From Chris' latest "On the Screws:"

Compare Albert Belle's 12-year career to Kirby Puckett's 12-year career.

Look at Belle's OPS and OBP plus his sheer power and batting average.

Puckett gets into the Hall in a cake walk and Belle is treated like a joke...

I guess cheating on your wife and dragging women into the bathroom and groping them against their will is far better than corking bats, not talking to the media, and not being nice.

Mr. Puckett's legal counsel would no doubt remind you to add the word "allegedly" to his groping charges. Plus, he was charged more than a year after being elected to the Hall. Kind of hard to blame the media for not holding him responsible when the incident hadn't even happened yet.

Further, "not being nice" is a rather euphamistic little umbrella for Belle's behaviour, under which we can add throwing a ball into the stands and chasing down teenagers on Hallowe'en. Not that I condone the egging of houses, but attempted vehicular homicide is a little much.

I do think Belle gets a bit of a raw deal from the media. Looking at his interviews over the years, he was consistent that he just wanted to be left alone. When you put a volatile guy that doesn't want to talk to the media in front of the media, you might as well put a bullseye on him. The latest Albert Belle blowup was always a quick, easy story and a compelling soundbyte.

Puckett was the exact opposite, a short, chunky little guy who defied the odds to make the majors, was cheerful and accessible. He was easy to root for and incredibly popular, to the point that they made Kirby dolls.

As players, Puckett had a few more facets to his game than Belle. He played a key position and won six Gold Gloves there. He was the leader of a team that won all four playoff series in which they competed. He hit a memorable walk-off home run in Game 6 of the 1991 World Series.

Belle was a much bigger impact hitter, but also a natural DH and a guy who became famous for not running out grounders and being abrasive. He opted out of his contract with the White Sox for more money in Baltimore. That's Chicago's fault for including such a clause in his contract, but also the antithesis of being a team leader like Puckett.

So here we have two guys whose careers are cut short prematurely, costing Puckett 3,000 hits and Belle 500 homers. The media regarded Puckett's retirement as a tragedy, while snidely implying that Belle got what he deserved with his degenerating hip.

At 12 seasons each, both careers are short for the Hall of Fame. That's when intangibles come into play. Puckett's earned him a plaque on the first ballot, while Belle barely stayed on the ballot with 40 votes. He's the new Dick Allen.