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Reds Hire David Bell As Manager

By Connor Byrne | October 21, 2018 at 9:25am CDT

The Reds have hired Giants vice president of player development David Bell as their manager, per a team announcement. Cincinnati awarded Bell a three-year contract with a club option for 2022.

The move represents a homecoming for the 46-year-old Bell, a Cincinnati native with deep ties to the organization. Bell’s grandfather (Gus Bell), father (Buddy Bell) and brother (Mike Bell) all played for the Reds, and Buddy is a former Reds coach who now works in their front office. David Bell didn’t play for the club during his long career as a major league infielder, but he did manage in its minor league system from 2008-12, running its Double-A team for three years and its Triple-A squad for one.

Bell hasn’t garnered any managerial experience at the big league level, though he did work in multiple capacities with a few organizations in between his Reds stints. He was a third base coach with the Cubs in 2012 before serving on then-manager Mike Matheny’s staff in St. Louis from 2013-17. Bell first worked as the Cardinals’ assistant hitting coach before becoming Matheny’s bench coach. He left last fall to join the Giants, whose farm system he wanted to modernize.

“There’s incredible information, and it has to factor into everything we do,” Bell explained to Henry Schulman of the San Francisco Chronicle last March. “It’s there. If we don’t access, utilize and implement that information, we’re going to fall behind.”

While it’s unclear how beneficial Bell was to the Giants’ farm system during his brief time with them, his modern outlook helped him land on other teams’ radars this month before the Reds hired him. Bell interviewed for both the Blue Jays’ and Rangers’ vacant managerial posts prior to joining the Reds, who counted him among roughly a dozen candidates for their job. Bell quickly emerged as the favorite for the position, beating out other serious candidates in Brad Ausmus and Rocco Baldelli. It helped Bell’s cause that Joe Girardi withdrew from contention Friday in a move that “surprised” Cincinnati, Jon Heyman of Fancred tweets.

As he begins the next phase of his life in baseball, Bell will be tasked with helping to turn around a Reds team that hasn’t earned a playoff berth or even finished .500 since 2013. While the Reds showed flashes in 2018 under interim manager Jim Riggleman, who took over for the fired Bryan Price, they still ended up with fewer than 70 victories (67) for the fifth consecutive season. There is some enviable position player talent on hand, though, especially in the infield – where the Reds boast first baseman/franchise cornerstone Joey Votto, second baseman Scooter Gennett, shortstop Jose Peraza and third baseman Eugenio Suarez. The club’s pitching staff is a problem, on the other hand, but there are at least a few potential building blocks in the fold in starters Luis Castillo and Anthony DeSclafani and closer Raisel Iglesias.

It’s likely the Reds, who plan to increase payroll in 2019, will spend the offseason trying to improve their pitching staff. Regardless, the Bell-led Reds will be in for another tough test next year in the NL Central, which featured four plus-.500 clubs and two playoff teams in 2018.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

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Cincinnati Reds Newsstand David Bell

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View Comments (61)
Post a Comment

61 Comments

  1. Strauss

    7 years ago

    WTF?????

    1
    Reply
    • Polymath

      7 years ago

      If you want to be a Big League Manager, be a bench coach for Mike Matheny. Two in the last three months … and counting.

      Reply
      • fasbal1

        7 years ago

        Didnt he work for LaRussa for a stretch

        Reply
        • batty

          7 years ago

          Matheny? No, but he played for him in the early 2000’s.

          Reply
        • fasbal1

          7 years ago

          that’s right

          Reply
      • bravesfan88

        7 years ago

        Or, you can just be the son of a major league coach, have a mediocre hitting/pitching career, and BAM….You’re automatically a candidate for every ML opening in MLB
        ..Easy as Sunday morning..

        Reply
    • eileenyankees9

      7 years ago

      lololol, omg, great response

      1
      Reply
      • eileenyankees9

        7 years ago

        Edit: FOR STRAUSS

        Reply
    • PopeMarley

      7 years ago

      Indeed, the Reds FO just can’t seem to get out of their own way.

      Reply
      • joeshmoe11

        7 years ago

        You’re kidding me, right? He checks a lot of boxes. Young, has some experience managing, player development experience, open to modern analytics.

