Albert Belle was once upon a time the highest-paid player in baseball. But that apparently did not affect his spending habits.
Jerry Hairston Jr., who played on the Orioles from 1998-2004, was teammates with Belle from 1999-2000. Hairston saw a video of Belle shared on Twitter and added an anecdote.
Hairston called Belle one of his favorite teammates. He said that Belle once took him to lunch before a game and tried to get the infielder to pay. Belle was making around $12 million a year at that time.
C’mon Albert, what are you thinking! You gotta treat the youngsters when you’re the big-time vet!
Belle was one of the best sluggers of the 1990s, but also surly with teammates and the media. He had legal problems during his playing days that continued even a few years ago. He had to retire early due to a hip condition.
Belle’s 50/50 season in 1995 is one of the most impressive offensive seasons of that era. He led the league in runs (121), doubles (52), home runs (50), RBIs (126) and slugging percentage (.690) that season. He was robbed of a deserving MVP award that went to Mo Vaughn, likely because the writers disliked Belle so much.
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