Don't Call Me Joey: The Wit and Wisdom of Albert Belle

Ian A. Andrews is editor of the New Brunswick Teachers’ Association’s Focus and co-author of Becoming a Teacher.

The fact that this short book of quotations by, and anecdotes about,
baseball slugger Albert Belle has been compiled by an unattributed
source comes as no surprise. The portrait of Belle that emerges, both
from his own words and deeds and from sources ranging from family
members to major sports publications, is not a favorable one. This man
of enormous talent is shown to possess an equally enormous ego. In the
book’s six brief chapters, with titles like “The Belle Jar” and
“Hell’s Belles,” Belle is portrayed as a complete jerk. The
controversial owner of the Cincinnati Reds, Marge Schott, once said of
Belle: “He’s not a nice man.” Only members of the “I Hate Albert
Belle Club” will enjoy this exercise in character assassination.