FOR WHOM THE BELLS TOLLS

Albert Belle's narrow loss to Boston's Mo Vaughn in the AL MVP voting gained the Indians outfielder no sympathy from the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

"I feel sorry for Belle, and not just because his temper cost him the MVP award voted on by the baseball writers," columnist Bill Livingston wrote. "I feel sorry for a man who is so joyless, when he created so much happiness for this city. And I feel bad for a man who hears the music, but cannot dance."

Mike Cellzie of The Record of Hackensack, N.J., wrote that "Belie has less charm than an angry Rottweler," agreeing that Vaughn was more valuable but that Belle had a better season.

Vaughn held his news conference Thursday at a center where he founded a youth development program.

"Mo The Man helped push Mo The Slugger across this particular finish line." The Boston Globe's Bob Ryan wrote. "It would be asinine to deny it. Being both civil and civicminded made Mo a multipurpose candidate for baseball's highest honor."