Derek Bell (baseball player)
Encyclopedia
Derek Nathaniel Bell is a former Major League Baseball
player. Primarily a right fielder
and center fielder
, Bell batted from the right side and threw with his right hand. He is 6'2" tall, and during his playing career, he weighed 215 pounds.
in Tampa, where he attracted the attention of the Toronto Blue Jays
. Toronto selected him in the second round of the 1987 June draft
, with the 49th overall pick. Bell signed with Toronto, and made his debut that same year in the New York-Penn League. He emerged as a top prospect with the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
the next year, when he was named to the South Atlantic League
All-Star
team. Bell's .344 batting average
earned him the league batting title, and he also displayed substantial power, hitting 29 doubles
, five triples
, and 12 home run
s in only 352 at bat
s. His success helped him earn a late-season promotion to class AA.
Although he continued to advance, Bell struggled for the next two seasons, batting .242 at AA in 1989 and .261 at AAA the next year, while also drawing walks at an extremely low rate. He was much younger than most players in those leagues, however, placing him at a competitive disadvantage. He re-emerged as a top prospect in while repeating AAA with the Syracuse Chiefs. That year, Bell batted .346 with 22 doubles, 12 triples, 13 home runs, 57 walks
, and 29 stolen base
s. Bell made the International League
All-Star team and won the International League
Most Valuable Player
award, and Baseball America
magazine named him the Minor League Player of the Year
.
. He appeared in 61 games for the Blue Jays the next year, serving as the team's fourth outfielder as Toronto won its division and advanced to the World Series, ultimately defeating the Atlanta Braves
in six games. On Fan Appreciation Day in , the team played a trick on Bell. During a break between innings, they announced that a vehicle would be given to a lucky fan, and then outfielder Joe Carter
(accompanied by Pat Tabler) drove Bell's green jeep out onto the field.
, in exchange for veteran outfielder Darrin Jackson
. It was in San Diego where Bell first established himself as an everyday player. He was still somewhat unrefined as a player, batting .262 and striking out more than five times as often as he walked in , but he also displayed a good base of pure skills by hitting 21 home runs and stealing 26 bases.
Bell improved his batting average to .311 in 1994, despite off-the-field distractions. On April 25, Bell and pitcher Scott Sanders
were arrested in New York City
before a game against the New York Mets
, as police claimed that the pair had offered undercover policewomen $20 in exchange for oral sex
. The charges were ultimately dropped on October 25. The incident was an embarrassment to the Padres, however, and on December 28, Bell was part of a 12-player trade between the Padres and the Houston Astros
. Along with Bell, the Padres sent Doug Brocail
, Ricky Gutiérrez
, Pedro A. Martínez
, Phil Plantier
, and Craig Shipley
to Houston, receiving in return Ken Caminiti
, Andujar Cedeno
, Steve Finley
, Roberto Petagine
, Brian Williams, and Sean Fesh.
of .855.
was the beginning of the end for Bell in Houston. His performance slipped substantially, and his .236 batting average and .656 OPS made him one of the worst everyday players in the league. He also compounded the problem with his personal behavior, in particular a confrontation with manager Larry Dierker
on July 22. Dierker had suffered a near-fatal grand mal seizure in the dugout during a game on June 13, and the July 22 game marked his return from a month-long absence after emergency brain surgery. Bell was upset that Dierker had moved him from second to sixth in the batting order, and after the game, he said, "It's a slap in the face to be dropped to the sixth spot. I'm to the point now that I feel like I'm not wanted." Many Astros fans were upset that Bell had chosen to criticize Dierker on a day honoring him, and Dierker ultimately pulled Bell from the starting lineup later that season.
By now, the Astros viewed Bell as an expensive liability, and on December 23, they traded him and star pitcher Mike Hampton
to the New York Mets for Roger Cedeno
, Octavio Dotel
, and Kyle Kessel. When assembling this trade, the Astros let it be known that they would not trade Hampton unless a trade partner was willing to also take Bell in the deal.
, was clocked at 47 MPH, and he ultimately surrendered three hits and three walks, giving up four earned runs and one unearned run (resulting from an error by catcher Todd Pratt
).
Bell sprained his ankle during the first game of the NLDS
, and missed the remainder of the playoffs. The Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants
in the NLDS and the St. Louis Cardinals
in the NLCS
, but were defeated in five games by the New York Yankees
in the World Series
. Following the season, Bell's contract with the Mets expired and the team made no effort to retain his services. He later signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the offseason, following the World Series.
