Do you know the name of the player who broke the $10 million per year barrier in the MLB?
Well, if you don’t, then there’s no need to worry because the man in question is none other than one of the best players in the history of MLB, Albert Belle.
Albert was not only one of the elite players during his era but also one of the highest-paid.
Thus, to say the least, Albert enjoyed one hell of a glorious career, which is reflected by his net worth of $30 million, along with his five appearances in the All-Star.
Thus, we here at playersbio have written this article to enlighten our dear readers about Belle’s early life and career.
You will also find details about his net worth, salary, age, height, family, and wife. So without further ado, let’s get started.
Quick Facts:
| Full Name | Albert Joujan Belle |
| Birth Date | August 25, 1966 |
| Birth Place | Shreveport, Louisiana, U.S.A |
| Nick Name | Not available |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | African-American |
| Education | Louisiana State University |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Father’s Name | Albert Belle Sr. |
| Mother’s Name | Carrie Belle |
| Siblings | Terry Belle |
| Age | 57 Years Old |
| Height | 6’1″ (1.86 m) |
| Weight | Not available |
| Shoe Size | Not available |
| Hair Color | Grey |
| Eye Color | Black |
| Body Measurement | Not available |
| Build | Healthy |
| Married | Yes |
| Girlfriends | No |
| Spouse | Melissa Belle |
| Profession | Major League Baseball (MLB), Retired |
| Position | Left Fielder |
| Net Worth | $30 million |
| Franchises | Baltimore Orioles (1999-2000), Chicago White Sox (1997-1998), Cleveland Indians (1989-1996) |
| Jersey Number | 88 (Baltimore Orioles), 8 (Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians) |
| All-Star | 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997 (Five-Time) |
| Social Media | Cleveland Indians Instagram |
| Last Update | April, 2024 |
Albert Belle | Early Life, Family & Education
Interestingly, Albert Joujob Belle was born with his twin brother, Terry Belle, on August 25, 1966, to their parents, Albert Belle Sr. and Carrie Belle.
Ever since the two were small kids, all they wanted to do was play baseball and football. Their father, Albert Sr., was a high school coach in the sports, as mentioned earlier.
Subsequently, Albert Jr. steadily rose through the ranks as one of the elite prospects in high school.
Notably, Belle made the All-State baseball team twice during his time with Huntington High School.
Thereafter, because Albert was one of the best players coming out of high school, he was offered a full scholarship by Louisiana State University.
Thus, without any hesitation, Belle joined the university as he was born in the state of Louisiana.
Subsequently, the Louisiana native stayed with the LSU Tigers from 1985 to 1987, during which he made the First Team All-SEC in 1986 and 1987.
Consequently, by the time Albert finished college, most of the MLB teams wanted the Louisianna-born slugger’s service.
Albert Belle | Career & Trades
Albert began his professional career in 1989 with the team that drafted him back in 1987, Cleveland Indians.
After that, Belle stayed with the franchise for another eight years, during which he turned himself into a four-time All-Star from a rookie prospect.
Most notably, the Louisianna native won led the league three times in RBIs, twice in slugging, and three times in extra bases.
Added to that, Belle would have won the 1995 MVP award had it not been for his bad reputation in the media and general public.
Following his glorious eight years with the Indians, Albert signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent in the winter of 1996.
The Louisiana native signed a five-year $55 million deal, which made him the highest-paid player at the time. Additionally, Belle became the first player in baseball’s history to make $10 million in a year.
Thereafter, Albert enjoyed two successful years with the White Sox, which included a career-high 27-game hitting streak in 1997.
Added to that, the Louisianna native drove in 152 runs to break the single-season franchise record. Furthermore, Belle made his fifth appearance in the All-Star with the franchise.
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However, his time with the Chicago-based franchise came to a sad end due to an unusual clause that demanded him to be one of the three highest-paid players in the MLB.
Consequently, White Sox declined to increase his wage, which in turn resulted in Albert becoming a free agent.
Thus, everyone in league with the money available arranged meetings with the five-time All-Star in the hopes of securing his services.
