Belle's Bat's Corked Says Vizquel

[Chris]

http://espn.go.com/mlb/news/2002/0425/1373638.html

Vizquel in book: 'I don't care what Albert thinks'

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ESPN.com news services


CLEVELAND -- Indians shortstop Omar Vizquel did not invite former teammate Albert Belle to lunch Wednesday to celebrate the release of his autobiography, "Omar! My Life On And Off The Field."

Smart move. Belle, debilitating hip injury and all, might have popped his cork, so to speak.

According to a story in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Vizquel's autobiography, co-authored by Bob Dyer, is a non-controversial read -- save Chapter 10: "Albert and Other Clubhouse Characters." Vizquel opens the chapter by stating, "I didn't hate Albert Belle. But he was certainly a difficult guy to like."

The snippet, published in Thursday's editions of the Plain Dealer, served as literary salsa for the supreme nachos to come, when Vizquel addresses "Batgate," the infamous episode at Comiskey Park in July 1994 in which Belle had the legality of his bat challenged by White Sox manager Gene Lamont. Vizquel describes the buzz in the dugout as umpire Dave Phillips removed the bat from play:

"Guys were saying, 'Oh my God! The bat is corked!' My response was, 'What?' I felt a little bit like the way I felt when I first heard the true identity of the Tooth Fairy.

"I can be naive at times, but I'm not stupid. Certainly not stupid enough to steal Albert's corked bat and replace it with one that looked completely different -- one that was autographed by Paul Sorrento. That wasn't even a nice try.

"The problem, of course, was that all of Albert's bats were corked."

Whoa, Omar! One more time with that last sentence, for full effect, recognizing that the emphasis on all came from the author:

"The problem, of course, was that all of Albert's bats were corked."

Athletes' autobiographies don't get much better than that.

In the weeks and years after Batgate, as more and more details surfaced, it was generally accepted around local watering holes and dinner tables, according to the Plain Dealer story, that Belle swung a corked bat that day -- and others. What makes this particular account such a zinger is the source and scope. For a high-profile player to call out another high-profile player with such a blanket, damning statement on the record just doesn't happen every day.

At Wednesday's gathering, which doubled as his 35th birthday party, Vizquel stood by his allegation that Belle once was 100 percent genuine cork.

"I don't care what Albert thinks," Vizquel said, smiling his trademark smile.

Dyer, an award-winning writer for the Akron Beacon Journal, said: "If Albert were still playing, and he was on first with one out and somebody hit a grounder to second, I think Omar might have thought twice about including the part about the cork."

[pacewon]

Vizquel may now get his ass kicked by Belle but I guarantee you this is going to sell A LOT more copies of his book.

[Bub]

Originally posted by pacewon
Vizquel may now get his ass kicked by Belle but I guarantee you this is going to sell A LOT more copies of his book.

Yeah. In a way, it's almost like corking the book!

[Jersey Yankee]

I'm now wondering which pitcher will claim that another always through spitballs, hiding the evidence ever so gently.

I never thought these guys squealed on each other like that. I guess Omar needs the $.

[BackBackBackBackGone]

Originally posted by Jersey Yankee
I"I can be naive at times, but I'm not stupid. Certainly not stupid enough to steal Albert's corked bat and replace it with one that looked completely different -- one that was autographed by Paul Sorrento. That wasn't even a nice try.

Yeah, Grimsley was the guy dumb enough to do that.

[SkooterPhil#10]

What a moron he is for writing an autobiography already. Get over yourself you idiot.

[MoscowBomber]

Originally posted by pacewon
Vizquel may now get his ass kicked by Belle but I guarantee you this is going to sell A LOT more copies of his book.

How woudl Belle, he of the degeniterive hips, catch Omar to beat him? But yes, what has Vizquel really done to warrant a memoir at this point?

[NyMike]

Originally posted by MoscowBomber


How woudl Belle, he of the degeniterive hips, catch Omar to beat him? But yes, what has Vizquel really done to warrant a memoir at this point?

Albert Belle could have all of his arms and legs amputated, and still easily kick Omar Vizquel's ass. What's gotten into this guy anyway? Last year he took it upon himself to almost start a brawl over a couple of diamond earings (Rhodes could've killed him), then he decides to "tattle tale" Albert Belle. Is he nuts or something? Why would he devote an entire chapter to this any way? Isn't an autobiography supposed to be about yourself? Or does Vizquel just not have much to say about himslef?

[Shel]

In another excerpt from Vizquel's book, published in the Cleveland Plain Dealer, Vizquel talked his ex-teammate Manny Ramirez.

***
http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/sports/...ns/3087824.htm

Manny is wacky, but he isn't a bad guy. I enjoyed him as a teammate. We hung out together sometimes, and he was a whole lot smarter than most people thought. I still consider him a pal. But there was a screw loose somewhere.

Most guys are very particular about which bat they use. Each player gets his own custom-made bats, and we agonize over the length, weight and shape. But half the time, Manny didn't even use his own bats.

