RELUCTANT GURU; GRUFF OUTFIELDER'S WEB SITE OFFERS FINANCIAL ADVICE.

Byline: Scott Newman Bloomberg News

Add another footnote to Albert Belle's career: He's probably the first major-league baseball player to offer financial advice on the Internet and refuse to talk about it.

It's been two months since the often silent Baltimore Orioles slugger launched the ``Bank on Belle'' section on his Web site, a compendium of financial tips unusual to the extent that sites from baseball players tend to focus more on fielding than 401(k)s.

Belle's approach is unusual in another way, too. In an age when hype may be as important to an Internet site's success as the timing of its initial public offering, Belle has extended his no-comment policy to cyberspace. That won't be good for business, industry analysts said.

``It's just not very smart,'' said Patrick Keane, an Internet analyst with Jupiter Communications Inc. ``You'd better do everything in your power to drive traffic. If you don't get traffic, you're out of business.''

While Belle's marquee value stems from his hitting prowess and his controversies - a corked bat, throwing a baseball at a spectator, throwing his middle finger at Cleveland Indians fans - his Web site isn't only about baseball.

There's a daily online crossword puzzle. Belle finishes it and allows his fans to compare their time against his. Fans can buy Belle's new breakfast item, ``Albert Belle's Slugger Cereal.'' Portions of proceeds from the fat-free corn flakes, the site says, will be donated to charity.

And there's the investing advice from the $11.9 million-a-year outfielder.

He introduces the section available at www.athletedirect.com with ``Financial advice from Albert, the money player.'' Belle, who said he once lost about $40,000 betting on sports other than baseball, tells investors how they can win with stocks, bonds, rare art and coins.

Start with certificates of deposit, Belle says, followed by bond mutual funds, stock mutual funds, and then individual stocks. When buying securities, Belle suggests Microsoft Corp., and he recommends snapping up a speculative investment such as an Internet company.

Belle's site carries a disclaimer: ``I'm not a financial guru or anything.'' Arthur Karafin, a Philadelphia-based financial planner who manages $500 million in assets, said Belle's right about that.

``It's less than worthless. It's a joke,'' Karafin said.

Belle won't discuss where he's getting his investment information. He stopped talking to reporters in February when writers covering the Orioles wrote about him throwing bats during a clubhouse tirade in spring training.

Last month, Belle waved away a reporter who tried to talk to him about the site. Earlier, his twin brother, Terry Belle, offered to get his brother's written replies to a reporter's questions on the condition that the story didn't mention that they came through him.

Terry Belle is a financial analyst, according to Athlete Direct Inc., the closely held company that operates Belle's Web site and about 100 other athletes' sites. Terry Belle supplies his brother with most of the ideas for the site, said Ian Benjafield, general manager of content for the Los Angeles-based company. ``But it's Albert that's doing it,'' Benjafield said.

Ross Schaufelberger, president of Athlete Direct, said his company is paying Belle an undisclosed fee to update his site weekly. Most of the company's other athlete clients, such as Seattle Mariners outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and Green Bay Packers quarterback Bret Favre, do interviews that could pump up traffic on the site.

``We're not at all disappointed with our relationship with Albert,'' Schaufelberger said. ``We knew what we were getting.''

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PHOTO (Color) no caption (Albert Belle)