Indians exercise club option on 2B Belliard for 2006

CLEVELAND (Ticker) - Second baseman Ronnie Belliard will continue to wield a stellar bat and a steady glove at Jacobs Field for at least one more year.

The Cleveland Indians picked up the 2006 club option on Belliard, who set career highs in both home runs and RBI last season.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Belliard did earn $2.5 million this past season.

Helping the Indians rally before just falling short of their first postseason appearances since 2001, Belliard hit .284 with 17 homers and 78 RBI in 145 games.

Hitting .280 or higher in every month except August, Belliard finished third among American League second baseman in RBI and doubles (36) and fourth in home runs.

In the field, the 30-year-old compiled the fifth-best fielding percentage (.981), ranking third in total chances with 683.

An All-Star in his first season with Cleveland in 2004, Belliard has hit .272 with 67 homers and 372 RBI in 902 career games over eight seasons with the Milwaukee Brewers, Colorado Rockies and Indians.