On March 18, Bell told reporters:
Bell left the team on March 29, was released on March 31, and never played in the majors again. The Pirates ended up paying him $4.5 million not to play for them. Bell moved onto his yacht, Bell 14, a 58-foot Sea Ray
580.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports columnist Mark Madden
summarized the incident with "Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money."
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
player. Primarily a right fielder
Right fielder
A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
and center fielder
Center fielder
A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball fielding position between left field and right field...
, Bell batted from the right side and threw with his right hand. He is 6'2" tall, and during his playing career, he weighed 215 pounds.
Amateur and minor league career
Bell played amateur baseball at C. Leon King High SchoolC. Leon King High School
C. Leon King High School, named in honor of C. Leon King a distinguished and respected member of the Hillsborough County Board of Public Instruction for 18 years opened in 1960 with 58 faculty members and 960 students. It is located at 6815 North 56th Street, Tampa, FL 33610.King High School is a...
in Tampa, where he attracted the attention of the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. Toronto selected him in the second round of the 1987 June draft
1987 Major League Baseball Draft
-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1987 Major League Baseball draft.-Supplemental First Round Selections:-External links:*...
, with the 49th overall pick. Bell signed with Toronto, and made his debut that same year in the New York-Penn League. He emerged as a top prospect with the Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
Myrtle Beach Blue Jays
The Myrtle Beach Blue Jays of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina began play in the South Atlantic League in 1986 after being relocated from Florence, South Carolina . They played at Coastal Carolina College's stadium and were a minor league club of the Toronto Blue Jays...
the next year, when he was named to the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
All-Star
All-star
All-star is a term designating an individual as having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry...
team. Bell's .344 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
earned him the league batting title, and he also displayed substantial power, hitting 29 doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, five triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
, and 12 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s in only 352 at bat
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
s. His success helped him earn a late-season promotion to class AA.
Although he continued to advance, Bell struggled for the next two seasons, batting .242 at AA in 1989 and .261 at AAA the next year, while also drawing walks at an extremely low rate. He was much younger than most players in those leagues, however, placing him at a competitive disadvantage. He re-emerged as a top prospect in while repeating AAA with the Syracuse Chiefs. That year, Bell batted .346 with 22 doubles, 12 triples, 13 home runs, 57 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, and 29 stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
s. Bell made the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
All-Star team and won the International League
International League
The International League is a minor league baseball league that operates in the eastern United States. Like the Pacific Coast League and the Mexican League, it plays at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball. It was so named because it had teams in both the United States...
Most Valuable Player
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
award, and Baseball America
Baseball America
Baseball America is a magazine which covers baseball at every level, with a particular focus on up-and-coming players in high school, college, Japan, and the minor leagues. It is currently published in the form of a bi-weekly newspaper, five annual reference book titles, a weekly podcast, and a...
magazine named him the Minor League Player of the Year
Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award
Listed below in chronological order are the Minor League Baseball players chosen by Baseball America as recipients of the Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Award...
.
Toronto
Bell made his Major League debut on June 28, 1991, starting in left field in a 3-1 loss to the Seattle MarinersSeattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
. He appeared in 61 games for the Blue Jays the next year, serving as the team's fourth outfielder as Toronto won its division and advanced to the World Series, ultimately defeating the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in six games. On Fan Appreciation Day in , the team played a trick on Bell. During a break between innings, they announced that a vehicle would be given to a lucky fan, and then outfielder Joe Carter
Joe Carter
Joseph Christopher Carter is a former right fielder in Major League Baseball who played from to . Carter is most famous for hitting a walk-off home run to win the 1993 World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays....
(accompanied by Pat Tabler) drove Bell's green jeep out onto the field.
San Diego
Shortly before the beginning of the season, the Blue Jays traded Bell and Stoney Briggs to the San Diego PadresSan Diego Padres
The San Diego Padres are a Major League Baseball team based in San Diego, California. They play in the National League Western Division. Founded in 1969, the Padres have won the National League Pennant twice, in 1984 and 1998, losing in the World Series both times...
, in exchange for veteran outfielder Darrin Jackson
Darrin Jackson
Darrin "D. J." Jay Jackson is a former center fielder in Major League Baseball who played 12 years for the Chicago Cubs , San Diego Padres , Toronto Blue Jays , New York Mets , Chicago White Sox , Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers...
. It was in San Diego where Bell first established himself as an everyday player. He was still somewhat unrefined as a player, batting .262 and striking out more than five times as often as he walked in , but he also displayed a good base of pure skills by hitting 21 home runs and stealing 26 bases.