In batting practice, he would grab six bats from six different players and see which one felt best. Even when a bat felt good, he wouldn't necessarily keep using it.

I saw Manny go 3-for-3 with one bat, then use another bat the fourth time up. I saw him hit a home run and then, in the very next at-bat, against the same pitcher, switch to another bat.

During the 1999 season, after Manny hit a homer on a half-swing, the Yankees accused him of corking his bat. Everybody on the Indians laughed hysterically. There isn't enough cork in the world to fill all the different bats he used.

The guy is just so strong and so good that I think he could pull a branch off a tree and still hit the ball 400 feet.

The stuff in your locker was never safe when Manny was around. He'd wear other people's shoes. He'd put on other people's T-shirts, socks and underwear. He used to steal bullpen catcher Dan Williams' pants.

His favorite place in the clubhouse was the locker that had a tag reading, ``NO NAME.'' It was where the clubhouse guys put stuff when they couldn't figure out whom it belonged to.

Manny would root around in there and take caps and shirts and anything else that struck his fancy.

Manny would even put on other people's underwear. He didn't care if they were medium or extra-large. He'd just toss them on, then go out and get three hits.

***

I kinda figured Manny was a nutball. This confirms it. And frankly, I'm starting to think that Vizquel himself is a bit of a nutball too.

[Sixty one]

Albert Belle is one of the most charming, intelligent warm hearted players to ever play the game. The fact that this is written by one of his former teammates on the Indians to see his book is even funnier!! Thank God the pinstripers never had to get him when Bernie was on the fence!! I can't imagine what havoc he would have had on the chemistry of the Yankees!!

[Sixty one]

By the way, it sounds like Manny is related to Ruben Rivera!!

[Michaels07]

He wasn`t the only one, very easy to do.Craig Nettles of the Yankees did it. Just don`t break the bat.

[MetFan2k2]

The bigger question is why the hell Omar Vizquel is even writing an autobiography? What has made this guys life so fascinating that anyone would want to read it? The most interesting thing in the book (probably) has already been leaked by the media so why would anyone pick it up? I doubt there is anything else interesting in the whole thing. What will we see next "Rey Ordonez: My Life after Jumping a Fence"?

[Bub]

Originally posted by Michaels07
He wasn`t the only one, very easy to do.Craig Nettles of the Yankees did it. Just don`t break the bat.

Yeah, but Nettles had his bat full of all kinds of super balls too. Remember how he broke the bat and those little balls fell out and started bouncing off home plate? I laughed so hard I nearly passed out.

[joltinjo]

How about when Bucky Dent hit that famous homerun against Boston in the play off game. He had just fouled a pitch off his foot and when the trainer came out to spray it... so did Micky Rivers... with a bat that HAD to be juiced!
He told Bucky "your bat is cracked use mine" . Next thing you know he puts it into the screen. I love it.
I have the video on my comp if anyone would like it.Just let me know.

[NYYFAN]

Manny would even put on other people's underwear. He didn't care if they were medium or extra-large.

WHOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!

[Shadowboxer]

Isn't Omar Vizquel a part time standup comic???

[NyMike]

Originally posted by Shadowboxer
Isn't Omar Vizquel a part time standup comic???

Yes. He's also some kind of an artist, too.

[Butnud]

So Omar told the press that Belle's bat was corked. Was it?

[NyMike]

Originally posted by Butnud
So Omar told the press that Belle's bat was corked. Was it?

Yes, apparently all of his bats were corked, and everyone knew it. Thats' why when Jason Grimsley snuck into a locked room through an air vent to try and switch one of Albert's bats which was corked, and taken from him during a game, Grimsley couldn't even replace it with another one of Belle's bats. None weren't corked. He had to switch it with one that was autographed by Paul Sorrento.

Apparently, the fact that everyone in the Cleveland area already knows about Belle corking his bats lead Vizquel to believe it wouldn't be a controversial issue. Personally, I'm still curious about why this belongs in an autobiograph of Omar Vizquel.

[cman]

Originally posted by NyMike

Albert Belle could have all of his arms and legs amputated, and still easily kick Omar Vizquel's ass. What's gotten into this guy anyway? Last year he took it upon himself to almost start a brawl over a couple of diamond earings (Rhodes could've killed him), then he decides to "tattle tale" Albert Belle. Is he nuts or something? Why would he devote an entire chapter to this any way? Isn't an autobiography supposed to be about yourself? Or does Vizquel just not have much to say about himslef?

Funny, Sunday afternoon when i was in the stands at Safeco, Rhodes was pitching, and you know what? the light really does glint of his earings..and i was 22 rows up from the Yankee dugout. I took some photos, hopefully I got the glint just right. I remember watching the earing game on TV. Damn that was funny.

[JeanC]

Is Albert Belle pi... UPSET cause hes not getting enough attention or enought respect ... ahh duh poor little....