Another former Phillies player has earned a major league manager job
The Cincinnati Reds have named former Phillies infielder David Bell their new manager. Cincinnati made the move official on Twitter Sunday afternoon and will have a press conference on Monday.
Bell is the second former Phillie to currently hold a major league manager job, joining former teammate AJ Hinch, who played four games with the Phillies in 2004.
Bell played the majority of his career in Philadelphia, but remains a player most fans try not to associate with. In 470 games over four seasons Bell hit .258 with 38 home runs and 209 RBI.
The history of the Bell family runs deep in Cincinnati with three generations playing/managing for the Reds. David’s grandfather Gus Bell played nine seasons with the Reds and is in their Hall of Fame. Buddy Bell, David’s father, played for four years in Cincinnati.
Buddy is a member of the Reds front office, which some felt gave his son an edge in the manager search.
The hiring of Bell continues a trend around baseball that involves former players who weren’t legends getting manager jobs. Hinch, Gabe Kapler, Kevin Cash, and Aaron Boone are the latest examples after teams tried Hall of Famers like Ryne Sandberg and Paul Molitor.
All five of the remaining manager jobs open reside in the American League with Toronto, Baltimore, Minnesota, Texas, and the Los Angeles Angels.
Former Phillie John McDonald was mentioned in the Blue Jays search and Phillies third base coach Dusty Wathan was connected to the Rangers job.