I thought he was gonna V ven was gonna

Take the ball throw it the second finish double play he comes in the Baseline and tags me and they called me off guarden I was like oh don’t do that again don’t do that again and you know sure as [ __ ] Eddie hits the same ground ball and I

Was like oh crap and I I mean I went down the line and I thought he was going to pitch and he came in and I knocked him I was like I told you don’t do it and uh and it was funny because you know

He got up dusted himself off you know he was talking smack and you know you didn’t see the trainer run out on the field and you didn’t see the Umpire issuing warnings and and all this and and the Umpire just basically they let us police ourselves they uh they drill

Me and I go to first base and then I think we drilled mathini and then there was a brawl and that was pretty much it they you didn’t even get um punished for it you got fined I think you weren’t suspended were you no no no I wasn’t

Suspended I was fined and and then but here’s the funny thing the next week Chad cruder does the same thing for the white socks he goes you know they hit a ground he’s at first B he grow he goes to second second baseman coming he plows

Knocks the guy over breaks up the double play the white socks end up winning the game and he’s a hero and I was like oh okay I was like okay but um you know that that’s how it went and and when I got to Chicago in 97

And and you know Chad kruder was kind of busting my chops about that he was like you didn’t hit him hard enough that’s what it was Albert Bell’s become a soft all of a sudden good job um I want to finish with this you mentioned earlier that you didn’t have any

Regrets with the way that it has now all played out should you have any regrets a like I guess I’m asking this because you’re such a pleasant guy to talk to but I think when people bring up the name Albert Bell the first thing they don’t think of is what a kick-ass player

He was they’re like oh God he’s that mean guy who did some wrong things like do you ever sit there and think about that you know what um um you know I as far as regrets I wish I would have had a better relationship with the media in

Cleveland uh especially with the you know the everyday guys you know the beat riders that you know you had the hiny the you know AER and um uh you know those those three guys that were there every day and um you know especially when uh

You know you know I can you know talk about the bad things as well as the good things but uh it was just I I probably should have put more put forth an effort I I did in in Chicago and Baltimore and uh but I just did in in in

Cleveland and and I wish I would have and I know the thing about playing baseball is like when we started winning like uh between spring training and uh you know going to these new stadiums like we saw like a lot of celebrities and like you know all these like um uh

Other sports figures and stuff and and I wish I would have taken pictures with all of them that I I met um and you know obviously see if there was nowadays you know you know we have you know Tik Tock and you know you know Instagram and you

Know your selfies and stuff and I could have posted all that stuff and taking pictures but I wish I would have done the same thing because um I met some some you know back then they were old school players you know like the Ted Williams you know the P Rees the rod

Cruz you know the Larry does you know you could just go up to them and and and sit down and hug them and talk baseball and uh you know they’d come in The Dugout and and we’d all you know share stories and spring training and uh you

Know and that was the great thing about spring training and that was the great thing about baseball as you saw these oldtimers and then now you know it’s like a different story like um you know these these players nowadays they don’t know the history of the game they don’t

Know I mean like if I walked into uh you know somebody’s locker room they were like who is this guy like you know but we knew like when Reggie Jackson walked in we’re like hey regie like what’s going on like what are you doing in here like you supposed to feel

With the AIDS you know so you know we all kind of busting each other chops but uh you know we just all get along we all knew who you know these oldtimers were and and uh you know and and that was the one regret is I wish I would have you

Know taking pictures uh with those guys and and been a little bit more accommodating with the uh with Cleveland media fair enough who was the guy who was the one Oldtimer you had a chance to sit down with that really sat with you because you just mentioned some

Ballers yeah uh when when Larry Dolby would come to town um mostly I remember Rod Karu worked a couple spring trainers with us you know he had some great stories uh you know when you know when Winfield played for us uh you know you know when we play the Dodgers you know

You see per Reese um god um did you really meet Ted Williams yeah I got inducted into I was one of the it was the first year he inducted hitters into his little Hall of Fame and we went down there and I got a green jacket and

