Reds: How David Bell Learned He’s an All-Star Coach
ARLINGTON, Tex. — Cincinnati Reds manager David Bell coached for the National League All-Stars Tuesday night. The All-Star coaching staff comes from the previous season’s pennant winner. Therefore, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo and his coaching staff were at the helm of the National League team. But Lovullo added Bell as an honorary coach. Bell’s brother, Mike, was in the player development department of the Diamondbacks from 2011 to 2019, when he left to join the Minnesota Twins coaching staff. Mike tragically succumbed to kidney cancer in March 2021 at the age of 46, only two months after being diagnosed.
Learning the News
Monday, David Bell told Sport Relay the story of how he found out the news. It happened March 9, when the Cincinnati Reds came to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale, Arizona, to face the Diamondbacks in Cactus League play. In the main stadium, which the Diamondbacks share with the Colorado Rockies, the visiting team clubhouse is underneath the batter’s eye in center field. When the Diamondbacks are hosting, the visiting team uses the first-base dugout. Bell entered the field through the center-field gate and noticed that Lovullo was in front of the visiting dugout.
“I had no idea what he was doing,” Bell said. “But I got to him, and he asked me (to be on his staff).” A lot of the reasons, according to Bell, had to do with Mike’s history with the Diamondbacks. This included “the relationship Torey had with Mike and Mike with Torey and their whole staff.”
Unsurprisingly, Bell said, “immediately it was emotional because of that.” Lovullo told him to check with his family before saying yes. Because it was spring training, Bell was allowed to have his phone in the dugout, so he called them. “The game was starting,” he said. “I was running late. So I made a call to my wife to confirm it from the game and tried to chase (Lovullo) down after the game, but he got ahead of me. I called him right after and accepted.”
“Really Meaningful”
It was not difficult for Bell to keep it a secret. “We’re pretty good at keeping secrets,” he grinned. “But I told the people that mattered most, so that was neat to share.”
Bell smiled warmly as he concluded the story. “I feel like I’m here because of my brother. The thoughtfulness of Torey and being in the clubhouse and coach’s room with some of his best friends is really meaningful.”
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