David Bell (baseball)

David Michael Bell (born September 14, 1972) is an American former third baseman who currently serves as the bench coach for the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball (MLB). During his 12-year MLB playing career, he appeared at all four infield positions and played for the Philadelphia Phillies, Seattle Mariners, Cardinals, Cleveland Indians, San Francisco Giants and Milwaukee Brewers. He made his MLB debut for the Indians in 1995.

Since his playing career, Bell has served as manager of the Triple-A Louisville Bats and the former Double-A Carolina Mudcats in the Cincinnati Reds organization. The grandson of Gus Bell, son of Buddy Bell, and brother of Mike Bell, David Bell is a member of one of five families to have three generations play in the Major Leagues.

Career highlights

As a junior at Moeller High School in Cincinnati, Bell led his team to a state baseball title. On April 15, 1998, he hit the first inside-the-park home run in Jacobs Field history, and the first for the Indians since 1989. Bell scored the 2002 NLCS winning run for the San Francisco Giants from second on Kenny Lofton's single. Bell was the runner bearing down on home plate in Game 5 of the 2002 World Series when J. T. Snow lifted 3 year old batboy Darren Baker out of harm's way. Near the end of the season, he won the 2002 Willie Mac Award for his spirit and leadership – as voted on by his teammates and coaching staff. He made Major League history on June 28, 2004, by joining his grandfather, Gus Bell, as the first grandfather-grandson combination to hit for the cycle.

Bell was traded from the Philadelphia Phillies to the Milwaukee Brewers on July 28, 2006, in a deal that swapped him for minor league pitcher Wilfrido Laureano. The Brewers chose not to re-sign Bell after the 2006 season, and he became a free agent.

Coaching career

On October 31, 2008, the Cincinnati Reds named Bell the manager for their Double-A affiliate, the Carolina Mudcats.^[1] Bell spent three seasons as the Mudcats manager. In November 2011 he was named manager of the Reds' Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats.^[2]

On October 23, 2012, the Chicago Cubs named Bell the third base coach for the Major League club.

On December 17, 2013, the St. Louis Cardinals announced hiring Bell as their new assistant hitting coach.^[3]

Since 2015, Bell has been the Cardinals' bench coach.

See also

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)