Yup this is an Albert Belle Post

Don't ask me why but earlier today Albert Belle's name was brought up on our radio station and call me crazy but it still shocks me that so many people in Baltimore hate this man.  Before you all call me crazy look at his numbers.  In 1999 he batted .297 with 37 Home runs and 117 RBI and in 2000 (in 141 Games) he batted .281 with 23 Home runs and 103 RBI.  So the grand total for his 2 Seasons are a .289 batting average, 60 HR and 220 RBI.  Now I don't think im going out on a limb by saying those are pretty good numbers for two seasons.  The main reason so many people hate Belle is that for the final 3 years of his contract he never stepped on the field but the Orioles had to pay the contract.  His career ended because of degenerative osteoarthritis in his hip so is it really his fault his career ended so abruptly.  If anything more people should be mad at Peter Angelos for overpaying Albert Belle just so he wouldn't sign with the New York Yankees.  Look I am not defending the character of Albert Belle because quite frankly he was a jerk on and off the field.  He never really talked to the media, and most people wont forget when he threw his elbow in the face of Fernando Vina when running to second base.  Take a look back at those 99 and 00 Orioles teams he was basically doing it by himself.  In 2000 alone even though he missed 20 games he still was the only Oriole to drive in 100 runs.  This is another case in my opinion that you can't blame the one specific player when the franchise did nothing to make the team around him better.  Though most people would see the Albert Belle experience a complete failure I don't, I just wish Belle could have stayed healthy.