Heath Bell
Encyclopedia
Heath Justin Bell is an American professional baseball
pitcher
, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres
closer
role from Trevor Hoffman
in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star
and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award
twice and has also won the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
. From 2010–2011, he successfully converted 41 straight save opportunities, tied for the fifth longest streak in MLB history.
. He attended Columbus Tustin Middle School
and Tustin High School
in Tustin, California
, which is about 50 miles (80.5 km) from Oceanside. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.
Bell attended Santiago Canyon College
where he was named a freshman All-America
n in 1997. In 1997 Bell made two appearances in the National Baseball Congress
world series while playing for the El Dorado Broncos. He did not give up any runs and was named the league's Graduate of the Year in 2011. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
in the 69th round of the 1997 amateur draft
.
as an undrafted free agent. He made his major league debut on August 24, pitching two scoreless innings
with three strikeout
s against the San Diego Padres
. The righty spent the next two seasons shuttling between the Mets and their Triple-A affiliate
Norfolk
. Bell said coaches in the Mets' minor leagues told him his best opportunity to succeed was to leave the organization as other people did not believe in him.
, for outfielder
Ben Johnson and relief pitcher Jon Adkins
. He was part of the Padres bullpen, where he replaced Scott Linebrink
as the 8th inning setup man before Trevor Hoffman
closed games. In 2009, Hoffman signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
and Bell was promoted to closer. Bell sprints from the bullpen and into a save situation accompanied by the song “Blow Me Away
” by Breaking Benjamin
. Bell's save situations are referred to by fans as "Bell's Hell", a play on Hoffman's famous "Hells Bells
".
In 2009, Bell was named MLB Delivery Man of the Month in April after converting all eight of his save opportunities in scoreless innings of work while striking out nine batters. He was named to the National League
(NL) All-Star Team on July 5. He, along with teammate Adrian Gonzalez
, represented the Padres at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis on July 14. Bell came on in the 8th inning and gave up a triple to Curtis Granderson
followed by a sacrifice fly to Adam Jones
to make the score 4–3 in the American League
's favor; Bell was the losing pitcher in the game. Bell ended the 2009 season leading the National League in saves with 42 in his first year as a full time closer. He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award
In 2010, Bell was named to his second consecutive NL All-Star team in July. Starting May 29, he converted 34 consecutive saves to end the season, the longest streak by a Padres since Hoffman. Bell collected saves on a season-high four consecutive days from August 10–13. For the year, Bell had a career-high 47 saves, which ranked second in MLB and was second in team history behind Hoffman's 53 in 1998. Bell's .940 save percentage (47 of 50) led all of MLB. He did not allow any of his nine inherited runners to score, and he had six saves of more than one inning pitched. Bell won the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award, The Sporting News NL Reliever of the Year Award
, and the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award.
Bell is the highest paid Padres player in 2011 at $7.5 million salary and will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season. He converted his first seven save opportunities of 2011, which tied him with Hoffman for the Padres club record of 41 consecutive successful save conversions. The streak also tied him with Hoffman and Rod Beck
for fourth longest in MLB history. Bell blew his next save opportunity, a 3–0 lead, after he opened the ninth inning walking the first two batters, and third baseman Chase Headley
made a two-out, two-run throwing error to tie the game. On May 14, Bell recorded his 100th career save in a 9–7 win over the Colorado Rockies
. Bell was selected to his third consecutive All-Star game
. Entering the game in the eight inning, Bell sprinted from the bullpen and did a slide in front of the pitcher's mound, taking out a chunk of the infield grass and leaving grass stains on his pants. "I wanted the fans to have fun with this," said Bell. With the team 12 games under .500 coming out of the All-Star break, general manager Jed Hoyer said the Padres would pursue a long-term contract with Bell if they did not get a desirable trade offer for him. Ultimately Bell was not traded at the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, but Hoyer admitted Bell’s greatest value to the team might come as a free agent if Bell refuses salary arbitration and signs elsewhere—the Padres would receive two first-round draft picks in June 2012 as compensation. Bell said he plans to accept arbitration from the Padres if they do not agree on a multi-year deal.
