People tried to test me (in 1999) and I came up with some pretty good throws. Everybody on the team calls me 'Bazooka' now. That's kind of like a nickname I gave myself.

It's going to be tough (winning the MVP Award). I'm not really considered a media darling.

There were a lot of times in the Cleveland and Chicago organizations when I did something, they wanted to make sure the camera was there. I really didn't want that. This isn't something my parents told me to do. Or something my family told me to do. Or do things for publicity. I do this on my own. I do this from my heart.

We need to start acting like a team, focus on winning and not worry about all of the other stuff that goes on. We lost our focus last year. We worried about who was being hired, who was being fired. That's got to change. We don't need any more finger pointing. We need to act like a team.

In baseball, I don't fraternize with players when it's time to hit. I'm preparing for the game. It's the most important time of the day. And I know if I don't hit, I won't have a job in the big leagues. That's why I tend to get very upset when people try to talk to me.

I feel like myself and the city of Cleveland are in the same boat. We're made for each other. A few years ago, everybody had bad thoughts on Albert Belle. I feel that has changed.

I think a lot of people are aware of the things I do, but maybe because of who I am, they don't want to report the good things about Albert Belle.