News, 2006

JANUARY 2006

January 10, 2006
The results from this year's Baseball Hall of Fame voting came out today. It was Albert's first year on the ballot and he received 40 votes, which was 7.7%. 390 votes were needed to be elected. Since Albert received over 5%, he will be allowed on the ballot again. Here are the results:

Bruce Sutter  400  76.9%
Jim Rice  337  64.8%
Rich Gossage  336  64.6%
Andre Dawson  317  61.0%
Bert Blyleven  277  53.3%
Lee Smith  234  45.0%
Jack Morris  214  41.2%
Tommy John  154  29.6%
Steve Garvey  135  26.0%
Alan Trammell  92  17.7%
Dave Parker  75  14.4%
Dave Concepcion  65  12.5%
Don Mattingly  64  12.3%
Orel Hershiser  58  11.2%
Dale Murphy  56  10.8%
Albert Belle  40  7.7%
Will Clark  23  4.4%
Dwight Gooden  17  3.3%
Willie McGee  12  2.3%
Ozzie Guillen  5  1.0%
Hal Morris  5  1.0%
Gary Gaetti  4  0.8%
John Wetteland  4  0.8%
Rick Aguilera  3  0.6%
Gregg Jefferies  2  0.4%
Doug Jones  2  0.4%
Walt Weiss  1  0.2%
Gary DiSarcina  0  0.0%
Alex Fernandez  0  0.0%

For more information, see the article on mlb.com.

Also, here is an article that recently came out in the Shreveport Times: Belle's actions may hinder his Hall-of-Fame chances.

January 23, 2006
Here are some post-HOF results articles. For the most part the articles are just writers sharing their opinions. Thanks go out to Barry for sending in the first one.

January 30, 2006
Here are 2 opposing articles about Albert and the Hall of Fame.

FEBRUARY 2006

February 2, 2006
Check out this article that Chris Casuccio sent to me. It is sort of a response to all the recent negative press about Albert and Hall of Fame voting. Thanks Chris!

For Whom the Belle Tolls: Media Manipulation and the Legacy of Albert Belle

February 17, 2006 (1:00 am)
Apparently Albert was arrested for stalking his ex-girlfriend? Hopefully everything is okay... I don't like to get too far into his personal business but thought I'd pass along the articles... (they all pretty much give the same information)

February 17, 2006 (2:00 pm)
Some more minor details have emerged.. according to an AP article the woman says Albert was tracking her with a GPS on her car. He had a court appearance late on Thursday night, and the judge set his bail at $108,000 and ordered him to be electronically monitored and to stay away from the accuser. Albert's only comments to the press this morning were "You didn't write a story about my Hall of Fame induction. . .You guys never report the good stuff that I do." (of course referring to his Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame induction of last summer, which a lot of the national press probably didn't even take note of).

Who knows what to think, I don't know anything, I don't know anyone who knows anything, so please don't e-mail me thinking you are contacting Albert Belle, because you're not... I just run this website. Innocent until proven guilty-- I guess we will see what happens when the trial unfolds... in the meantime, his next court appearance is set for February 24. I hope everything gets straightened out and I wish both Albert and the accuser the best.

An updated article and a picture:

February 18, 2006
Here's yet another article about what's gone down the past few days: East Valley Tribune: Records detail Belle's threats.

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MARCH 2006

March 12, 2006
According to this article from a Phoenix news station, Albert pleaded not guilty to the charges of stalking his ex-girlfriend. His next court appearance is scheduled for April 17th.

March 26, 2006
Check out this article about the sports media's coverage of sports and athletes: How The Media Shapes Minds: Truth vs. The Tabloid.

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MAY 2006

May 18, 2006
Yesterday afternoon Albert Belle was arrested again. According to an article from the East Valley Tribune:

Former major league baseball star Albert J. Belle has again been arrested on suspicion of stalking an ex-girlfriend. Belle, 39, was arrested by Scottsdale police at 5:05 p.m. Wednesday at his north Scottsdale residence, police said.
He was being held in Scottsdale's jail late Wednesday, awaiting transfer to the Maricopa County Fourth Avenue Jail. Police said he could likely stay in jail until his trial on a stalking charge that arose three months ago.

Apparently the woman contacted the police last month and said she was receiving hang-up phone calls, according to Sgt. Mark Clark. Detectives began investigating and checking phone records, which showed the calls were coming from Albert. Last week, Albert called and spoke with the woman, but according to Clark, "The nature of the conversation was harassing but not threatening."

You can view the East Valley Tribune article online here and also check out an article on Sports Illustrated's website for more details.

If I see anything new I will report it here. In the meantime, feel free to e-mail me with any news.

May 20, 2006
Nothing to report.. just wanted to share something amusing from my day. I was at the mall today and for the first time ever (since Albert's retirement I guess) I saw a man wearing an Albert Belle t-shirt. That was pretty cool, I was tempted to say something to him but I didn't, haha.