Generally a power pitcher
, Bell has averaged nearly a full strikeout per inning but also proved to be hittable in his sophomore season allowing 10.8 hits per nine innings and a very high 5.59 earned run average
. Bell has a 94–98 mph fastball
, usually sitting between 95 and 96. He also has an 11–5 curveball
in the low 80s.
. Bell's cousin is actor and musician Drake Bell
. Former basketball player Erik Meek
is also his cousin.
Bell joined the Hope For Leadership Foundation, a Christian-based movement that promotes sports and civic programs for inner-city kids.
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...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
, who is currently a free agent. After taking over the San Diego Padres
San 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...
closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
role from Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
in 2009, Bell was named a three-time All-Star
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
and has been awarded with the Rolaids Relief Man Award
Rolaids Relief Man Award
The Rolaids Relief Man Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given since the 1976 MLB season to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League and one in the National League . Relief pitchers are the pitchers who enter the game after the starting pitcher is...
twice and has also won the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award and The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award was established in 1960 by The Sporting News as TSN Fireman of the Year Award. The award originally recognized the best closer from each league, but in 2001 the award was broadened to include all relievers...
. From 2010–2011, he successfully converted 41 straight save opportunities, tied for the fifth longest streak in MLB history.
Early Years
Bell was born in Oceanside, CaliforniaOceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
. He attended Columbus Tustin Middle School
Columbus Tustin Middle School
Columbus Tustin Middle School is an intermediate school in Tustin, California. It is named after Columbus Tustin, the founder of the city of Tustin. It enrolls students in sixth through eighth grade...
and Tustin High School
Tustin High School
Tustin High School is a public high school located in Tustin, California, United States. Tustin High was originally founded in 1921 as Tustin Union High School.Tustin High School is officially a Title I school and was a California Distinguished School...
in Tustin, California
Tustin, California
-Top employers:According to the City's 2010 Comprehensive Annual Financial Report, the top employers in the city are:-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Tustin had a population of 75,540. The population density was 6,816.7 people per square mile...
, which is about 50 miles (80.5 km) from Oceanside. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball.
Bell attended Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College
Santiago Canyon College is a two-year community college located at the eastern border of Orange, California at Chapman and Jamboree. It opened in 1985 as the Orange Campus branch to nearby Santa Ana College. In July 1997 the name of the Orange Campus was changed to Santiago Canyon College...
where he was named a freshman All-America
All-America
An All-America team is an honorary sports team composed of outstanding amateur players—those considered the best players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply...
n in 1997. In 1997 Bell made two appearances in the National Baseball Congress
National Baseball Congress
The National Baseball Congress of Wichita, Kansas is an organization of 15 amateur and semi-professional baseball leagues operating in the United States and Canada...
world series while playing for the El Dorado Broncos. He did not give up any runs and was named the league's Graduate of the Year in 2011. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays
Tampa Bay Rays
The Tampa Bay Rays are a Major League Baseball team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The Rays are a member of the Eastern Division of MLB's American League. Since their inception in , the club has played at Tropicana Field...
in the 69th round of the 1997 amateur draft
1997 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1997 First-Year Player Draft, Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, was held on June 2 and 3, 1997...
.
New York Mets
Bell did not begin his professional career until , when he signed with the New York MetsNew 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 an undrafted free agent. He made his major league debut on August 24, pitching two scoreless innings
Innings
An inning, or innings, is a fixed-length segment of a game in any of a variety of sports – most notably cricket and baseball during which one team attempts to score while the other team attempts to prevent the first from scoring. In cricket, the term innings is both singular and plural and is...
with three strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s against the San Diego Padres
San 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...
. The righty spent the next two seasons shuttling between the Mets and their Triple-A affiliate
AAA (baseball)
Triple-A refers to the highest level of play in minor league baseball in the United States and Mexico.-Purpose:Triple-A teams' main purpose is to prepare players for the Major Leagues:...