Bell improved his batting average to .311 in 1994, despite off-the-field distractions. On April 25, Bell and pitcher Scott Sanders
Scott Sanders (baseball player)
Scott Gerald Sanders is a former Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played from –. In his career, Sanders played for the San Diego Padres , Seattle Mariners , Detroit Tigers , and Chicago Cubs . Sanders also started one game for the Cleveland Indians in , but performed poorly...
were arrested in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
before a game against the New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, as police claimed that the pair had offered undercover policewomen $20 in exchange for oral sex
Oral sex
Oral sex is sexual activity involving the stimulation of the genitalia of a sex partner by the use of the mouth, tongue, teeth or throat. Cunnilingus refers to oral sex performed on females while fellatio refer to oral sex performed on males. Anilingus refers to oral stimulation of a person's anus...
. The charges were ultimately dropped on October 25. The incident was an embarrassment to the Padres, however, and on December 28, Bell was part of a 12-player trade between the Padres and the Houston Astros
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
. Along with Bell, the Padres sent Doug Brocail
Doug Brocail
Douglas Keith Brocail is a former American Major League Baseball pitcher. He is currently the interim pitching coach for the Houston Astros.-High school years:...
, Ricky Gutiérrez
Ricky Gutiérrez
Ricardo "Ricky" Gutiérrez a Cuban-American is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played from through for the San Diego Padres , Houston Astros , Chicago Cubs , Cleveland Indians , New York Mets and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed...
, Pedro A. Martínez
Pedro A. Martínez
Pedro Martínez Aquino , commonly but inaccurately referred to as Pedro A. Martínez , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher...
, Phil Plantier
Phil Plantier
Phillip Alan Plantier is a former Major League Baseball player who played in the major leagues primarily as an outfielder from -. Plantier is most often remembered for his rookie season performance....
, and Craig Shipley
Craig Shipley
Craig Barry Shipley is an Australian-born executive in Major League Baseball. A former infielder for the Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , San Diego Padres , Houston Astros and Anaheim Angels , he played collegiately at the University of Alabama.He helped the Padres win the 1996...
to Houston, receiving in return Ken Caminiti
Ken Caminiti
Kenneth Gene Caminiti was an American third baseman in Major League Baseball and the 1996 National League Most Valuable Player. He was born in Hanford, California, and attended San Jose State University...
, Andujar Cedeno
Andújar Cedeño
Andújar Cedeño Donastorg was a Major League Baseball shortstop from to . Born in La Romana, Dominican Republic, he played for the Houston Astros from 1990 to , the San Diego Padres in , and in 1996 played for the Padres, Detroit Tigers and Houston Astros again.He hit for the cycle in and was a...
, Steve Finley
Steve Finley
Steven Allen Finley is a former Major League Baseball outfielder.-Early life:Finley, who grew up in Paducah, Kentucky, attended Paducah Tilghman High School and Southern Illinois University, where he earned a degree in physiology and played for the baseball team from 1984–87.-College, Team USA,...
, Roberto Petagine
Roberto Petagine
Roberto Antonio Petagine is a left-handed first baseman for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks in Nippon Professional Baseball. His Major League Baseball career includes brief stints with the Houston Astros , San Diego Padres , New York Mets , Cincinnati Reds , Boston Red Sox , and Seattle Mariners , but...
, Brian Williams, and Sean Fesh.
Houston
Bell went on to enjoy one of the best seasons of his career in 1995. His .334 batting average was the fourth highest in the league, and he drew some consideration in league MVP voting, finishing in fourteenth place with 12 points. As one of "The Killer B's", Bell would continue as an important part of the ascendant Astros for five seasons, as the team won three straight division championships from -. Bell's year-to-year performance varied considerably, but his peak came in . That season, he batted .314 with 41 doubles and 22 home runs, good for an OPSOn-base plus slugging
On-base plus slugging is a sabermetric baseball statistic calculated as the sum of a player's on-base percentage and slugging percentage. The ability of a player to both get on base and to hit for power, two important hitting skills, are represented. An OPS of .900 or higher in Major League...
of .855.
was the beginning of the end for Bell in Houston. His performance slipped substantially, and his .236 batting average and .656 OPS made him one of the worst everyday players in the league. He also compounded the problem with his personal behavior, in particular a confrontation with manager Larry Dierker
Larry Dierker
Lawrence Edward Dierker is a former Major League Baseball pitcher and manager. During a 14-year baseball career as a pitcher, he pitched from 1964–1977 for the Houston Colt .45s/Astros and the St. Louis Cardinals...
on July 22. Dierker had suffered a near-fatal grand mal seizure in the dugout during a game on June 13, and the July 22 game marked his return from a month-long absence after emergency brain surgery. Bell was upset that Dierker had moved him from second to sixth in the batting order, and after the game, he said, "It's a slap in the face to be dropped to the sixth spot. I'm to the point now that I feel like I'm not wanted." Many Astros fans were upset that Bell had chosen to criticize Dierker on a day honoring him, and Dierker ultimately pulled Bell from the starting lineup later that season.
