"As soon as he closes the door, we hear a bombardment of egg shells on my door (1995 Halloween 'Incident'). So I come outside and chase them. As soon as I caught up with him, I slammed on the breaks and was jumping out of the car and was going to run after him. It was raining and it was kind of mucky back there. The truck kind of skidded , or whatever, and it slid and bumped him. He fell down and as soon as he fell down, he jumped back up and started running. I feel like I was targeted. It's a shame where people target athletes. If they would have done the same thing to my next door neighbor and had my neighbor chased them, they wouldn't have filed a report. I made a decision five years ago to live in a community and be involved in the community, and I never expected people to harass me." - Associated Press (January 14, 1996)

"Back in 1987 when they drafted me. The Indians were the only team interested in taking a chance on Albert Belle, and I made the most of it. Hopefully, they got as much from me as I got from them." - USA Today (November 20, 1996)

"Going to a new team is like going to a new high school. Nobody knows you. It's a chance to rebuild your image." - USA Today (November 20, 1996)

"I'd rather just sit and shoot the breeze with the guys. I'll save myself the hassle. Then I don't have to deal with the village idiots (the fans during the 1997 All-Star Game) for a few innings." - July 8,1997

"I feel education is more important even now for the younger generation than when I was younger. The kids really need to buckle down and get a good education. That's why it's so important to have computer programs and good tutoring programs, so they can have fun in school. It also keeps them out of trouble." - Baseball Weekly (December 23, 1998)

"I feel like myself and the city of Cleveland are in the same boat. We're made for each other. A few years ago, everybody had bad thoughts on Albert Belle. I feel that has changed." - USA Today (October 2, 1995)

"If I had to do it again, from day one of childhood, I wouldn't change a thing." - The Sporting News (July 4, 1994)

"If (Mike) Hargrove was his own man, I would have been picked (for the 1998 All-Star team). He is another person who doesn't appreciate what I did for him." - Sports Illustrated (July 27, 1998)

"I know the Chicago media will write a lot of bad things, but they'll write a lot of good things too. I can live with that. In Cleveland, all I got was negative press." - Sport (May 1997)

"I have high expectations for myself. I'm not out there playing the game just to be playing it. I want to win a championship."- ESPN 'Up Close' (May 8, 1997)

"I look back over my career and I almost pissed it away. I got a second chance and I've made the most of my opportunity. I play every game like it's the last game of my career." - USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"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." - Baseball Weekly (March 8, 2000)

"I'm not going to get a hit every time in clutch situations, but over the course of the season I'll get a lot of clutch hits. I'm disappointed it's come to a time when they (Orioles fans) boo me. And then to turn around and have the nerve to cheer for you, that's the way baseball goes." - July 25, 1999

"I'm pretty much right on schedule. Start off slow, finish up strong. I don't know why everyone panics. I've been doing this for ten years now. Why change?" - July 25, 1999

"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)

"In the past I've tended to overreact. I was sure I'd be a superstar by the time I was twenty-one. 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 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 (Greg) Maddux playing golf with hitters." - Baseball Weekly (March 8, 2000)

"I said, 'How about five years, $45 million?' But they felt like that was asking for too much. I just told them I thought they were making a big mistake." - USA Today (November 20, 1996)

"I think a lot of people are aware of the things I do, but maybe because of who I am, they don't want to report the good things about Albert Belle." - Baseball Weekly (December 23, 1998)

"It's an individual sport (golf), so it's the exact opposite of baseball. If you hit a bad shot, you can't say, 'Well, this happened.' It's just you. It's your shot. You can't point the finger at anybody but yourself." - Associated Press (September 26, 1998)

"It's expected they're going to show their ignorance. They've been in that situation before, when Art Modell moved his team to Baltimore. They were ignorant about that. They're ignorant about me leaving and going to Chicago. It's typical." - Scripps Howard News Service (June 17, 1997)

"It's going to be tough (winning the MVP Award). I'm not really considered a media darling." - USA Today (October 2, 1995)

"It was controversial (the Hannah Storm 'incident') because everyone just wants to dwell on my negatives. You'd have thought I was an axe murderer." - Newsweek (March 25, 1996)

"I've been treated there (Camden Yards in Baltimore) just like everywhere else: you got everyone booing for you. I take that as a compliment." - Sports Illustrated (March 8, 1999)

