I saw a guy getting plastered during Saturday’s spring training game at Sloan Park, but it turns out that former Chicago White Sox player Albert Belle beat that particular individual out for drunkest person in Arizona over the weekend.
According to a report, Belle was arrested during a spring training game in Scottsdale and is facing multiple counts, including two of indecent exposure.
Matt Rodewald reported the details.
BREAKING: Albert Belle arrested in Scottsdale during a spring training game.
2 counts of indecent exposure
1 count of DUI (using liquor, drugs or vapors)
1 count of Extreme DUI (BAC of .08 or more) pic.twitter.com/3zMgRczQi3— Matt Rodewald FOX 10 (@Matt_Fox10) March 26, 2018
Rodewald clarified in a later tweet that he meant a BAC of .15 or more on the count of the extreme DUI.
Extreme DUI is .15 in AZ – my mistake earlier
— Matt Rodewald FOX 10 (@Matt_Fox10) March 26, 2018
As Chris Rongey pointed out, we need some serious answers about the two counts of indecent exposure.
Does "2 counts" mean he took out the same package twice or was it two different items? What would the other item be? Or does one item technically count as two? This is a serious question. https://t.co/MQRBjEVLG6
— Chris Rongey (@ChrisRongey) March 26, 2018
Belle, 51, retired after the 2000 season, ending his 12-year MLB career that included some controversy and overall hate for him by the media, fans and fellow players. As much of a jerk as he was, hopefully he gets the help he needs. Back in 1990, Belle received treatment for alcohol abuse.
Via the NY Daily News.
He was booked into the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office jail, whose jurisidiction covers the San Francisco Giants’ training hub in Scottsdale.
After eight years with the Cleveland Indians to begin his career, Belle signed a five-year, $55 million deal with the White Sox. At the time, that made him the highest paid player in MLB. However, after only two seasons in Chicago, Belle got out of his contract and signed with the Baltimore Orioles.
One of Belle’s controversies during his career happened against the White Sox at the old Comiskey Park, where he was caught using a corked bat in 1994. He served a seven-game suspension that was originally for 10 games. If you’re too young, or have never heard of the story, here’s how wild it was, including an investigation by the FBI, after the Indians stole the corked bat and tried to replace it with a normal one.
The Indians, knowing the bat was indeed corked, dispatched relief pitcher Jason Grimsley to retrieve the bat. Grimsley took a bat belonging to Indians player Paul Sorrento and accessed the area above the false ceiling in the clubhouse and crawled across with a flashlight in his mouth until he reached the umpires’ room. He switched Belle’s bat with Sorrento’s and returned to the clubhouse.[2] During the sixth inning, the umpires’ custodian noticed clumps of ceiling tile on the floor of the umpire’s room, plus twisted metal brackets in the ceiling. After the game, Phillips noticed the bats were different when he saw that the replacement bat was not as shiny and also was stamped with Sorrento’s signature. The Chicago police were called and the White Sox threatened charges against the burglar. An investigation that Saturday was carried out by a former FBI agent flown in by MLB.[3]The equipment room was dusted for fingerprints and the path the burglar took was discovered.
Jason Grimsley, eventually came clean and admitted to everything in 1999, saying he had to use Paul Sorrento’s bat because all of Belle’s were corked. Omar Vizquel also said all of Belle’s bats were corked in his 2002 book.
Another infamous moment from Belle’s career was in 1996, when he broke Fernando Vina’s nose.
Albert Belle, one of the all-time bad guys from baseball.