        2
        Reply
      • juicemane

        7 years ago

        Lol when you do try to comment on baseball, you just have no idea what you’re talking about…this is hilarious

        Reply
    • Cardinals17

      7 years ago

      Actually, I truly believe the Reds fans will like how David Bell will handle his bullpen. Something the Cardinals didn’t like in Mike Mathaney. What Bell learned while being the back up manager to Mathaney was what not to do. Check his record. When Mathaney would be ejected, David Bell did an excellent job in all areas. I know the players will respect him. I’m happy David Bell finally getting his break. Good guy, with a ton of Baseball common sense. That is rare in a manager these days.

      1
      Reply
  2. JrMint

    7 years ago

    The Reds time is now

    Reply
  3. geejohnny

    7 years ago

    Take no risk…..get little return. So many other choices and the Reds played it typically safe.

    2
    Reply
    • cxcx

      7 years ago

      How is this the safe move when Brad Ausmus and John Farrell were available. Picking someone without big league managing experience over guys with big league managing experience is the definition of not a safe move.

      2
      Reply
      • geejohnny

        7 years ago

        Ok….fair enough. I probably should’ve used the term “not exciting” instead of safe. Ausmus and Farrell have their critics. Bell avoids that issue as he’s relatively untested and unknown.

        Reply
  4. gomerhodge71

    7 years ago

    How’d John Farrell botch this up? Wasn’t he the front-runner? Did he mention at the interview how Raisel Iglesias would make a terrific pinch-runner?

    1
    Reply
    • Adam6710

      7 years ago

      John Farrell has a WS championship that’s just 5 years old, for a free-spending big-market ball club. He probably wants more money than they were willing to pay.

      Reply
  5. robertj53086

    7 years ago

    As a Cardinals fan, I hope he doesn’t implement any Matheny tendencies with the bullpen.

    1
    Reply
    • jfive

      7 years ago

      As a Cardinals fan, I hope he DOES implement any Matheny tendencies with the bullpen

      2
      Reply
    • themed

      7 years ago

      Not sure how Matheny always catches the blame for the mediocre bullpen of the Cardinals. It didn’t matter who he brought in to the game. It seemed as every pitcher would walk a couple of guys then allow an extra base hit. How is awful performance of his bullpen his fault. It was the bullpen that sucked. Not Matheny.

      Reply
  6. acarneglia

    7 years ago

    I wanted to see Farrell get the job

    Reply
  7. titanic struggle

    7 years ago

    I’m good with it…

    Reply
    • 3rdStrikeLooking

      7 years ago

      Well I am sure the fanbase can rest easy now that you made that comment.

      Reply
      • themed

        7 years ago

        Aw did the cubs get clobbered at home two days in a row and win as many post games as the Cardinals did this year? Too bad cubbies. Ya got exactly what I predicted all year long!

        Reply
        • 3rdStrikeLooking

          7 years ago

          Too bad I am not a cubs fan, clown.

          Reply
  8. jlahman

    7 years ago

    Meanwhile in Baltimore… tick tick tick…

    Reply
    • Adam6710

      7 years ago

      You realize the off-season hasn’t even officially begun right? I’m not defending Baltimore here, but that’s a pretty high bar you’re setting.

      And it’s not as if the Reds and Angels took two big managerial candidates off the board…

      Reply
  9. jcraft21

    7 years ago

    Can David Bell pitch?

    1
    Reply
  10. bobtillman

    7 years ago

    The perfect example of a manager being hired to be fired….the clock is ticking, David…..

    1
    Reply
  11. jqks

    7 years ago

    Just happy it was not Riggleman. Good lord did the team look horrible in September. I took it as a sign that Riggleman had lost the team.

    Seemed Riggleman’s main response to the “no one gives a damn” level of play was to ignore the obvious while trying to win meaningless games by yanking developing pitchers once he picked up a whiff of trouble.

    Oh, and “Go Big Mo!”

    Reply
  12. Stratocaster

    7 years ago

    Let’s not forget to mention his great, great-grandfather Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the first telephone book.

    Reply
  13. Kenleyfornia74

    7 years ago

    Wasn’t this guy suppoossd to be Bochy’s succesor?

    Reply
    • aceofrainbows

      7 years ago

      That or bam bam, and either is fine by me

      1
      Reply
    • JKB 2

      7 years ago

      No

      Reply
  14. batty

    7 years ago

    A bland choice by a bland organization.

    Reply
  15. Nnnjjjjjhhjj

    7 years ago

    I like David Bell. Solid player if not talented. Seems to have high baseball IQ and people seem to respond well around him. Good luck David!

