When Jason Grimsley attempted to save former Guardians' teammate Albert Belle's reputation by replacing his corked bat

Former MLB star Jason Grimsley was not just a great player on the field but he was also generous and kind to his teammates.

Grimsley once attempted to protect his former Cleveland Guardian teammate Albert Belle's reputation by replacing a corked bat.

As reported by the New York Times in 1999, on July 15, 1994 Grimsley wriggled into the umpires' dressing room at Chicago's Comiskey Park. He did this to swap his teammate Albert Belle's unlawfully corked bat for a cork-free one.

''That was one of the biggest adrenaline rushes I've ever experienced,'' Grimsley said.

Gene Lamont, the manager of Chicago, received information suggesting that Belle might have hollowed out the barrel of his bat and filled it with cork. This would have made the head of the bat lighter and sped up the swing. As is the right of every manager, Lamont questioned Belle's bat's legality in the first innings.

"28 years ago today Albert Belle’s corked bat was confiscated by umpires. So began the greatest MLB heist in history - Jason Grimsley climbed through the ceiling of the Tribe clubhouse into the umpires room stole the corked bat & replaced it with Paul Sorrento’s name-stamped bat" - McNeil

As a result, umpire Dave Phillips took the bat and locked it in his dressing room for subsequent inspection.

Yankees v Orioles

The Cleveland dugout was alarmed as the bat was taken off the field. Belle's colleagues were aware that it contained a prohibited substance and that their best hitter would undoubtedly face a suspension when it was found. Indians starting pitcher Grimsley, who wasn't pitching that evening, recalled having the following thought:

"As I was sitting there, the thought came to my mind: I can get that bat.''

On the one hand, he took a risk with the bat for his teammate, but on the other, he was protecting a player who was breaking the rules.

Jason Grimsley was suspended for 50 games

Federal agents allegedly stormed Grimsley's home in 2006. They were searching for proof that he was selling human growth hormones (HGH) and other performance-enhancing pharmaceuticals.

"Really harrowing stuff from former Royals pitcher Jason Grimsley." -Royals Review

For breaking Major League Baseball's Joint Drug Prevention and Treatment Program, Grimsley received a 50-game suspension.