did you guys hear albert belle call in and attempt to defend himself on Jim Rome's show today? Omar Vizquel has stated in his biography (yeah, i want to know why he has a biography too!) that all of Belle's bats were corked (in reference to the corked bat episode in Chicago in 1994)... Man, that was the most classic interview ever... sounded like Rome was pulling teeth when he tried to get Belle to 'fess up about having ever used a corked bat... so many awkward pauses and abrupt answers... Romey finally had to change the topic, near the end, talking about his HOF chances, his retirement, etc... I can't believe Belle called in on his own... I wonder if he listens to the jungle or if one of his friends told him he was being clowned on the radio... Rome wants him as an in studio guest... yeah right!
Jim Rome's website he keeps archived shows there, but to listen you have to be a paid subscriber he does update the "smack of the day" pretty often... who knows, you might get lucky and he may put it in that forum in the next few days (i believe listening to that is free)... instant classic interview!!! you guys gotta hear it! i moved away from houston (now in austin) 6 years ago... back then 610 used to replay rome's show in the evening 7-11pm... should i assume they stopped this practice?
Albert Belle needs to shut up. Apparently he forgot about a certain pitcher by the name of Jason Grimsley who back in 1999 publically admitted his involvement in "Bat Gate." He told reporters about how he crawled through an air duct with a flash light in his mouth above the Umpire locker room, dropped in on to a refridgerator, switched Belle's bat with a Paul Sorrento bat because all of Belle's were corked, and then escaped back into the club house. This story is hilarious and everybody involved can look back and laugh except for Belle obviously. This guy already was suspended for 7 games and everybody who watches baseball knows he corked his bats, so he should fess up or shut up.
I listen to the Jungle quite frequently...but this was easily one of the best jobs by an interviewer I've ever heard. Everything was sponatneous...everything was off the cuff...he had no idea what to expect...and he still managed to keep it together and ask the tough questions, without appearing to be a jackass about it. My respect for Rome grew immensely from that interview.
Isn't anybody here going to say anything about Vizquel "corking bats" while on road trips? It's been quite a month to be an Indians fan...
I'm with Belle on this one. For one thing, who in the **** is Omar Vizquel to have his own autobiography?? And another, it's widely known that stuff that goes on in a clubhouse stays in the clubhouse. He's going to have a hard time (or should) with his teammates in the future with them knowing that whatever they say to him might end up in the movie version of this no doubt outstanding read. And I loved the idiot from Austin who sent an e-mail in criticizing Belle for calling in to a national show instead of confronting Vizquel personally. Hello, Vizquel wrote it in a book for chrissakes!!!
I would agree, RM95...the only thing I would say in Belle's defense (if it's a defense at all) is that when he first came on the show it didn't sound like he was all that clear as to exactly what was said in the book...honestly, it sounded like Belle was put up to making the call by someone else. But Vizquel should have kept what was in the clubhouse, in the clubhouse. Now Vizquel's teammates better watch their back from now on...he has a history of opening up about stuff that should be kept private.
I don't agree at all, the whole corked bat thing was already out of the club house. Doc Gooden and Strawberry's drug problem was kept in the club house, but now that everybody already knows, it's ok to talk about it. Also, it's not like Vizquel wrote this book to tell the truth about Belle, he didn't even write a chapter about it. It was like only one line in his book and there was no reason for him to confront Belle in person. Either way, it's true that Omar has no business writing an autobiography, but think about how many more copies he's going to sell now that people are talking about this.
the whole corked bat thing was already out in the open, due to "batgate" at comiskey in 1994... however, the comments of vizquel and belle both seem odd... in his book, vizquel stated that ALL of belle's bats were corked, possibly true... but wouldn't he have hit MORE homers with corked bats, given how rocked up he was? and belle, on romey's show, stated that he NEVER used a corked bat... we all know that's a joke... what i want to know is if these comments and this controversy will affect his HOF status... i don't think his career was long enough to earn HOF entrance... but there has been talk amongst sports journalists in the past few years about his chances...
