Routine hits that should have been singles or doubles became triples. With the exhibition schedule underway, Hargrove has asked each day if Belle can play. Neither retirement nor release are options. And a team that releases a player is stuck for 100 percent of his remaining contract, since no insurance policy covers a player who is simply cut. If Belle had decided he wanted to play and the Orioles had maintained that he is physically unable to do so, the parties could have ended up in a grievance hearing in the commissioner's office.
Latest reports indicate that an amicable solution is at hand.
But remember, the central participants are Belle and owner Peter Angelos. Neither has excelled at avoiding confrontation. Luckily, the Orioles still rank number one in baseball in one category. With hindsight, the Orioles now look smart for signing David Segui, the slick first baseman who hit .334 with 19 homers and 103 RBI last year. Not if you subtract Belle.