Everything what you just win The Masters a green jacket it was it was his Ted Williams Hall of Fame jacket and and uh you know he he sit down and and I’m and you know we talk baseball and I’m like you know it’s pretty simple I was like

I’m I’m sitting fast balls like I don’t want to miss any fast balls and and uh and I was like I I know you’re the same way like I mean he had incredible eyesight um but you know he wasn’t sitting there trying to like take any

Fast balls I mean he was trying to do damage and you know he put up some some big numbers and uh you know and then you know in spring training we always saw Bob fow we always you know had shared great memories with him and and uh you

Know we you know we kind of tease him a little bit but he was you know he was fun about it because you know we were like yeah you you know you only throw it about like 90 miles an hour you know you weren’t throw 100 like you know they had

Radar guns you only been throwing 90 like we we’ like lit you up and stuff and you know he laughing giggle so you know but the the oldtimers they were great they had some great stories and uh uh you know from you know uh you know I

Had a chance you know like Goose gosage uh you know Winfield so they had all the you know the Stein Brer and the Yankee craziness stories and uh you know so you can just go around the you know the teams and you know we you know we’

See uh Ken griffy Senor and you know we talk to him and you know there I mean it’s just like a long list of of oldtimers that uh you know we were just you know happy to see and you know sh share stories with them yeah that’s

Awesome I know that Kenny Lofton always tells that Dr freeze story about you breaking the air conditioning how cold do you keep it in your house in Arizona when it’s hot um actually um the house I’m in now what I did was I got it double insulated

Oh okay so uh you know it it stays it stays pretty cool I think in the summertime it’s like 78 but it’s like it’s like yeah it’s like an ice box at 78 it’s cool all right good no need to no need to break the thermostat on that

One no you you don’t want to you don’t want to because yeah the yeah these are expensive thermostats yeah these repair man are more expensive too to come out uh this was a blast I really really enjoyed it thanks for taking me on a trip down memory lane and uh it was

Really this was a fun hour for me man this this really was I hope you know that uh when we bring up the name Albert Bell in in Cleveland sports circles that we don’t think about the guy who left and went to Chicago and all that sort of

Stuff we think about the guy who rejuvenated a city and and put B baseball on the map for an entire couple of generations of fans so thanks well you you didn’t show my one highlight the uh the the history making highlight with the with the 50th Homer well why don’t

We do that why don’t that video okay yeah first ever 5050 guy in a season this was this is it against Kansas City I do believe right yeah that was is this kid was named bunch he was he was a a rookie that they they called up first

Pitch he threw you know I’d never faced this guy he threw one right down the middle um I took it you know and then the second Pitch he threw it pretty much in the same spot fouled it straight back and uh you know I thought he was going

To waste an 02 pitch and he threw it right down right down Pete Street and and uh you know knocked it out the stadium and and um I mean this you know this was exciting this was you know to realize you know being the first player you know there’s video Joe there’s Frank

You know to be the you know the first well and the only player to do that in major league history and uh you know but you look at those those great teammates I mean that was a great uh group of guys that that helped me you know be

Successful and and then their slider uh you know he was a cool cat too I like slider yeah dude look at alvero Espinosa by the way don’t sleep on him trying to steal your um your Curtain Call he came out wanted to put his hands up that is

Typical Albero Espinosa yeah that that is that’s true Alby yeah look at him trying to steal that’s great that’s great well listen man this was as I said a ton of fun I really appreciate it keep sending me your text when we’re talking about your Minnesota Vikings all right

Yeah it’s it’s another heartbreaking year you know listen maybe next year we always say not every team can make the playoffs when you start four quarterbacks only the Cleveland Browns can okay let you know I’m I’m going to keep talking [ __ ] on that text chain to you about the Vikings I’m just letting

You know okay all right all right I’ll be ready and don’t be a stranger all right okay all right thanks for having me on the show I appreciate it yeah this was a lot of fun for our amazing producer Robbie Shaco and the legendary Albert Bell I am Chris Rose we will see

You next time here on the Chris Rose rotation a production of johnboy media