BALTIMORE AP Albert Belle arrived in Baltimore on Tuesday wielding a pen instead of his potent bat becoming the highest-paid player in the history of the Orioles. Belle finally agreed to a dlrs 65 million five-year contract Monday night and signed on with the Orioles before being introduced during a news conference at Camden Yards. Belle said Baltimore was always his favorite team when he was growing up and Eddie Murray now a coach for the team was one of his heroes. ``I finally get an opportunity to come here'' he said. ``I'm looking forward to working with these guys. They definitely want to go all out to win. This club is definitely a contender.'' Orioles general manager Frank Wren called Belle ``one of the outstanding hitters'' in baseball. Before checking into Baltimore however Belle checked out all his options. Wren settled Friday with Belle's agent Arn Tellem on the financial terms of the deal. But while the sides worked to solidify other issues Belle did some probing on his own. According to a source who was in contact with several major league teams Belle personally placed telephone calls Monday to Yankees general manager Brian Cashman and Chicago White Sox general manager Ron Schueler asking if they were interested in him. New York withdrew its offer last week after Bernie Williams re-signed for dlrs 87.5 million over seven years. Belle had until Wednesday to return to the White Sox and complete a dlrs 55 million five-year deal that guaranteed him dlrs 35 million in the next three seasons but Chicago refused to increase Belle's salary. So Belle chose the Orioles who were lagging behind the other AL contenders in the free-agent sweepstakes and felt compelled to overlook Belle's checkered past by offering him one of the most lucrative contracts in U.S. baseball history. The contract ties Belle with Mike Piazza of the New York Mets for the third-highest average salary dlrs 13 million behind only Anaheim's Mo Vaughn dlrs 13.33 million and Arizona's Randy Johnson dlrs 13.1 million. It took until Monday for an agreement on the final detail the extent of the no-trade clause in the contract. Belle's deal is the sixth highest in total dollars trailing only Piazza dlrs 91 million Williams Vaughn dlrs 80 million Boston's Pedro Martinez dlrs 75 million and the Los Angeles Dodgers' Gary Sheffield dlrs 68.5 million. Belle became available because his contract with the White Sox included a clause that allowed him to ask for a raise or become a free agent if his average salary didn't remain among the top three in baseball. Belle was knocked out of the top three when Sheffield received an additional dlrs 7.5 million for agreeing to waive his no-trade clause and go from Florida to the Los Angeles Dodgers last spring. Belle hit .328 this year with 49 homers and 152 RBIs. He led the AL in slugging percentage .655 and total bases 399 and set club records for homers doubles 48 total bases and extra-base hits 99. He was second in the AL in doubles homers and RBIs. APW19981201.0039.txt.body.html APW19981201.0343.txt.body.html