In the end, it was Baltimore Orioles who provided Albert with a contract he simply could not refuse.
To explain, the Orioles offered him a five-year $65 million deal ($99.7 million in today’s market). Consequently, for the second time in his career, Belle became the highest-paid player in MLB.
After that, the Orioles left fielder enjoyed two relatively acceptable seasons before being forced into retirement by a degenerative hip injury.
Not to mention, he was just 34 years old on the day of his retirement. Nevertheless, due to a clause in his contract, Albert remained on the 40 man roster for his five-year contract duration.
In conclusion, the five-time All-Star retired as one of the best baseballers to ever grace the ballpark.
Added to that, Belle was also one of the highest earners of his era, which made his career even sweeter.
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How old is Albert Belle? Age, Height & Body Measurements
Having been born in the year, 1966 makes Belle’s age 57 years currently. Albert started playing professionally from the age of 23, which is not that young.
Nevertheless, he played in the MLB for another 11 years till the age of 34.
Furthermore, the five-time All-Star stands at 6 feet 1 inch, which is just below the average height for an MLB player.
Nonetheless, due to his relatively short height, Albert could swing his arm faster than most other players.
For instance, Belle became the only player in history to hit 50 doubles and 50 home runs in a season during 1995.
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Albert Belle | Controversies
In 1990, Albert Belle was spent ten weeks in the Cleveland Clinics while rehabilitating for the treatment of alcoholism. Back then, he was playing for the Cleveland Indians.
Apparently, Belle has been in many controversies to date and thus, has an array of history for his notorious works.
Corked Bat and Fight
During his tenure with the Cleveland Indians, Belle was sent to a seven days suspension after being caught with the corked bats.
To elaborate, he had used a corked bat while involving his teammate Jason Grimsley.
Back then, they reported that Belle asked Jason to break into the umpire’s locker room and replace the bat with the corked bat.
Although they took it lightly in the initial phase, they got serious later after the inclusion of the event in Omar Vizquel’s autobiography.
Apart from it, he was also fined after knocking Brewers infielder Fernando Viña during the games.
Reporters about Belle
As a matter of fact, Belle hasn’t had a good impression among the reporters.
Apparently, Albert Belle wouldn’t appear for any interviews before his games, and when asked, he would say it wasn’t necessary.
“Guys such as Sandy Koufax, Joe DiMaggio, and Steve Carlton did not interview, and it was no big deal. They were quiet. I am also quiet. I just want to concentrate on baseball. Why does everyone want to hear me talk, anyway?”
However, the media commenced posting controversies about him. Even when he had his career-ending injury, the media didn’t show any sympathy towards him.
“Sorry, there’ll be no words of sympathy here for Albert Belle. He was a surly jerk before he got hurt, and now he’s a hurt surly jerk…He was no credit to the game.”
-New York Daily News columnist Bill Madden
“It was a taken in baseball circles that Albert Belle was nuts… The Indians billed him $10,000 a year for the damage he caused in clubhouses on the road and at home and tolerated his behavior only because he was an awesome slugger.”