By now, the Astros viewed Bell as an expensive liability, and on December 23, they traded him and star pitcher Mike Hampton
Mike Hampton
Michael William Hampton is a left-handed former Major League Baseball pitcher. During his career, Hampton was well known for being one of the best hitting pitchers of his time, as well as for his large contract and frequent injuries.-Early career:Mike Hampton was drafted by the Seattle Mariners in...
to the New York Mets for Roger Cedeno
Roger Cedeño
Roger Leandro Cedeño , is a former Major League Baseball outfielder and switch-hitting batter who had an 11-year career playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Houston Astros, Detroit Tigers, and St. Louis Cardinals.Signed by the Los Angeles Dodgers as an undrafted amateur free agent in...
, Octavio Dotel
Octavio Dotel
Octavio Eduardo Dotel is a Domincan professional baseball pitcher who is currently a Free Agent....
, and Kyle Kessel. When assembling this trade, the Astros let it be known that they would not trade Hampton unless a trade partner was willing to also take Bell in the deal.
New York
Bell was unfazed by the deal. When informed that he'd been traded to the Mets, he said, "Christmas came early for me. I'm very happy. I told my agent I'm going to run, I'm so excited." With Bell as their starting right fielder, the Mets made the playoffs as the National League Wild Card. On August 22, Bell got the opportunity to pitch the eighth inning of a blowout against the Padres. His first pitch, which Bell described as an eephus pitchEephus pitch
An Eephus pitch in baseball is considered a junk pitch with very low speed. The delivery from the pitcher has very low velocity and usually catches the hitter off-guard. Its invention is attributed to Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s. According to manager Frankie Frisch, the...
, was clocked at 47 MPH, and he ultimately surrendered three hits and three walks, giving up four earned runs and one unearned run (resulting from an error by catcher Todd Pratt
Todd Pratt
Todd Alan Pratt is a former Major League Baseball catcher from 1992-2006. He has primarily served as a back-up catcher for most of his career....
).
Bell sprained his ankle during the first game of the NLDS
2000 National League Division Series
-St. Louis Cardinals vs. Atlanta Braves:-Game 1, October 4:Pacific Bell Park in San Francisco, CaliforniaGiants Pitcher Liván Hernández allowed one run and five hits over a inning effort, backed by a three-run home run by Ellis Burks as the Giants cruised to an easy 5–1 victory.-Game 2, October...
, and missed the remainder of the playoffs. The Mets defeated the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
in the NLDS and the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
in the NLCS
2000 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Wednesday, October 11, 2000 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, MissouriThe Mets jumped on Cardinals starter Darryl Kile right from the outset. Rookie Timo Pérez led off the game with a double into the right field corner, and following a walk to Edgardo Alfonzo, scored on a double by Mike Piazza...
, but were defeated in five games by the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
in the World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
. Following the season, Bell's contract with the Mets expired and the team made no effort to retain his services. He later signed a two-year contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
in the offseason, following the World Series.
Pittsburgh: Competing for a job and "Operation Shutdown"
In spring training , while with the Pirates, Bell, who had hit .173 the previous season, did not feel that he needed to prove he was worthy of a starting job.On March 18, Bell told reporters:
- "Nobody told me I was in competition. If there is competition, somebody better let me know. If there is competition, they better eliminate me out of the race and go ahead and do what they're going to do with me. I ain't never hit in spring training and I never will. If it ain't settled with me out there, then they can trade me. I ain't going out there to hurt myself in spring training battling for a job. If it is [a competition], then I'm going into 'Operation Shutdown.' Tell them exactly what I said. I haven't competed for a job since 1991."
Bell left the team on March 29, was released on March 31, and never played in the majors again. The Pirates ended up paying him $4.5 million not to play for them. Bell moved onto his yacht, Bell 14, a 58-foot Sea Ray
Sea Ray
Sea Ray is a brand of pleasure boats produced and sold around the world. The company currently operates as part of the Brunswick Boat Group, a division of the Brunswick Corporation.-History:...
580.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette sports columnist Mark Madden
Mark Madden
Mark Madden is an American radio sports talk-show host in Pittsburgh and also a former World Championship Wrestling color commentator. -Career:...
summarized the incident with "Derek Bell becomes the ultimate Pirate: Lives on a boat and steals money."