Lynn Bell
Encyclopedia
Lynn Everett Bell was an American football
coach and professional baseball
player in the United States. He played professional baseball from 1906 to 1914 and served as the head football coach for Michigan State Normal School (now known as Eastern Michigan University
) in 1918.
, and Bell was the oldest of five children—four brothers and one sister.
for Saginaw in 1906 and Kalamazoo in 1907 and 1908. During the 1909 and 1910 seasons, he played for the Springfield Senators in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
. He was sold by the Senators to the St. Louis Cardinals
in 1910. One newspaper account noted that Bell made "a brilliant show" during the Cardinals' spring training camp in 1910:
Bell was returned to Springfield in mid-April 1910.
At the time of the 1910 U.S. Census, Bell was residing with his parents in Ypsilanti, Michigan
. His occupation was listed as baseball player.
Bell also played for the Scranton Miners
of the New York State League
for parts of the 1912, 1913 and 1914 seasons. He also appeared in 50 games for the Louisville Colonels
of the American Association in 1912. In July 1914, he was purchased from Scranton by the Syracuse Stars
to take over as the team's second baseman. According to the Syracuse Herald, "Bell was not in the best of condition when he was sold by Scranton to the Stars, but he worked hard and kept gamely in his togs when he should have been in a hospital." In the spring of 1915, Bell returned to Scranton due to the failure of the Syracuse team to pay the money due to Scranton for the sale of Bell. Bell was reportedly seeking a managerial position with the Adrian Club in the Southern Michigan League in 1915.
coach for the Michigan State Normal
Normalites
(now called the Eastern Michigan University Eagles) located in Ypsilanti, and he held that position for the 1918 season. The season of 1918 was a shorter season of only three games (1917 and 1919 seasons each had a schedule of seven games). His coaching record at the school was 1 win and 2 losses. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #32 at Eastern Michigan in total wins and #25 at the school in winning percentage . The lone win of the season was a 20-6 victory over in-state rival Hillsdale College
In September 1918, Bell completed a draft registration card in which he indicated that he was living in Ypsilanti and working as a salesman for the Detroit Edison Co.
At the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, Bell was living in Ypsilanti with his wife Ida-May Bell and their two children Mary Bell (age 6) and James Bell (age 1 year, 11 months). Bell's occupation was listed at the time as a life insurance salesman.
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
coach and professional baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player in the United States. He played professional baseball from 1906 to 1914 and served as the head football coach for Michigan State Normal School (now known as Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
) in 1918.
Early years
Bell was born in 1883 in Michigan. His father, William Bell (born 1852), was a native of New York and a farmer. His mother, Mary Bell (born 1863), was a native of Ohio. At the time of the 1900 U.S. Census, the family lived in Hillsdale, MichiganHillsdale, Michigan
Hillsdale is a city in the state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,305. It is the county seat of Hillsdale County, and is run as a council-manager government....
, and Bell was the oldest of five children—four brothers and one sister.
Professional baseball
Bell played professional baseball second baseman from 1906 to 1914. He played in the Southern Michigan LeagueSouthern Michigan League
The Southern Michigan League was a Minor League Baseball circuit which operated between 1906 and 1912. It was classified as a Class D league from 1906 to 1910 and as a Class C league from 1911 to 1912...
for Saginaw in 1906 and Kalamazoo in 1907 and 1908. During the 1909 and 1910 seasons, he played for the Springfield Senators in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League
The Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League was a minor league baseball organization that operated for the better part of 60 years, mostly in those three states. It was popularly known as the Three-I League and also sometimes jokingly as the Three-Eye League....
. He was sold by the Senators to 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 1910. One newspaper account noted that Bell made "a brilliant show" during the Cardinals' spring training camp in 1910:
"Remember Lynn Bell the fast second baseman with Kinsella's Senators last season, who never let a line drive get through his territory? He's making the big leaguers sit up and take notice in the camp of the St Louis Cardinals at Little Rock, Ark. The sport scribes of the St. Louis newspapers say that Huggins, the former Cincinnati second sacker, will have to travel at a two-minute clip to win the berth away from Bell."
Bell was returned to Springfield in mid-April 1910.
At the time of the 1910 U.S. Census, Bell was residing with his parents in Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti, Michigan
Ypsilanti is a city in Washtenaw County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,362. The city is bounded to the north by the Charter Township of Superior and on the west, south, and east by the Charter Township of Ypsilanti...
. His occupation was listed as baseball player.
Bell also played for the Scranton Miners
Scranton Miners
The Scranton Miners were an Eastern Professional Basketball League basketball team based in Scranton, Pennsylvania that was a member of the American Basketball League. Arthur Pachter was the Owner and coach for many years...
of the New York State League
New York State League
This article refers to the modern New York State League. For the original incarnations of the New York State League see New York State League ...
for parts of the 1912, 1913 and 1914 seasons. He also appeared in 50 games for the Louisville Colonels
Louisville Colonels
The Louisville Colonels were a Major League Baseball team that played in the American Association throughout that league's ten-year existence from 1882 until 1891, first as the Louisville Eclipse and later as the Louisville Colonels , the latter name derived from the historic Kentucky colonels...
of the American Association in 1912. In July 1914, he was purchased from Scranton by the Syracuse Stars
Syracuse Stars
The Syracuse Stars were a minor professional ice hockey team from Syracuse, New York, existing for 10 season from 1930 to 1940. The Stars name had previously been used by sports teams, including several Syracuse Stars baseball teams from the 19th century....
to take over as the team's second baseman. According to the Syracuse Herald, "Bell was not in the best of condition when he was sold by Scranton to the Stars, but he worked hard and kept gamely in his togs when he should have been in a hospital." In the spring of 1915, Bell returned to Scranton due to the failure of the Syracuse team to pay the money due to Scranton for the sale of Bell. Bell was reportedly seeking a managerial position with the Adrian Club in the Southern Michigan League in 1915.
Michigan State Normal School
Bell was the head college footballCollege football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
coach for the Michigan State Normal
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
Normalites
Eastern Michigan Eagles football
The Eastern Michigan Eagles are a college football program at Eastern Michigan University. They compete in Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Mid-American Conference...
(now called the Eastern Michigan University Eagles) located in Ypsilanti, and he held that position for the 1918 season. The season of 1918 was a shorter season of only three games (1917 and 1919 seasons each had a schedule of seven games). His coaching record at the school was 1 win and 2 losses. As of the conclusion of the 2010 season, this ranks him #32 at Eastern Michigan in total wins and #25 at the school in winning percentage . The lone win of the season was a 20-6 victory over in-state rival Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College
Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States, is a co-educational liberal arts college known for being the first American college to prohibit in its charter all discrimination based on race, religion, or sex; its refusal of government funding; and its monthly publication, Imprimis...
Head coaching record
Later years
At the time of the 1920 U.S. Census, Bell was living with his parents in Ypsilanti. He was working as a salesman for an electric company.In September 1918, Bell completed a draft registration card in which he indicated that he was living in Ypsilanti and working as a salesman for the Detroit Edison Co.
Detroit Edison
The Detroit Edison Company, founded in 1903, is an investor-owned electric utility which serves most of Southeast Michigan. Its parent company, DTE Energy , provides energy services to a variety of clients beyond Detroit Edison's service area.- History :...
At the time of the 1930 U.S. Census, Bell was living in Ypsilanti with his wife Ida-May Bell and their two children Mary Bell (age 6) and James Bell (age 1 year, 11 months). Bell's occupation was listed at the time as a life insurance salesman.