Albert Belle Was The Opposite Of Ohtani And Judge, That’s What Made Him So Polarizing
Aaron Judge stands nearly 7 feet tall. Only Amazon’s Alexa can do more than Shohei Ohtani. Yet neither ballplayer is as polarizing as Albert Belle was some 30 years ago.
Major League Baseball coverage in the 1990s consisted mostly of Mark McGwire, Sammy Sosa, home runs, pharmaceuticals, and a seemingly endless loop of Atlanta Braves games on TBS.
Today, diamond discussions generally include Aaron Judge, Shohei Ohtani, and pitch clocks. Two generational players and a still-controversial rule change. Though all three dominate the current news cycle of America’s pastime, they don’t ring the Belle the same way Albert’s presence once did.
In the 1990s, MLB seemed to center around not if, but when, Slammin’ Sammy or Big Mac (or both) would break the single-season home run record. Sosa and McGwire had pipes that would make Popeye jealous. Both were deserving of the endless attention they received – as are Judge and Ohtani today. But none were as polarizing as Albert Belle, a gifted slugger, often mired in controversy, who garnered serious MVP consideration throughout most of the decade.
50 bombs and 50 doubles in one season (1995) – the only player to ever do so. The first player in MLB history to make $10 million per season. A stint in rehab for alcoholism. A corked bat suspension. Chasing kids through the streets in his SUV on Halloween night. Knocking Fernando Vina to the deck.
Belle had Steph Curry’s talent and Draymond Green’s discipline.
He’d have been the poster child for TMZ Sports.
MLB Was Polarized By Albert Belle In The '90s
Albert Belle’s personality was opposite that of Judge and Ohtani. During his playing days, he wasn’t squeaky clean like Aaron or Shohei– gambling notwithstanding. And that, coupled with his talent, is what made the former LSU star so polarizing. On a given night in the '90s, ESPN's Baseball Tonight could open with Belle having just smashed 4 RBI, or a dugout's Gatorade cooler. Rarely do we see or hear about Ohtani or Judge anywhere but between the white lines. Odds are you have a better chance catching one of their moonshots than getting either one to utter something noteworthy or controversial.
And if you’re a Yankees or Dodgers fan (tough life), that’s great. But if you want a side of sauce with your entrée, Belle’s your guy.
*Personally, I’m a sauce guy. But to each their own.
A's 2/C/07MAY96/SP/LH--Cleveland Indians Albert Belle, left field, gets up to bat agianst the Oakland Athletics. Liz Hafalia (Photo By LIZ HAFALIA/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images)
The longtime left fielder was the last baseball player you’d want to see in a dark alley (with apologies to Mo Vaughn). He had a Tyson-like demeanor: serious about his craft, rarely smiling or interacting with anyone, destructive to the clubhouse thermostat and post-game buffet.
When Belle wasn’t launching dingers (an average of 37 per season over his career), there was always the possibility you could catch him taking wood to the clubhouse boombox or firing a heater towards an onlooking photographer.
Ohtani and Judge seem more likely to politely ask permission to use the clubhouse stereo’s aux cord.
Are the pair of future Hall of Famers better talents or people? Tough to say. And that's good for baseball. But there’s no debate, neither current ballplayer is as polarizing as Albert Belle was in the 1990s.
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