UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Friday, August 23, 1996
5B
Roughhousing days are done
Belle's recent behavior an improvement
After spending a majority of this baseball season under close scrutiny, teammates say Indians outfielder Albert Belle is turning over a new leaf.
The Associated Press
CLEVELAND — The last time the Cleveland Indians faced the Milwaukee Brewers, Fernando Vina got decked, Albert Belle got suspended and the Indians' season started looking like a circus.
Now take a look: Belle is still hitting home runs, still striking fear in pitches. He's also staying out of trouble, which is the best part to manager Mike Hargrove.
"Yeah, I think it helps us play more relaxed," Hargrove said. "I also think that controversy and that attention was totally unwarranted."
Cleveland hosts Milwaukee for a three-game series starting today at Jacobs Field. It will be the first series between the teams since Belle leveled Vina in the basepath on May 31, resulting in a brawl, three suspensions and the largest fine ever issued by a league president — $25,000 against Belle.
With the exception of conflicting reports of a Gatorade cup being thrown at a cameraman in Chicago, Belle has been awfully quiet lately. The player who has been suspended five times in six seasons has gotten back to concentrating on the game he plays so well and so fiercely.
The lack of controversy seems to have done wonders for Belle and the Indians, who will have at least a 7 1/2-game lead over second-place Chicago when they take the field today.
Belle (batting .303) is second in the majors with 41 homers and tops in the majors with 119 RBI. He is on a torrid streak lately, hitting two home runs in his last 11 at-bats.
"I think he realized that some of the guys weren't really happy with the things he was doing," Omar Vizuell said. "I think everybody's really happy to see that. You don't have to get mad after every play."
Hargrove said Belle hasn't made a conscious effort to change. It's just that people are leaving him alone now.
"It's just Albert being Albert," Hargrove said, "and things have settled down."
There is a notable change in the Indians' clubhouse. Belle is in there a lot now, joking with teammates and talking to coaches. He's even been taking batting practice with the team lately, standing around the cage and chatting.
Pranksters abound. Music blares.
You never know what Casey Candaele is going to do.
"It's very typical of a championship ballclub," said Jeff Kent, who was acquired in an unpopular trade that sent Carlos Baerga to the New York Mets. "I was with the Blue Jays in '92, and I watched them, how everybody reacted. This team is definitely similar to that."
This is nothing like the atmosphere of three months ago, when the Belle-Vina incident triggered accusations and apologies, a threatened lawsuit by Belle, a class action lawsuit by fans and negotiations that finally resulted in Belle's suspension being reduced from five to two games. Back then, the clubhouse was just an empty place where the players hung their clothes.
Hargrove has noticed the change, but insists it's mostly about perception.
"I think a lot of that sometimes has to do with what you hear and read about it," Hargrove said. "I think the longer you're around it, as long as you stay away from certain areas, there's no reason to feel intimidated."
tance on Belle's actions. There are other factors. The Baerga trade, for example, seems to have done the team some good.
It's easy to place too much impor-
There's also this little matter of the Indians being the defending AL champions. They want to get to the
World Series and win it this time,
whether Belle behaves or not.
"Albert's going to be Albert."
Sandy Alomar said. "He's going to do what he's going to do. And we don't care what he does — as long as he keeps going out and hitting
Kickoff Classic pits USC with Penn State
Weekend also will see Brigham Young Texas A&M battle
The Associated Press
Penn State's Joe Paterno and USC's John Robinson are taking the cautious approach to the Kickoff Classic.
"The Kickoff Classic cannot influence us," said Robinson, who has a 92-24-4 record at USC. "If we win, and people start saying we're real good, we can't listen. If we lose, and people say we're real bad, we can't listen. We'll probably be neither regardless of the game."
And why not? Both coaches have been around too long to get caught up in national title mania on the first weekend of the season.
Paterno, with a 278-72-3 record, takes his usual early-season approach: "Win or lose, I think we'll be a better team coming off the Southern Cal game than we might have been. It's probably a good thing for us."
In what could be a preview of the 1997 Rose Bowl, the Trojans and Nittany Lions have similar strengths. Both have experienced quarterbacks, tough defenses and a stable of good running backs.
On Sunday, it's No. 7 Southern California against No. 11 Penn State in the Kickoff Classic at sold-out Giants Stadium. On Saturday, it's No. 13 Texas A&M at Brigham Young in the Pigskin Classic.
Wally Richardson completed 193 of 335 passes for 2,198 yards and 18 TDs for Penn State. USC's Brad Otton, who shared time
with Kyle Wachholtz in 1995, was 159-of256 for 1,923 yards and 14 TDs.
Curtis Enis is Penn State's top runner. Rodney Sermons and LaVale Woods will share time for USC after the suspension of 1,000-yard rusher Delon Washington.
Eight starters return on defense for Penn State, including tackle Brandon Noble, inside linebacker Gerald Filardi and cornerback Brian Miller. For the Trojans, the defense is anchored by tackles Darrrell Russell and Matt Keneley and cornerback Davlon McCutcheon.
Paterno is 11-5 against the Pac-10, while Robinson is 11-3 against the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions are 9-2 in Giants Stadium; the Trojans are 1-0. Penn State is favored by 2 1/2 points.
in the Pigskin Classic, two other highly successful coaches, BYU's Lavell Edwards (214-80-3) and A&M's R.C. Slocum (68-15-2) are preparing for their second meeting. The Aggies clobbered BYU 65-14 in the 1990 Holiday Bowl.
For Texas A&M, Brandon Stewart, a transfer from Tennessee, replaces Corey Pullig as quarterback. Eight starters are back from one of the nation's best defenses. Among the top players are end Brandon Mitchell, linebacker Keith Mitchell and noseguard Eddie Jasper.
BYU returns 12 starters, including Steve Sarkisian, who threw for 3,437 yards and 20 TDs last year.
"Texas A&M has unbelievable quickness in the defensive front," Edwards said. "We have to slow down their running attack and protect and buy enough time for us to operate."
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