    Reply
  16. ksoze

    7 years ago

    Yes! The Reds are poised now to make the next step. Goodbye cellar dwellers, hello mediocrity.

    1
    Reply
  17. RedRooster

    7 years ago

    Still won’t contend for the next 10 years.

    Reply
  18. DockEllisDee

    7 years ago

    love it. D Bell has what it takes, local blood. I’m sure the guys in the clubhouse who played for him in the minors are stoked

    1
    Reply
  19. itslonelyatthetrop

    7 years ago

    I think he’ll start off strong and then the team will fade.

    Reply
    • captainchaos55

      7 years ago

      That’s why they play the games

      Reply
      • itslonelyatthetrop

        7 years ago

        The ways these stat guys are you wonder why they even bother sometimes.

        Reply
  20. SueJen

    7 years ago

    No one knows how this will evolve. I know one thing. He can’t do any worse then last years managers. Give him a chance. Ever hear of Sparky Anderson? No one had . Headline was Sparky Who? Hopefully this works out.

    2
    Reply
    • Adam6710

      7 years ago

      Yankee fans all remember the “Clueless Joe” headline in November of 1995.

      Reply
  21. ken48tribe

    7 years ago

    Much of his success will hinge on FO moves for quality starters. That, more than anything else, was the Reds Achilles heel.

    1
    Reply
  22. nentwigs

    7 years ago

    Was he seen running away from the train wreck that is the San Francisco Giants?

    Reply
  23. AZPat

    7 years ago

    Damn Reds. A manager with no major league experience. This is just like back in 1970 when they hired that sparky guy. What ever happened to him?

    Reply
    • thecoffinnail

      7 years ago

      Or like back in 2003 when they hired that Dave Miley guy. Hopefully, he knows how many outs are in an inning. If he is unsure, he can always ask Ray Knight.

      Reply
  24. mrnatewalter

    7 years ago

    If this means he’s not in the running for the Giants’ GM job, I’m more than okay with it.

    Reply
  25. Jean Matrac

    7 years ago

    So it’s not an “exciting” hire. I remember when Bobby Valentine was an exciting hire for the Bosox. The funniest thing is seeing all the negative reactions when no one commenting here knows if this is a good hire or not.

    Reply
    • Adam6710

      7 years ago

      Ironically, the Sox hiring Valentine really felt like a very Mets-type move. A controversial big name to grab the headlines from the Yankees.

      Reply
  26. CubsRebsSaints

    7 years ago

    I have a theory. Theo and Girardi discusses him coaching in Chicago after next season, once Maddon’s contract expires.

    1
    Reply
    • Adam6710

      7 years ago

      If he doesn’t manage by 2020, Girardi will either become a first base/bench coach. (ala Larry Bowa), or move into a front office role. That’s my theory.

      Reply
  27. ThatBallwasBryzzoed

    7 years ago

    Lol when I saw this I honestly thought it was a different Bell. When it said David Bell. I immediately thought of Derek Bell.

    Reply
  28. GarryHarris

    7 years ago

    David Bell certainly has the pedigree. Good luck to the Cincinnati Reds, David Bell and Reds fans.

    2
    Reply
  29. iceman35pilot

    7 years ago

    Reds pick a Cincinnati native. Shocking. The broken record continues to turn round and round.

    Reply
  30. cincinnatikid

    7 years ago

    It doesn’t matter whom the manager will be. If the Reds don’t address the starting pitching problems, add to the bullpen and improve the bench in the NL central at best they are either a 4th or 5th place club depending on what Pittsburgh does

    Reply
    • bigredsfan41017

      7 years ago

      Bullpen was a lot better compared to previous years! I would be concerned With Iglesias for all the blown saves (6). Truthfully the bench wasn’t that bad, they need to address the starting pitchers! They sure can’t develop or trade for decent pitching! Truthfully I wish they get rid of Dick Williams, he don’t have any experience in General Manager or now President of Baseball Operations!

      Reply
  31. Cincyfan85

    7 years ago

    If John Farrell got the job, he may have tried to sleep with Jim Day. Nobody wants that!

    Reply
  32. doxiedevil

    7 years ago

    The Bell’s are a great baseball family, got to watch Buddy break in with the Indians in spring training in Tucson in the early 70’s.

    Reply

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