FORT MYERS, Florida – Minnesota Twins bank coach Mike Bell, Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell’s younger brother, died of kidney cancer on Friday. He was 46 years old.
At Bell’s family’s request to take the field in his honor, the twins said their exhibition game against Atlanta would be played on schedule.
Mike Bell underwent surgery on January 28 to remove a growth that was discovered earlier that month. He had taken time off from the team to focus on his health. The twins’ manager, Rocco Baldelli, said at the beginning of spring training that his top assistant in the home was “very, very optimistic” about his recovery.
“We know Mike as a baseball man, but I can tell you that with the love he has for the game and the love he had for everyone in the game, he was first and foremost a family man,” he said. Baldelli said on Friday.
“He brought this passion to the field as a bench coach. He was an amazing bench coach because he was amazing with people.”
In a statement issued by the organization, the twins said Bell had an “indelible positive impact” on the team and everyone he met during his lone season at work.
“Everyone who knew Mike, on and off the field, is better for the experience. The twins join the baseball world in mourning Mike’s untimely passing; thoughts and best wishes are with his wife, Kelly, his three children, Luke, Mikayla and Madeline and the entire Bell family at this difficult time. “
Mike Bell was selected by the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 1997 expansion project. His lone season playing in major competitions was 2000 with Cincinnati, when the third base player entered 19 games and went 6-for-27 with two runs on their own field.
Bell spent 13 years with the Arizona Diamondbacks in player development and minor league management.
“Mike was truly loved by everyone who knew him – from coaches and players to colleagues and staff in Arizona and throughout our minor league system,” Diamondbacks said in a statement. “His loss leaves a huge hole in our hearts, but his impact cannot be overstated and his legacy will not be forgotten.”
David Bell played 12 seasons as a major, mainly with Philadelphia and Seattle, and was hired as manager of the Reds in 2019.
“Our Reds family is overwhelmed with sadness for the Bells, as they mourn the loss of Mike,” Cincinnati CEO Bob Castellini said in a statement.
“This great baseball family has blessed thousands of people over the 70 years we have dedicated to our game. We are honored that Mike, like his grandfather Gus, his father Buddy and brother David, wore the red uniform. Our hearts and support go out to Buddy, David and their families, “he said.
Buddy Bell spent nine years as a manager and 18 seasons as a major league player. The brothers’ grandfather, Gus Bell, played for 15 years in adulthood. Another brother, Ricky Bell, had a 10-year career in the minor leagues.