Cleveland Indians: 5 times Tribe owned members of 2019 HOF class

3. Bell slams Smith in ’95

The 1995 Indians posted one of the most prolific offenses in baseball and Albert Belle was at the center of hit parade, batting clean-up and knocking 50 home runs and 52 doubles a stirke-shortened 144-game season.

The Tribe looked destined to win the pennant, however, at least halfway through the season, the upstart California Angles looked like a serious threat to rob Indians’ fans of something they had waited 41-years to see should the two teams have met in the postseason.

The Indians faced a mid-summer test that summer, with the Angels, at the peak of their winning ways, making a trip to Jacobs Field. All didn’t appear to be going well

Smith was already an established closer in the game, but the trend of having someone exclusively pitching the ninth inning had really taken the game over by this point.

Carlos Baerga had walked before Belle came to the plate and I recall the second baseman yelling back words of encouragement back to his teammate as he clenched and pumped both fists.

Belle answered the call, blasting Smiths’ 1-2 offering over the center field wall. The ball landed in the picnic area in what was one of the most spectacular home runs ever hit on the corner of Carnegie and Ontario.

Meanwhile, the Angels came back to earth and ended up missing the playoffs by 1 game.

With Rivera being enshrined, it’s good to see Smith, who has 478 career saves, also going into Coopestown. Now, if Belle, who is already off the writer’s ballot, could get some love from the veteran’s committee.