Books and articles about Jay Bell

When Bell signed a five-year $34 million deal with the Arizona Diamondbacks before the club's inaugural 1998 season, many in baseball considered the contract Exhibit A for the imminent salary insanity threatened by well-heeled owner Jerry Colangelo. The bespectacled Bell was an unlikely choice to become baseball's highest-paid middle infielder -- Colangelo valued him as much for his reputation as a solid citizen, devout Christian and quiet team leader as he did for his bat and glove. But Bell responded with a career season a year later, belting 38 homers while racking up 112 RBIs and 132 runs scored in 1999.

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Originally a first-round pick of the Twins in 1984, Bell made 129 errors over his first three minor-league seasons. In 1985, he was traded to the Indians in a deal that brought starter Bert Blyleven to Minnesota, and when he finally reached the majors in September 1986 he faced Blyleven in his first major-league at-bat. Bell promptly ripped the first pitch he saw for a home run.

His penchant for ironic revenge wouldn't win him a regular spot in the lineup, however. Not until he was traded to Pittsburgh in March 1989 for Felix Fermin would he get a chance to prove himself an everyday player. Bell took over as the Bucs' fulltime shortstop in 1990 and held the position the next seven years, a tenure that spanned Pittsburgh's three straight NL East titles from 1990 through 1992.

Though mostly a singles and doubles hitter at first, Bell did show early signs of his power potential, cracking 16 home runs in 1991. He also improved enough on defense to win a Gold Glove in 1993, a season which saw him score 102 runs while setting career highs with a .310 batting average and 16 steals.

A victim of the Pirates' salary purge in the late 1990s, Bell was traded to Kansas City in December 1996 and enjoyed his best season at the plate, batting .292 with 21 home runs and 91 RBIs. His well-timed breakthrough with his bat made him one of the most coveted free agents in the offseason, and prompted Colangelo to ante up a huge contract to lure him to Arizona. Bell was also swayed by a desire to play for D-Backs' manager Buck Showalter, whom he had known since his high school days in Florida.

After a so-so first year (.251 average, 20 homers) for the expansion club, Bell surpassed all expectations as the Diamondbacks won the NL West title in 1999. A trial switch to second base at the tail end of the 1998 season became a permanent move the next spring. Bell slammed 36 of his 38 circuit blasts from his new position, a total exceeded only by Rogers Hornsby, Davey Johnson and Ryne Sandberg among second baseman. One of those round-trippers -- a sixth-inning grand slam off Oakland hurler Jimmy Haynes on the final game before the All-Star break -- won $1 million for an Arizona fan who had correctly predicted the batter and the inning for a bases-loaded blast.

In his third season with the Diamondbacks, Bell's offensive production fell more in line with his career norms as he hit .267 with 18 home runs and 68 RBIs. (AGL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » August 1, 1985: The Indians trade veteran P Bert Blyleven to the Twins for OF Jim Weaver, P Curt Wardle, and SS Jay Bell. » September 29, 1986: Cleveland 2B Jay Bell becomes the 9th player in history to hit a home run on the first ML pitch he sees, but the Indians fall to the Twins, 6–5. Bell tolls his home run off Bert Blyleven, for whom Bell, along with two other players, had been traded the previous year. Bell's dinger is the 47th of the season against Blyleven, breaking the major-league record of 46 home runs allowed by Robin Roberts in 1956. Blyleven will end the year with 50 gophers. » March 25, 1989: The Indians and Pirates swap shortstops, with Felix Fermin going to Cleveland in exchange for Jay Bell. » June 13, 1994: Montreal P Jeff Fassero loses a no-hitter with two outs in the 9th inning as Pittsburgh 2B Carlos Garcia singles. SS Jay Bell follows with a home run, but the Expos hold on for a 10-2 victory. » August 7, 1994: Pittsburgh SS Jay Bell strokes five base hits, including a pair of doubles, leading the Pirates to a 6-5 win over the Cardinals. His single in the bottom of the 9th brings home the winning run. » September 22, 1996: The Pirates win their 11th in a row, defeating the Cubs, 11–3. Jay Bell homers for his 3rd game in a row as the Bucs post the longest win streak in the majors this year. » December 13, 1996: The Pirates trade IF Jeff King and SS Jay Bell to the Royals for 3B Joe Randa and pitchers Jeff Granger, Jeff Martin, and Jeff Wallace. » May 9, 1997: Against the Royals in the 6th inning, the Yankees catch Jay Bell in a rundown when Bell is suddenly called out by umpire Dale Ford, who thinks he passed the preceding baserunner, Jose Offerman. Offerman, however, had been forced out at 3B. Royals' manager Bob Boone argues until the umps agree and put runners back at 2B and 3B and call for a resumption of play. Chili Davis then lines a 2-run single off Kenny Rogers to tie the score. The Royals win 7–5 in 12 innings, with the victory going to Randy Veres. The Yanks protest that the rundown play should not have been reversed. Gene Budig will dismiss the protest, stating that with the rundown there were several scenarios where Bell could have escaped a tag. » June 27, 1997: The left side of the KC infield accounts for 10 runs as 3B Craig Paquette and SS Jay Bell each drive home five in the Royals' 16-3 win over Milwaukee. » November 17, 1997: The Diamondbacks sign free agent SS Jay Bell to a 5-year contract. » April 13, 1999: The Dodgers score two runs in the top of the 16th inning to take a 6–4 lead over the Diamondbacks, but Arizona comes back with three in the bottom half to eke out a 7–6 win. 2B Jay Bell has four hits, including a pair of home runs, for the winners. » July 11, 1999: The Diamondbacks defeat the A's, 7-4, as Jay Bell hits a grand slam which wins Gylene Hoyle $1 million. She is the fan who wins the prize for picking the player who would hit a grand slam and the inning in which it would be done. » April 17, 2001: The Diamondbacks beat up on the Cardinals, 17–4, collecting 15 runs in the first four innings off Dustin Hermanson and Chad Hutchinson. The last two runs come in the 9th off Bobby Bonilla, making his ML pitching debut. The most successful Card pitcher is Gene Stechschulte, who belts a 6th inning pinch homer on the 1st pitch of his 1st ML at bat (he is the 15th pitcher to accomplish this, according to home run maven David Vincent). Also getting beat up is Umpire Larry Young who is struck in the forehead by a throw from Arizona's Jay Bell and requires 14 stitches to close the gash. He'll be out 2-3 weeks. Arizona is paced by Jay Bell's four hits, including a home run, and WP Armando Reynoso.