Orel Hershiser has turned nightmares into good memories for years. He did it again Monday, winning his first career battle against former Cleveland Indians teammate Albert Belle.
Belle wasn’t exactly a pleasant sight for Hershiser when he came to bat in the first inning. The previous two batters, Mike Cameron and Frank Thomas, had just hit home runs to turn a 2-0 lead into a 2-2 tie.
“Back-to-back-to-back would not have been a lot of fun, especially to have Albert hit the last one,” said Hershiser, who raised his record to 5-2 in the Indians’ 10-4 victory. “I’d hate to see the headlines. I didn’t want him to take me deep there.”
Belle swung at the first pitch, grounding out to shortstop Omar Vizquel. “He was trying to lift the ball,” Hershiser said. “The wind was blowing out to left. He swung to lift it, and fortunately my ball sunk and he hit the top of it. Albert will take me deep before he retires.”
Belle went 0 for 3 against Hershiser. He struck out in the fourth inning and grounded to second baseman Tony Fernandez in the sixth inning.
“I really didn’t need to have scouting reports on him because he swung the bat early in the count,” Hershiser said. “I was trying to get ahead, and he was trying to hit the pitches I was trying to get ahead with. Fortunately for me, he hit the ball on the ground.”
Hershiser enjoyed his two seasons playing alongside Belle.
“He was a great teammate to have,” Hershiser said. “Any opportunity to play with him in the future, I’d like to have it. It looks like that would have to happen in Chicago.”
Quiet at the top: Ray Durham’s hitting encouraged the Sox to trade Tony Phillips, but he has gone into a slump since becoming the full-time leadoff hitter. A day off Sunday did not bring back his productivity.
Durham was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts Monday. He is 3 for 25 with two walks, two runs scored and no stolen bases in six games since the Phillips trade.
Manager Terry Bevington said Durham hasn’t changed since the trade.
“Like all players, for three- or four-day periods he won’t hit,” Bevington said. “That happened last year, and it will happen next year..”
Seen it all before: Indians GM John Hart admits he chuckled “a little bit” when Belle’s honeymoon with Chicago fans and reporters ended in early April. Hart had reason to be skeptical about Belle’s off-season promises and the stories about a more user-friendly Belle.
“In our experience, he was always a guy who in spring training was accessible to a point,” Hart said. “When the season started, he hunkered down and didn’t take time with the media. I kind of envisioned that would be the way he played it over here.”
Hart on life without Belle: “There is a different flavor in our clubhouse,” he said. “That’s just the word. It’s different.”
Short hops: An airplane circled Comiskey during the game pulling a banner reading “Boycott Cubs-Sox Series June 16-18.” . . . Losing pitcher Jaime Navarro joined Belle in declining comment after Monday’s game. . . . Tony Castillo worked a simulated game Monday and is expected to be activated Wednesday. . . . Belle has had 14 one-hit games during his 21-game hitting streak, which equals the longest of his career. It’s the longest for the Sox since a 25-gamer by Lance Johnson in 1992.