"I've said all along that I'll put forth the effort to work with the media. Spring Training is a lot easier to talk to everyone. Once the season starts, I won't be accessible every day, but I've become more and more accessible every year compared to the past, when I just cut everybody off. It's been a gradual improvement and we'll just go from there." - March 8, 1999

"I was surprised when Cal (Ripken, Jr.) ended the streak last year. It was fun while it lasted. I remember the excitement of seeing him break the record a few years ago when I was in Chicago." - February 25, 1999

"I would rather have come to Baltimore than the Yankees. You look at their situation, they're the kingpin and you want to be that underdog that knocks them off the top. That's pretty much the situation I've been in my whole career. It just makes for a better season when you knock the big guys off the top." - February 22, 1999

"Leaving wasn't a personal thing where I intentionally wanted to stick it to management or anyone. This is business. I felt I should have been rewarded for helping the Indians turn around a half century of losing. It was a shame they decided to treat me that way, after all I did for them. I helped this team go from one-hundred six losses to basically one-hundred six wins and into the World Series. And what do I get for it? Nothing." - Sport (May 1997)

"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)

"People don't need to know what Albert Belle is thinking. I've learned from my mistakes in the past, and that's what's made me a better person." - Associated Press (September 26, 1998)

"People tried to test me (in 1999) and I came up with some pretty good throws. Everybody on the team calls me 'Bazooka' now. That's kind of like a nickname I gave myself." - USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"People want me to do things, be a certain way and that's not going to happen. I'm going to be Albert Belle." - Associated Press (September 26, 1998)

"RBIs win games; and they can make you a ton of money." - September 1993

"Some people are saying it's a slap in the face for me to go to a competitor, but it also was a slap in my face that they would go out and trade for Matt Williams, especially when my situation was unsure." - USA Today (November 20, 1996)

"That's one record I've never thought about. That's one streak I don't think he (Cal Ripken, Jr.) has to worry about anybody breaking. I'm pretty sure I'll play until we clinch or if I'd get suspended. Those are the only two reasons not to play."

"That's one situation (determining your own value) you don't want to get caught up in. I've never been an egomaniac type person. This is a situation where I want to be paid my fair market value." - Knight Ridder / Tribune News Service (February 21, 1996)

"The Indians didn't help me in dealing with the media. I think they wanted to keep my market value down. I'm moody. I know that. I've made some mistakes, but if I was a bad person, would someone want to pay me $55 million, would I have a scholarship fund my mother runs that pays for kids to go to school?" - March 1997

"The Indians wanted me to issue a statement of regret (the Hannah Storm "incident") when the fine was announced, but I told them to take it out. I apologize for nothing." - Newsweek (March 25, 1996)

"There were a lot of times in the Cleveland and Chicago organizations when I did something, they wanted to make sure the camera was there. I really didn't want that. This isn't something my parents told me to do. Or something my family told me to do. Or do things for publicity. I do this on my own. I do this from my heart." - Baseball Weekly (December 23, 1998)

"There were so many Cuban-Americans upset that we were going to Cuba and I was curious to see why they were so angry, and anti-Castro. I found out as soon as we got there. The people were treated terrible. The conditions were terrible. I can see why people risk their lives and limbs to get out. (Fidel Castro) lives like a king and won't help anybody, and has everybody scared to death. Nobody lives a normal life. It was still a good experience, but I thought we should just play that one game." - Baseball Weekly (March 8, 2000)

"The way I figure is we win as a team and we lose as a team, but I've got to figure out some way where I can have a better April and help the team get off to a better start. I normally heat up when it gets warm, but it would be nice to come out of April and everybody is chasing you." - USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"What we should have done is kept the same team that played in the '95 World Series. Those trades (Eddie Murray & Carlos Baerga) caused a lot of chaos in the organization. I didn't feel like we were moving in the right direction." - USA Today (November 20, 1996)

"We need to start acting like a team, focus on winning and not worry about all of the other stuff that goes on. We lost our focus last year. We worried about who was being hired, who was being fired. That's got to change. We don't need any more finger pointing. We need to act like a team." - Baseball Weekly (March 8, 2000)

"When you talk about locker room betting, we bet on everything... It's no different than anyone else's office pool. Money changes hands in the locker room; it's whatever you want." - The Sporting News (February 24, 1997)