Norfolk
Norfolk Tides
The Norfolk Tides are a minor league baseball team in the Triple-A International League. They play at Harbor Park in Norfolk, Virginia. Since 2007 they have been a farm team of the Baltimore Orioles; prior to that, they had a 38-year affiliation with the New York Mets.-Franchise history:The...
. Bell said coaches in the Mets' minor leagues told him his best opportunity to succeed was to leave the organization as other people did not believe in him.
San Diego Padres
On November 15, , Bell was traded to San Diego, along with pitcher Royce RingRoyce Ring
Roger Royce Ring is an American professional baseball pitcher.-Schools:Ring graduated from Monte Vista High School and attended San Diego State University where he was a star closer....
, for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Ben Johnson and relief pitcher Jon Adkins
Jon Adkins
Jonathan Scott Adkins is a Major League Baseball area scout for the Boston Red Sox, covering the Ohio River Valley...
. He was part of the Padres bullpen, where he replaced Scott Linebrink
Scott Linebrink
Scott Cameron Linebrink is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher, who is a free agent. He attended Texas State University.-Career:...
as the 8th inning setup man before Trevor Hoffman
Trevor Hoffman
Trevor William Hoffman is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During his 18-year career from 1993 to 2010, he pitched for the Florida Marlins, San Diego Padres, and the Milwaukee Brewers, spending years of his career with the Padres. A long-time closer, he is the Major...
closed games. In 2009, Hoffman signed with the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
and Bell was promoted to closer. Bell sprints from the bullpen and into a save situation accompanied by the song “Blow Me Away
Blow Me Away
"Blow Me Away" is a song by American rock band Breaking Benjamin originally recorded specifically for the soundtrack to Halo 2. Since then the song has been re-released several times, including being released as a single in 2010...
” by Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin
Breaking Benjamin is an American rock band from Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, currently consisting of Benjamin Burnley and Chad Szeliga. The band has released four studio albums to date and a greatest hits album that was released on August 16, 2011. The group initially went on indefinite hiatus due...
. Bell's save situations are referred to by fans as "Bell's Hell", a play on Hoffman's famous "Hells Bells
Hells Bells (song)
"Hells Bells" is the first track of Australian hard rock band AC/DC's album Back in Black. It is the first song on their comeback album after the death of vocalist Bon Scott, introducing his successor Brian Johnson....
".
In 2009, Bell was named MLB Delivery Man of the Month in April after converting all eight of his save opportunities in scoreless innings of work while striking out nine batters. He was named to the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
(NL) All-Star Team on July 5. He, along with teammate Adrian Gonzalez
Adrián González
Adrian Gonzalez is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball.Gonzalez was the first overall pick in the 2000 Major League Baseball Draft by the Florida Marlins. He was traded to the Texas Rangers, and later to the San Diego Padres, where he...
, represented the Padres at the 2009 MLB All-Star Game in St. Louis on July 14. Bell came on in the 8th inning and gave up a triple to Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson
Curtis Granderson is an American Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees. Before joining the Yankees in 2010, he played with the Detroit Tigers . A center fielder, Granderson is known for being a five-tool player...
followed by a sacrifice fly to Adam Jones
Adam Jones (baseball)
Adam La Marque Jones is a Major League Baseball center fielder for the Baltimore Orioles. Jones was born and raised in San Diego, California where he starred at Samuel F. B. Morse High School. He was drafted in the first round of the 2003 draft by the Seattle Mariners...
to make the score 4–3 in the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
's favor; Bell was the losing pitcher in the game. Bell ended the 2009 season leading the National League in saves with 42 in his first year as a full time closer. He won the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award
Rolaids Relief Man Award
The Rolaids Relief Man Award is an annual Major League Baseball award given since the 1976 MLB season to the top relief pitchers of the regular season, one in the American League and one in the National League . Relief pitchers are the pitchers who enter the game after the starting pitcher is...
