Albert Belle

Albert Jojuan Belle was born on August 25, 1966 in Shreveport, Louisiana. Growing up, Belle's family, friends, and coaches called him "Joey," a shortened version of his middle name. Belle's family lived in a middle-class section of Shreveport, and his parents were both educators. Albert, Belle's father, was a high school football coach and a teacher; Belle's mother Carrie was a math teacher. Both parents, but particularly Carrie, pushed Belle to succeed in everything he did. This was a lesson Belle would take with him into adulthood, as he continued to set high standards for himself.

Belle's twin brother, Terry, stayed by Belle's side throughout career. A businessman, Terry assisted Belle with public relations and his relationship with the media.

Belle was an outstanding figure in high school. He was an Eagle Scout, a regular attendee of the Galilee Baptist Church, and an all-state baseball player. Belle was also a high achiever as a student, graduating sixth in his class of 266 at Huntington High. Belle even took college courses in high school, learning computer programming languages. But as early as high school, Belle's temperament was a problem: the outstanding athlete would have fits when he didn't perform at his best, throwing bats, balls, helmets.

Belle and his family hoped for a minor league contract right out of high school, but no offers were forthcoming. The most prestigious college teams overlooked him, too; while his talent was indisputable, Belle's attitude was problematic. He did get an offer to attend Louisiana State University and play for the LSU Tigers; brother Terry was drafted along with Belle. Belle excelled as a Tiger, setting university records in seven categories (including home runs and runs batted in). He was twice named to the All-Southeast Conference. But Belle also had some setbacks in college: one incident involved a spectator yelling a racial slur; Belle dove into the stands trying to identify the man, and teammates had to tackle him. He was benched for the 1987 College World Series because of his temper.