Baltimore Fans Bond With Belle

In his first official game with the Baltimore Orioles, Albert Belle homered, drove in four runs and formed a warm bond with the fans at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

He also maintained his icy relationship with the media.

Belle’s three-run homer put Baltimore ahead to stay Monday and the Orioles, despite losing Cal Ripken to injury, beat the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, 10-7, in a season opener.

Belle, signed as a free agent in December to a five-year, $65-million contract, didn’t waste any time proving he was worth the money. His homer gave the Orioles a 4-2 lead in the third inning, and he later added an RBI single in a four-run eighth.

After his homer, Belle stood at the base of the dugout, tipped his batting helmet and flashed a broad smile.

That wasn’t quite good enough for the 46,733 fans, most of whom were standing and wildly cheering. So, after being prodded by coach Eddie Murray, Belle further pleased the crowd by scaling the dugout steps and taking a rare curtain call.

“That was like, ‘Hey, thank you.’ I hope it’s the start of a long, great relationship,” Oriole Manager Ray Miller said.

Belle, however, apparently decided to let his bat do the talking for him. Reporters and cameramen gathered around his cubicle in the clubhouse hoping for comment, but he shook his head when asked if he would talk.

“It’s going to be pretty quiet over there,” said Oriole first baseman Will Clark, who went two for four with two RBIs in his Baltimore debut.

Brady Anderson also homered for the Orioles and Mike Mussina got the victory despite giving up four runs and eight hits, including Jose Canseco’s 398th career homer, in five innings.

Ripken left the game in the third inning because of a stiff lower back, one of the few times in his 18-year career he has left a game because of an injury. Ripken, who voluntarily ended his record streak of 2,632 consecutive games last year, is listed as day-to-day.

Ripken laid down a sacrifice bunt in the second inning but was replaced by pinch-hitter Willis Otanez in the third.

“He told me it’s tightened up pretty good, so I said, ‘Let’s get you out of there,”’ Miller said.

Chicago 8, Seattle 2--Ken Griffey Jr. gave Hank Aaron and Mariner fans a reason to remember the final opener at the Kingdome in Seattle.

Griffey hit his seventh home run on opening day, but it wasn’t enough in an 8-2 loss to the White Sox.

Frank Thomas doubled twice, singled and drove in two runs for Chicago. Darrin Jackson and Paul Konerko added two-run homers as Chicago opened on the road for the ninth consecutive year.

Griffey, the player most likely to challenge Aaron’s record of 755 home runs, hit his 351st to start his 11th major league season.

The 29-year-old Seattle star raised his arm in salute to Aaron, who threw out the first ball. The Mariners will move into their new outdoor stadium, $498-million Safeco Field, on July 15.

Griffey gave Seattle a 2-1 lead when he homered off James Baldwin in the third inning. Frank Robinson holds baseball’s record with eight opening-day homers--Griffey is tied for second with Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Eddie Mathews and Carl Yastrzemski.

Boston 5, Kansas City 3--The Red Sox did just fine in their first game without Mo Vaughn.

Jose Offerman, signed from Kansas City to replace Vaughn’s bat, went four for five and John Valentin homered Monday to lead Boston over the Royals at Kansas City, Mo.

Pedro Martinez struck out nine in six innings as Boston won its opener for the sixth time in seven years.

After a 28-minute rain delay, the Royals took a 2-0 lead in the first against Martinez, who won 19 games last year and finished second in AL Cy Young voting.

But Boston came back in the third against Kevin Appier, who made only three starts last season while recovering from shoulder surgery.

Offerman, who spent three seasons with the Royals, was signed by Boston after Vaughn went to the Angels for an $80-million, six-year contract. He doubled in the first, singled in the third and scored on Valentin’s homer, a 410-foot shot to center.

Offerman, booed each time he was announced, singled again in the seventh, then tripled off Scott Service in the ninth and scored on Valentin’s double.