BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : Cleveland’s Belle Is Fined $50,000

This time, Albert Belle’s tantrums brought him a record fine.

The temperamental Cleveland Indian outfielder was fined $50,000 Thursday for his profane tirade toward NBC-TV reporter Hannah Storm during the World Series, the largest money penalty ever assessed a baseball player.

“The fine is without any precedent in the history of baseball and totally unjustified,” said Belle’s agent, Arn Tellem. “Had we been able to have this matter heard by an impartial arbitrator, there is absolutely no way we would have agreed to this resolution.

“But given the fact that the prosecutor and the judge and the jury were all the same person, we had no choice but to accept the best deal and not risk being suspended for any games during the season.”

Acting Commissioner Bud Selig, trying to polish baseball’s image in the aftermath of the 232-day strike, had threatened to suspend Belle if he didn’t accept the fine, which will be paid to three charities.

“Baseball has been through some very difficult times,” Selig said. “We need not to compound it in any negative fashion when there doesn’t have to be negativism.”

Said Storm: “I’m happy that baseball addressed the situation in a serious manner. Now we can all put this behind us and move forward in a positive way.”

A source familiar with the negotiations, speaking on the condition he not be identified, said the Indians will pay a substantial portion of Belle’s fine.

Cleveland General Manager John Hart and Belle refused comment at the team’s training site in Winter Haven, Fla., but Belle issued a statement through the team: “For a number of reasons, I have decided not to contest the action. Principal among them is my desire to permit the Cleveland Indians to focus on the task at hand--preparing for the upcoming season. . . .

“I very much regret the incident and the ill feelings it has generated. At no time whatsoever was the presence in the dugout of any individual reporter the cause of my actions. I was upset with the sheer number of them in the dugout and not any particular one. But having said that, many of them were simply doing their job and it was not for me to decide they should not be there.”

Belle’s tantrum was aimed at Storm before Game 3 of the World Series last Oct. 24. Selig, who was about to begin TV negotiations with the major networks, was embarrassed by the incident.

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Steve Reed, the third busiest relief pitcher in the majors last year, has agreed to a one-year contract with the Colorado Rockies.

Reed, who was 17 days short of being eligible for arbitration, will receive $450,000 in 1996, but that figure could change depending on what Atlanta reliever Greg McMichael gets from the Braves this year.

Reed said his salary will be $10,000 less than McMichael’s.

“We felt we should be in line with what he was getting,” Reed said of McMichael, who was 7-2 with two saves and a 2.79 earned-run average last year.

Reed went 5-2 with three saves and a 2.14 ERA in 71 games. Only teammate Curtis Leskanic (76) and Houston’s Dave Veres (72) had more appearances.

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The San Francisco Giants signed left-handed reliever Shawn Barton and backup first baseman J.R. Phillips to one-year contracts. No terms of the contracts were disclosed.

Barton joined the Giants in May last year and had a 4-1 record with a 4.26 ERA and one save in 52 appearances. He made his major league debut with Seattle in 1992.

Phillips was the starting first baseman at the beginning of last season, but lost his job to Mark Carreon in June because of a prolonged hitting slump. Phillips batted .195 for the season.