AL suspends Albert Belle, Julian Tavarez: On this date in Cleveland Indians history

CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The hits and suspensions kept coming for Albert Belle.

Belle was suspended for the fifth time in six years on June 3, 1996 after the Indians brawled with the Milwaukee Brewers in the ninth inning on May 31 at County Stadium. AL President Gene Budig suspended Belle and right-hander Julian Tavarez for five games each for their part in the fight. Milwaukee’s Mike Matheny was suspended for five games as well.

In the Indians 10-4 win over the Brewers on May 31, Belle was hit twice by pitches, once in the eighth inning and once in the ninth. Marshall Boze hit him in the eighth and Belle promptly turned second baseman Fernando Vina into roadkill with a forearm to the face to breakup a double play on a grounder by Eddie Murray.

In the third, Belle was faced with a similar play and stopped and allowed Vina to tag him and complete the double play with a throw to first. First base coach Davey Nelson berated Belle for not pressuring Vina more, but Belle probably went overboard in the eighth.

In the ninth, Terry Burrows hit Belle with a pitch. At the end of the inning, as Tavarez headed to the mound, Belle told him, “You know what to do.”

Tavarez’s first pitch sailed behind Matheny’s head and the current manager of the Kansas City Royals charged the mound. Both teams sprinted onto the field an engaged in a wild fight. During the action, plate umpire Joe Brinkman grabbed Tavarez from behind and Tavarez flipped the veteran umpire over his head and onto Brinkman’s back.

Budig said Tavarez was suspended for flipping Brinkman.

“I told Joe I was sorry,” said Tavarez. “I thought he was another player.”

Agent Arn Tellem defended Belle, saying, "Albert had no intention of hurting Vina. His only thought was to break up a double play. I’m outraged by this ruling. This continues a pattern by the commissioner’s office that holds Albert to different standards than any another other professional athlete.”

Tellem, Belle’s agent, spent a lot of time being “outraged" because Belle kept doing outrageous things.

A month earlier Budig ordered Belle to undergo anger management counseling or face another suspension after he intentionally hit Sports Illustrated photographer Tony Tomsic with a ball in April. Tomsic’s transgression? He was taking Belle’s picture.

Tomsic later sued Belle and won.

In spring training that same year, Belle was fined $50,000 for his outburst against TV reporter Hannah Storm before Game 3 of the World Series in 1995. In 1991 Belle was suspended for hitting a taunting fan in the chest with ball during a game. He was suspended in 1992 and 1993 for charging the mound and in 1994 he was suspended for getting caught using a corked bat.

Belle was unrepentant following the brawl with the Brewers.

“We’ve decided that if anybody throws at me, we’re going to throw back at them,” said Belle, who rarely talked to reporters. “We’re not going to be pushed around. I shouldn’t be getting hit when we’re up 9-3. . .They started it and we finished it."