Reds keep it all in the family with Bell
CINCINNATI — David Bell buttoned his Reds jersey with the No. 25, the same one worn by his grandfather and his father. Buddy Bell stood in the back of the room, watching the scene as a proud papa. In the front row was young Gus Bell, named for the grandfather who was a star in Cincinnati.
The Reds reached into their family roots for their next manager, one who is expected to help lead the club out of its rebuilding doldrums.
David Bell was introduced as the Reds’ 63rd manager on Monday in the city where he grew up. How much he succeeds will depend upon the front office, which hasn’t been able to translate its high-profile trades into on-field success.
The Reds hope that having a member of an esteemed Cincinnati baseball family in the dugout will get fans’ attention for at least Reds manager David Bell speaks alongside Dick Williams, president of baseball operations during a news conference Monday in Cincinnati. Bell is tasked with helping turn around a team that skidded to a 67-95 record this season. the short term. Gus Bell played for the Reds from 1953-61 and is in their Hall of Fame. Buddy Bell was a popular player with the Reds from 1985-88. Now David has a third-generation place on the field.
“I used to go and watch his grandfather play,” owner Bob Castellini said. “His grandfather’s namesake is in the front row, little Gus.
“He brings a Cincinnati tradition back to us. The Bell family is a Cincinnati family.”
The city’s last shining baseball moment came in 2015, when it hosted the All-Star Game. The franchise then embarked on a massive overhaul,
trading away most of its stars — including Todd Frazier, who won the All-Star Home Run Derby. The team had little to show for it at the major league level, losing 94, 94 and 95 games each of the last three seasons, its worst stretch since the Great Depression.
Attendance also has fallen each year. The Reds drew only 1.6 million fans last season, their smallest since 1984 at Riverfront Stadium when they lost 92 games, fired Vern Rapp and brought back Pete Rose — another Cincinnati native — as player-manager.
The starting rotation has been the main thing holding them back. Dick Williams, the director of player personnel, said at season’s end that the Reds will be looking to add veteran starters in the offseason, a departure from the last few years when they counted heavily on young pitchers to grow into jobs.
Bell was one of more than a dozen candidates interviewed, including Joe Girardi. Jim Riggleman, who took over on an interim basis when Bryan Price was fired in April, also was interviewed. Hall of Fame shortstop Barry Larkin, another Cincinnati native, wasn’t interested in interviewing.
Bell’s experience with the franchise was a significant factor in his favor. He was a manager in the Reds’ minor league system for four years. He also was the Cubs’ third base coach, Mike Matheny’s bench coach in St. Louis and vice president for player development in San Francisco.
He always hoped to return someday.
“This city just means so much to me and my family,” he said. “This is something I’ve thought about for a long time and been preparing for for a long time.
“This time, we’re moving home.”
Top international free agent Victor Victor Mesa and younger brother Victor Jr., both outfielders from Cuba, signed with the Miami Marlins.
The Mesas were recently declared free agents by Major League Baseball.