"While in the clinic, I discovered I had problems with concentration, motivation, attitude, and temper. I have found a new way of life through the clinic's program and a 12-step recovery plan." - USA Today (August 22, 1990)

"Wins. That's what's important to me. If you're talking about personal stuff, it's definitely RBIs. The most impressive statistic to me is having an RBI per game. Jeff Bagwell did that. I almost did it the same year, and last year I was only ten off the mark. I know Hank Greenberg once had one-hundred RBIs at the All-Star break in the 1930s. When I found out about that, it was like : 'Whoa, one-hundred RBI at the break! You gotta be kiddin' me!' That's what I'd like to do. Hitting for a high average is nice. so is hitting a ton of homers, but driving in a run a game is awesome. My overall goal, though, is to be as consistent as possible, to play one-hundred fifty to one-hundred sixty games a year, get six-hundred at-bats, hit .300, hit thirty to forty homers and drive in one-hundred thirty runs." - Sport (May 1997)

"Albert (Belle) has his way of getting ready for games (specifically refusing to do interviews at the 1996 All-Star Game). If that's the way Albert does it, then I've got to respect it." - Jeff Bagwell in Sport (November 1996)

"Albert (Belle) is capable of almost anything you can achieve as a hitter. I look at him as one of the best hitters of all time." - Brady Anderson on April 6,1999

"Albert (Belle) loves this game. He's been playing his whole life. You want to go out on your own terms, and when you don't, it's real heartbreaking. Your heart goes out to him." - Chris Richard to the Associated Press (March 8, 2001)

"Albert (Belle) threw some mail around — and that was all anyone wrote about. That would be frustrating. If it were me, I wouldn't talk to the media, either." - Jeff Reboulet to the San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1999)

"Albert's (Belle) a guy who's had a lot of different controversies in his career. He knows what's ahead. He seems to deal with things well. He seems to block that out and focus on the situation at hand." - Jerry Manuel to the Associated Press (July 22,1998)

"Everybody's streaky. Some people are streaky bad, then streaky hot. Guys like Albert (Belle), Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire, they get streaky hot hot." - Sandy Alomar, Jr. in Sports Illustrated (July 27, 1998)

"He came here and played every day. He was a warrior for us and I wish him the best, Albert (Belle) is not as bad a guy as people think. We knew him differently. I wish him luck." - Frank Thomas to the Associated Press (June 17, 1999)

"He (Albert Belle) comes to play every day, and that's all that matters to me. He gets a bum rap in the press. He's done some things that weren't smart, but I think he's a great guy. You certainly can't argue with how he goes about his business on the field." - Tony Phillips in the San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1999)

"He (Albert Belle) gets criticized a lot for not talking to the media, but that's indicative of his indifference to how he's perceived and whether he's regarded as a superstar or popular. All he wants to do is play baseball. As a teammate, he's the best you can have." - Brady Anderson in USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"He had a problem, and he came to terms with it. That's in the past. Albert Belle is the most popular player in Cleveland. He does what we pay him to do." - John Hart in Sports Illustrated (May 6, 1996)

"He's (Albert Belle) a two-year-old. He changes his mind every five minutes." - John Maroon in The Sporting News (July 4, 1994)

"He's played well for me. I've found him very approachable behind closed doors. Albert (Belle) is Albert, you're not going to change him. I do like Albert. There are things he does I don't like."- Mike Hargrove to the Associated Press (December 13, 1999)

"If a guy's playing a lot of games, like Albert (Belle), he sometimes runs out of gas. You're just worn down, so it doesn't look like your hustling. But Albert hustles, trust me." - Manager Jerry Manuel in Sports Illustrated (June 21, 1999)

"If you talk to him (Albert Belle) in person, you don't realize how mean he is. He's really a sweet guy. He's like a twelve-year-old. But when he's on the field and 0 for 3, I don't recommend that you talk to him. Sometimes he throws the cooler around. Sometimes he breaks phones in the clubhouse. There are cookies all over the place. This guys is so unbelievable, he can go three for three, go into his last at-bat and pop out, and he's still throwing cookies around." - Omar Vizquel to the Associated Press (October 23, 1995)

"I know he (Albert Belle) hates me. If he needs that hate to succeed, it's fine by me. I always liked him. He was a good kid. He just had a hard time with the pressure." - Skip Bertman in Sports Illustrated (May 6, 1996)

