Belle made his first Major League appearance in 1989, but it was two years later before he was a regular in the Cleveland lineup. Belle was one of the premier power hitters of the mid-90s, and he blasted at least 34 Home Runs annually for the Indians from 1992 to 1996, with each year seeing him drive in 100 RBIs or more.
Belle's power made him an MVP candidate. He won three RBI titles, and in 1995, he led the American League in Doubles (52), Home Runs (50), and Runs Scored (121) with a Slash Line of .317/.401/690. Belle lost the MVP to Mo Vaughn, though had he been more media-friendly, it is speculated that he could have won it. Notably, he bookended that year with third place MVP finishes.
After the 1996 season, Belle needed a change of scenery (and likely so did Cleveland), and he joined the Chicago White Sox as a Free Agent. With the Indians, Belle compiled 1,014 Hits, 242 Home Runs, and a .580 Slugging Percentage. He joined their franchise Hall of Fame in 2016.
Comments powered by CComment