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JUNE 2006

June 12, 2006
Here's an update from The Arizona Republic on the hearing from last Friday. The article descibes the hearing as having "elements of a soap opera" and identifies the woman as a former (licensed) escort of Albert's whom he admitted to having a five-year relationship with. She had received money from him over a five-year period that ended in January. The article mentions that she took the stand and explained that she had received hang up phone calls, and then one call where Belle identified himself. A police detective confirmed that calls had been made to her cellphone from Belle's residence, and that Albert's ankle bracelet monitor indicated that he was at home when the calls were made.

Albert denied that he made any calls and said that his relationship with the woman was "clearly a business relationship." Albert's wife, Melissa, took the stand in his defense, claiming to have made the calls herself. She stated, "I was hormonal and pregnant, quite frankly." Also, she accused the prosecutor of having questionable phone records. The only thing that does not make sense is that some of the calls dated to times when she was in the hospital giving birth to their child.

June 13, 2006
Yesterday Judge James Keppel denied Albert Belle's request for release from jail stating, "that the state has shown that proof is evident or the presumption great that the defendant did commit the offense of stalking while he was on release." (source: The Arizona Republic: Belle to stay in jail while awaiting stalking trial)

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JULY 2006

July 26, 2006
Numerous articles have confirmed that Albert entered a guilty plea today to one count of stalking stemming from the charges brought on him earlier this year. He remains in jail and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 24 (by the way-- that is the day before his birthday) in Maricopa County Superior Court. Prosecutors said that he faces at least a 90-day jail sentence plus supervised probation and must avoid all contact with the woman who accused him of stalking.

Source: Associated Press

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AUGUST 2006

August 24, 2006
According to various articles, Albert Belle was sentenced today to 90 days in jail and five years of supervised probation. He received credit for time he has been serving since he entered his plea (29 days). Also, Superior Court Judge James Keppel warned that if he contacts the woman again, he will be sent to prison.

August 25, 2006
Happy birthday to Albert Belle today :) Hopefully he has a good one.

August 25, 2006 (evening)
As some articles have stated, Albert apologized to the woman who he was accused of stalking. Below is the full transcript of his official statement:

"I have made mistakes in my life, but I have admitted my mistakes and learned from them to become a better man. I made the mistake of having a business relationship with Ms. Williams. I regret that the business arrangement resulted in my spending 101 days in the 4th Avenue Jail. I took for granted one of the greatest gifts a man could have. I have learned that my beautiful and wonderful wife Melissa truly loves me unconditionally and she has stuck by my side. I hope she continues to forgive me and over time our marriage has and will grow stronger. I have lost precious time of not taking care of our 4 month old daughter, Cecila Marie. For the record, I will never take that kind of true love for granted again. Playing Major League Baseball for 15 seasons, being financially secure and inspiring kids on the importance of an education are all great aspects of life. But none are more important that the love and support of my family, my church family, and my new family of Melissa and Cèci. I apologize to Ms. Williams and ask for her forgiveness."

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SEPTEMBER 2006

September 29, 2006
Jim McKinnis, a fan of Albert's, contacted me last year with some photography art he shot of Albert. He would like to sell this work of art to a fan, as long as he knows it will be appreciated and valued. So, if you have any interest in it, please contact Jim at jamckinnis@sbcglobal.net with an offer or questions/comments about the piece. See below for more information.

The piece is called the Art of the Hit, and Jim shot it in 1996 in Arlington, TX during an Indians vs. Rangers game. It measures approximately 12x48 inches and is a sequence of black and white photos he shot, printed, and painted in his signature style. A photo is below.

More of Jim's work can be viewed at Grand Slam Mall.

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NOVEMBER 2006

November 27, 2006
The 2007 Baseball Hall of Fame Ballot was announced today by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Albert was on the ballot last year, and he received enough votes last year to remain on the ballot for this year (Candidates receiving less than 5% of votes on ballots cast are not eligible for future BBWAA Hall of Fame elections, and Albert received 7.7% last year). Let's wish him luck!

Here is the full ballot for 2007:
Harold Baines
Albert Belle
Dante Bichette
Bert Blyleven
Bobby Bonilla
Scott Brosius
Jay Buhner
Ken Caminiti
Jose Conseco
Dave Concepcion
Eric Davis
Andre Dawson
Tony Fernandez
Steve Garvey
Rich Gossage
Tony Gwynn
Orel Hershiser
Tommy John
Wally Joyner
Don Mattingly
Mark McGwire
Jack Morris
Dale Murphy
Paul O'Neill
Dave Parker
Jim Rice
Cal Ripken Jr.
Bret Saberhagen
Lee Smith
Alan Trammell
Devon White
Bobby Witt

To view the 2006 voting results, visit the Baseball Hall of Fame website.

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