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Monday, December 01, 2008

MLB: Jay Bell’s determination leads to Hall of Fame ballot

Szymborski is now writing under the name Gilbert? How’d he manage that?

Jay Bell never thought he would play 18 seasons in the big leagues.

“I made the Indians out of Spring Training in 1988 and I finished with a career high to that point of .218,” Bell said. “I remember thinking at that point that I didn’t know if I was going to be a good Major League player, but potentially I could be a good coach.”

Instead, he finds himself on the ballot for the National Baseball Hall of Fame for the first time.

...“I really believe the reason that I have my name on the ballot is because I was a good support player,” the ever-modest Bell said. “I wasn’t ‘the guy.’ I was thrust in that position a couple of times in my career, but I was at my best when I had great players around me. I’m in the position I’m in today because of those guys and what they did for me.”

Repoz Posted: December 01, 2008 at 06:41 PM | 4 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
Tags: hall of fame, history

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1. The Kids Are Enright (1k5v3L)

Posted: December 01, 2008 at 07:41 PM (#3018101)

In 1999, having moved to second base, Bell turned in the finest season of his career as he hit .289 with 38 homers and 112 RBIs for a team that won 100 games and the NL West title in just its second season.

Talk about a "WTF season". Jay Bell also scored the winning run in game 7 of the 2001 WS. Gonzo's blooper gets all the credit, but Jay Bell's hustle made it all happen...

2. 3Com Park Posted: December 01, 2008 at 07:53 PM (#3018121)

I never much liked Jay Bell as a player. I couldn't stand that he sacrificed all the time out of the two spot in Pittsburgh, and I hated the Dbacks when he was there.

But I have to admit, he had the major league career I always dreamed I'd have, turning a mediocre talent into performance and longevity. Good for him.

(Edit)Just looked up his stats. 69 sacrifices over two years in Pittsburgh. Ugh. And those 38 homers in Arizona in 1999 are pretty hard to explain through park effects and statistical anomaly. Give me a barrel of whatever whiskey Luis Gonzalez is drinking.

3. DCA Posted: December 01, 2008 at 08:33 PM (#3018170)

But I have to admit, he had the major league career I always dreamed I'd have, turning a mediocre talent into performance and longevity.

Guys picked in the single digits in the first round are rarely described as having mediocre talent. White, middle-infield, doesn't rack up HR or SB or web gems =/= scrapper with mediocre talent. We were having the same conversation with Pedroia a couple years ago. Bell was a good all-around hitter who could hold down SS defensively for most of his career. That's not mediocre talent.

4. OCF Posted: December 01, 2008 at 09:02 PM (#3018192)

Good enough to be worthy of his own HoM thread.

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Monday, December 01, 2008

MLB: Jay Bell’s determination leads to Hall of Fame ballot

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