Albert Belle | Career stats and Highlights
|
Year
|
Team
|
GP
|
AB
|
R
|
H
|
RBI
|
BB
|
SO
|
HR
|
SB
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
2000
|
Baltimore Orioles
|
141
|
559
|
71
|
157
|
103
|
52
|
68
|
23
|
0
|
|
1999
|
Baltimore Orioles
|
161
|
610
|
108
|
181
|
117
|
101
|
82
|
37
|
17
|
|
1998
|
Chicago White Sox
|
163
|
609
|
113
|
200
|
152
|
81
|
84
|
49
|
6
|
|
1997
|
Chicago White Sox
|
161
|
634
|
90
|
174
|
116
|
53
|
105
|
30
|
4
|
|
1996
|
Cleveland Indians
|
158
|
602
|
124
|
187
|
148
|
99
|
87
|
48
|
11
|
|
1995
|
Cleveland Indians
|
143
|
546
|
121
|
173
|
126
|
73
|
80
|
50
|
5
|
|
1994
|
Cleveland Indians
|
106
|
412
|
90
|
147
|
101
|
58
|
71
|
36
|
9
|
|
1993
|
Cleveland Indians
|
159
|
594
|
93
|
172
|
129
|
76
|
96
|
38
|
23
|
|
1992
|
Cleveland Indians
|
153
|
585
|
81
|
152
|
112
|
52
|
128
|
34
|
8
|
|
1991
|
Cleveland Indians
|
123
|
461
|
60
|
130
|
95
|
25
|
99
|
28
|
3
|
|
1990
|
Cleveland Indians
|
9
|
23
|
1
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
6
|
1
|
0
|
|
1989
|
Cleveland Indians
|
62
|
218
|
22
|
49
|
37
|
12
|
55
|
7
|
2
|
|
Career
|
|
1,539
|
5,853
|
974
|
1,726
|
1,239
|
683
|
961
|
381
|
88
|
Highlights and awards
- 1986: 1st team All-SEC, 2nd team All-America, South 1 Regional Tournament MVP
- 1987: 1st team All-SEC, 3rd team All-America
- 5× All-Star
- 5× Silver Slugger Award
- 1995: AL home run leader, First player to ever hit 50 HR and 50 Doubles, The Sporting News Player of the Year, Baseball Digest Player of the Year
- 3× AL RBI leader
- Cleveland Indians Hall of Fame
Albert Belle | Net Worth & Salary
As of 2021, Albert has accrued a massive net worth of $30 million, mainly through his 11-year playing career in the MLB.
The 53-year-old’s huge net worth should not come as a surprise to anyone because he earned over $97 million just from salaries.
Furthermore, Belle was one of his generation’s best players; therefore, he commanded massive salaries from his teams. In fact, Albert was the first player to earn over $10 million per year in the MLB.
From the years 1997 till 2003, the five-time All-Star was consistently earning over $10 million per year, first with the Chicago White Fox then Baltimore Eagles.
Notably, Belle became the highest-paid player in the MLB during the 1999 season when he made $11.9 million.
You can find the stats, game log, play log, graphs, and much more information about Albert Belle on the Fangraphs website.
Albert Belle | Family & Life
Talking about his marriage, Albert is happily married to his wife, Melissa Belle. Likewise, the couple got married back in 2005 when they met via a mutual friend. Since then, the couple has been in a loving relationship.
On the contrary, Belle was involved in a relationship with a former lover, Beth Myers, back in 2000. During their relationship, the duo had four daughters, who unfortunately remain unknown to the media.
However, that is in the past and should be left there. Currently, Albert and Mellisa are incredibly delighted with their marriage.
In fact, the two lovebirds have been blessed with two children. Unfortunately, we could not find any more details regarding the matter.
Some of the extra facts on Albert Belle’s likes.
- Favorite actor: Danny Glover
- Most liked actress: Vanessa Williams
- Favorite movie: Lethal Weapon
- Favorite book: Malcom X
- Hobbies: Ping-Pong, golf, chess, reading, crossword puzzles, video games
- Favorite foods: Gumbo, red beans and rice, spaghetti, Italian
- The closest friend in baseball: Andre Thornton
Social Media Presence:
Cleveland Indians Instagram: 560k followers
Chicago White Sox Instagram: 396k followers
Baltimore Orioles Instagram: 417k followers
Some FAQs:
Is Albert Belle in the Hall of Fame?
Back in 2006, Albert Belle was eligible for the Hall of Fame; unfortunately, he only gained 7.7% of votes back then.
However, he was yet on the next year’s list, which ended unfortunately as the last year with only 19 votes (3.5%).
How much is an Albert Belle rookie card worth?
Albert Belle’s rookie baseball card price ranges from $0.99-$9.95.
What is Albert Belle’s batting average?
Albert Belle has an average batting of 0.295.
What ended Albert Belle’s career?
Albert Belle ended his professional baseball career due to a hip injury. Belle suffered a hip injury while playing for the Baltimore Orioles. It was a severe case of degenerative arthritis in his right hip.