"I'm not going to waste a spot (on the 1998 All-Star team) on somebody who (Albert Belle) doesn't want to play." - Mike Hargrove in Sports Illustrated (July 27, 1998)

"Initially he (Albert Belle) screamed at all the media to get out of the dugout in language that was horrible. Two or three men left. They were frightened. I was the only one who stayed , because I was waiting to do my interview with Kenny Lofton. When I stayed he directed his tirade at me. I've been told by baseball people that their hands are tied on this because they know they will appeal any action taken....In light of the fact that Major League Baseball promised swift action after the World Series, I'm very disappointed. I was hoping that baseball would send a message that verbal abuse and intimidation is not to be tolerated in their workplace." - Hannah Storm in USA Today (February 6, 1996)

"I really don't get involved in perceptions. We're all different,and that's what makes it interesting. Being judged on the things beyond what you do as a baseball player-sometimes I don't think that's necessarily right. Maybe you don't have the full story. When I come out here, I look at Albert (Belle) as a teammate, I look at him as a baseball player. I look at how he comes to bat and how he approaches his job. He's someone you really appreciate when he's on your team. He's a fifty homer guy, a one-hundred forty RBI guy. He wants to play everyday. Who wouldn't want that? I have a lot of respect for him. Playing against him and watching how he goes about his job. I'm happy I'm his teammate." - Cal Ripken, Jr. in Sports Illustrated (March 8, 1999)

"It's sad (his career ending injury), because he's (Albert Belle) got a lot of baseball left in him. He's a competitor." - Frank Thomas to the Associated Press (March 8, 2001)

"I've talked about Albert Belle until I'm blue in the face. From the club perspective, we pay him based on productivity and his talent...We've suspended him ourselves, we've sent him to the minor leagues for not running out balls, we've disciplined him, but at the same time Albert has grown into a productive player. We don't necessarily pay Albert to have a good image." - John Hart in USA Today (March 1, 1996)

"I was quite taken aback when I spent some time with him (Albert Belle), how articulate and candid he was about everything. He looked me right in the eye and said, 'I'll be the first one here and the last one to leave. I study film, I take my own notes and I play every day.'" - Ray Miller on March 8, 1999

"Just look at his (Albert Belle) numbers, that's all you have to do. He goes out and plays hard. 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. in the San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1999)

"People are shocked when I say Albert (Belle) is a nice guy, but it's the truth. The only problem Albert has had is he's too competitive. When he gets involved in a game, a competitiveness comes over him that's almost dangerous." - Mark Guthrie in the Minneapolis-St. Paul Tribune (October 13, 1995)

"The bubble-gum card doesn't lie. Albert Belle is something special." - Charles Johnson in USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"The media definitely portrays Albert (Belle) like that. Everything's always a negative, because there's only one side. To me, that's unfair. It's like they expect the worse — and he's the exact opposite. He's a really good teammate all-around, and he gives one-hundred percent." - Jeff Reboulett in the San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1999)

"There's nobody in here who wants to produce more than he (Albert Belle) does. Nobody wants to win more. He's just very intense." - Sandy Alomar in Sports Illustrated (May 6, 1996)

"You don't understand,. He's (Albert Belle) crazy." - Sandy Alomar in Sports Illustrated (May 6, 1996)

"You have to have inner drive when you get to this level, but he has something that's much deeper than a lot of players. In every arena, there's always a guy who looks different than anybody else. When he puts his game face on, don't mess with him. That's Albert Belle." - Charles Johnson in USA Today (February 25, 2000)

"When I first met Albert (Belle) it was kind of hard for him to open up to a lot of guys, but now that we have a young team, a lot of players are looking up to him. At one time he used to throw his helmet all the time. Not anymore." - Wayne Kirby in The Sporting News (July 4, 1994)

"When the guy (Albert Belle) gets hot, he's one of the toughest outs in the game." - Will Clark in the San Francisco Chronicle (August 4, 1999)

"When they coined the term tunnel vision, they had Albert (Belle) in mind" - Mike Hargrove in Sports Illustrated (May 6, 1996)

"When you have a guy who's as productive as he is and is willing to play every single inning of every game, you have to respect that. Clearly, he's (Albert Belle) a superstar who's headed to the Hall of Fame." - Brady Anderson in USA Today (February 25, 2000)

Quotations From & About Albert Belle