WB SPORT TAPS BELLE AS BRAND ENDORSER.Byline: Dave McNary Daily News Staff Writer Warner Bros BROS Brothers BROS Benefits and Retirement Operations Section (King County, Washington) BROS Barnes and Richmond Operatic Society (London, UK) . announced Wednesday its sports licensing arm has signed up Albert Belle ``We're convinced that he is a genuinely good guy who is devoted to the game of baseball and has been misunderstood in the past,'' said Michael Peikoff, vice president of property development for consumer products. ``We think he'll be a great corporate spokesman.'' Burbank-based Warner Bros., part of Time Warner Inc., did not disclose details of the pact. Belle, who has been among baseball's top players in recent years, agreed in November to sign a five-year, $55 million contract with the Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are a professional baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. The White Sox are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the White Sox have played in U.S. after spending eight years with the Cleveland Indians  Editing of this page by unregistered or newly registered users is currently disabled due to vandalism. . In 1995, he became the first player to collect 50 home runs and
50 doubles in the same season, in addition to leading the Indians to
their first World Series in 41 years.
But he is also well-known for outbursts on and off the field, such as an obscenity-laden tirade at a reporter during the Series. During last season, he threw a baseball at a photographer in April, drew a five-game suspension in June for his part in a brawl and was ordered to undergo anger counseling by American League American League (AL) One of the two associations of professional baseball teams in the U.S. and Canada designated as major leagues; the other is the National League (NL). President Gene Budig Gene Budig was the president of Major League Baseball's American League from 1994-1999. In 1999, the President's offices of the two leagues were disestablished. Prior to his position with the American League, Budig served as chancellor of the University of Kansas. . Sports commentators have often used Belle as an example of how sports teams excuse poor behavior by their stars as long as they remain productive. Teammates said Belle's actions reflect his intense approach to the game. Peikoff said Warner executives voiced their concerns to Belle prior to signing him up and were won over in their subsequent meetings with him. He noted that Belle has been cooperative in dealing with the news media and fans since he joined the White Sox and noted that he had participated recently in Sox Fest promotional activities to build interest in the upcoming season. The studio launched the WB Sport brand in late 1995 with several National Basketball Association players Here follows a list of National Basketball Association players. Current players are in bold. This list also includes players from the American National Basketball League (NBL), the Basketball Association of America (BAA), and the original American Basketball Association , led by Patrick Ewing Patrick Aloysius Ewing (born August 5, 1962) is a retired American professional basketball player. He played most of his career with the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks as their starting center and played briefly with the Seattle SuperSonics and Orlando Magic. of the New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Knicks, and has added football star William Fuller of the Philadelphia Eagles and baseball slugger Andres Gallaraga. The WB Sport line is currently sold only in the Warner Studio Stores chain as a platform for launching the products into the mass market retail sector this fall, Peikoff said. Current items for sale include sweat shirts, shorts and locker bags. ``Warner Bros. is a first-class organization and I am delighted to join their roster of talented athletes,'' said Belle in a statement. ``This will be a banner year for me - with my new association with Warner Bros., the White Sox deal and being in Chicago - who could ask for more?'' CAPTION(S): Photo Photo: (Color) Albert Belle, playing for Cleveland in June 1996, walks away from Milwaukee's Fernando Vina after knocking him down while breaking up a double play. Associated Press |
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