In 2010, Bell was named to his second consecutive NL All-Star team in July. Starting May 29, he converted 34 consecutive saves to end the season, the longest streak by a Padres since Hoffman. Bell collected saves on a season-high four consecutive days from August 10–13. For the year, Bell had a career-high 47 saves, which ranked second in MLB and was second in team history behind Hoffman's 53 in 1998. Bell's .940 save percentage (47 of 50) led all of MLB. He did not allow any of his nine inherited runners to score, and he had six saves of more than one inning pitched. Bell won the DHL Delivery Man of the Year Award, The Sporting News NL Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award
The Sporting News Reliever of the Year Award was established in 1960 by The Sporting News as TSN Fireman of the Year Award. The award originally recognized the best closer from each league, but in 2001 the award was broadened to include all relievers...
, and the NL Rolaids Relief Man Award.
Bell is the highest paid Padres player in 2011 at $7.5 million salary and will be eligible for free agency at the end of the season. He converted his first seven save opportunities of 2011, which tied him with Hoffman for the Padres club record of 41 consecutive successful save conversions. The streak also tied him with Hoffman and Rod Beck
Rod Beck
Rodney Roy "Rod" Beck nicknamed "Shooter", was a relief pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Boston Red Sox and San Diego Padres...
for fourth longest in MLB history. Bell blew his next save opportunity, a 3–0 lead, after he opened the ninth inning walking the first two batters, and third baseman Chase Headley
Chase Headley
Chase Jordan Headley is a major league baseball player currently playing for the San Diego Padres. He plays third base, and formerly played left field. He is a switch-hitter...
made a two-out, two-run throwing error to tie the game. On May 14, Bell recorded his 100th career save in a 9–7 win over the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
. Bell was selected to his third consecutive All-Star game
2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 82nd in-season exhibition game between the All-Stars of the National League and the American League ; the leagues composing Major League Baseball. The event was held on Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, home of the...
. Entering the game in the eight inning, Bell sprinted from the bullpen and did a slide in front of the pitcher's mound, taking out a chunk of the infield grass and leaving grass stains on his pants. "I wanted the fans to have fun with this," said Bell. With the team 12 games under .500 coming out of the All-Star break, general manager Jed Hoyer said the Padres would pursue a long-term contract with Bell if they did not get a desirable trade offer for him. Ultimately Bell was not traded at the non-waiver trade deadline on July 31, but Hoyer admitted Bell’s greatest value to the team might come as a free agent if Bell refuses salary arbitration and signs elsewhere—the Padres would receive two first-round draft picks in June 2012 as compensation. Bell said he plans to accept arbitration from the Padres if they do not agree on a multi-year deal.
Scouting report
Power pitcher
In baseball, a power pitcher is a pitcher who relies on the velocity of his pitches, sometimes at the expense of accuracy. Power pitchers usually record a high number of strikeouts and statistics such as strikeouts per 9 innings pitched are common measures of power...
, Bell has averaged nearly a full strikeout per inning but also proved to be hittable in his sophomore season allowing 10.8 hits per nine innings and a very high 5.59 earned run average
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
. Bell has a 94–98 mph fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
, usually sitting between 95 and 96. He also has an 11–5 curveball
Curveball
The curveball is a type of pitch in baseball thrown with a characteristic grip and hand movement that imparts forward spin to the ball causing it to dive in a downward path as it approaches the plate. Its close relatives are the slider and the slurve. The "curve" of the ball varies from pitcher to...
in the low 80s.
Personal information
Bell is married to Nicole, and they have four children. They reside in San Diego, CaliforniaSan Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. Bell's cousin is actor and musician Drake Bell
Drake Bell
Jared Drake Bell , better known as Drake Bell, is an American actor, comedian, guitarist, singer/songwriter, producer, and occasional television director. After beginning his career as a child star in the late 1990s and early 2000s, he appeared on The Amanda Show and became well-known among young...
. Former basketball player Erik Meek
Erik Meek
Erik Joal Meek is an American basketball player who played for four years at Duke University, before being drafted by the Houston Rockets in the 1995 NBA Draft. However, he did not play in the NBA.-References:* — TheDraftReview.com*...
is also his cousin.
Bell joined the Hope For Leadership Foundation, a Christian-based movement that promotes sports and civic programs for inner-city kids.