| George Bell | |
|---|---|
 Bell playing for the Blue Jays in 1985 | |
| Left fielder | |
| Born: (1959-10-21)October 21, 1959 (age 66) San Pedro de Macorís,Dominican Republic | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 9, 1981, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 2, 1993, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .278 |
| Home runs | 265 |
| Runs batted in | 1,002 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Canadian | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2013 |
Jorge Antonio Bell Mathey (born October 21, 1959), better known asGeorge Bell, is aDominican formerleft fielder andAmerican LeagueMVP inMajor League Baseball who played 12 seasons for theToronto Blue Jays (1981, 1983–1990),Chicago Cubs (1991) andChicago White Sox (1992–1993). Bell batted and threw right-handed.
Originally signed by thePhiladelphia Phillies in 1978, Bell was selected by the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980Rule 5 draft.[1] Bell was discovered in theDominican Republic by Blue Jays scoutEpy Guerrero.[2] He made his major league debut as a pinch runner on April 9, 1981, against theDetroit Tigers.[3] Bell appeared in 60 games during the 1981 season, batting .233 with fivehome runs and 12runs batted in (RBI).[1] In 1982, he spent the season with the Triple-ASyracuse Chiefs, where he hit just .200 with three home runs and 19 RBI in 37 games.[4] In 1983, he split the season between Syracuse and Toronto. With the Blue Jays, Bell batted .268 with two home runs and 17 RBI in 39 games.[1] In 85 games with Syracuse, he hit .271 with 15 home runs and 59 RBI.[4]
Bell's first season as a regular was in1984, and he finished his first full season batting .292 with 26 home runs and 87 RBI in 159 games.[1] That season, he first teamed with fellow outfieldersLloyd Moseby andJesse Barfield. That outfield, along with solid starting pitching, led the Blue Jays to their first-everAmerican League East division title in1985. Bell caught a fly ball, off the bat ofRon Hassey, for the final out in the 5–1 victory over theNew York Yankees on October 5, clinching the division title for the Blue Jays.[5] Despite Bell's .321 average in theALCS, they lost the series to theKansas City Royals.[1] His best season came in1987, although the Blue Jays fell two games short of theDetroit Tigers in the division race.[6] Bell finished with a .308batting average, .352on-base percentage, .608slugging percentage, 111runs, 47 home runs, a league-leading 134 RBI, and a major-league leading 369 total bases in 156 games.[1] He was awarded theAmerican League MVP award that year.[7]
On April 4,1988, Bell became the first player in Major League history to hit three home runs on an opening day (all of them coming off ofBret Saberhagen);[8] however, his play throughout the year declined as he conflicted with Blue Jays managerJimy Williams, who wanted Bell to become the Jays' full-timedesignated hitter. He finished the season batting .269 with 24 home runs and 97 RBI in 156 games.[1]
Bell had a bounce-back year in1989, posting a .297 average, 18 home runs and 104 RBI in 153 games, helping the Blue Jays win their second division title.[1] On May 28, 1989, Bell hit awalk-off home run in a 7–5 victory over theChicago White Sox in the final Major League game played atExhibition Stadium.[9] Bell also homered in the first game at the Blue Jays' new park, SkyDome (now theRogers Centre), on June 5, eight days later.[10] However, in theALCS, he only hit .200 with one home run, as the Blue Jays lost the series to theOakland Athletics.[1] Bell became a free agent after the1990 season.
On December 6, 1990, Bell signed a three-year deal with theChicago Cubs worth a guaranteed $13 million. The deal included an option for a fourth year.[11] He batted .285 with 25 home runs and 86 RBI in 149 games, earning his third and final selection to the All-Star Game.[1] After one year with the Cubs, he was traded across town to the Chicago White Sox forSammy Sosa andKen Patterson on March 30, 1992.[12] In his first season with the White Sox, Bell hit .255 while recording 25 home runs and 112 RBI in 155 games.[1] In1993, his play declined, primarily due to a persistent knee injury, and he finished with a .217 average, 13 home runs and 64 RBI in 102 games.[1] In a game against theBoston Red Sox,Aaron Sele threw at Bell's head twice, which caused Bell to charge at Sele. Bell went to punch him but Sele dodged it before Bell got clotheslined byMo Vaughn and sparking a benches-clearing brawl. Bell was suspended for two games for his actions.[13] He was benched in theALCS against his former team, the Blue Jays, and was released at the end of the season, after which he announced his retirement.
Bell was a powerful free-swinger, usually posting a good slugging percentage and relatively lowstrikeout rate, but a pooron-base percentage. He was known as a mediocre defensive player and played mainly as a designated hitter during the last two years of his career, despite his strong preference for playing in the field. Despite his success on the field, Bell had a love-hate relationship with the fans and media in Toronto, particularly in his later years as his declining defensive game came to overshadow his offensive talents. After the fans booed him for committing an error, he told the media that the fans could "kiss my purple butt." The next day a sign appeared in left field "George, we are behind you all the way."[citation needed] Bell's difficult relationship with the Toronto sports media was exacerbated by his reluctance to do interviews during his early years with the Blue Jays (which was due to his then-weak knowledge of the English language). Towards the end of his time in Toronto, however, Bell warmed to the media, who in turn began to soften their often harsh criticisms of his play and attitude.
Bell is enshrined in the upper deck of the Rogers Centre's Level of Excellence, devoted to players and personnel who have made a significant impact as members of the Toronto Blue Jays.[14]
In 2004, Bell was inducted into theCaribbean Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2013, he was inducted into theCanadian Baseball Hall of Fame andOntario Sports Hall of Fame.[15]
In 1,587 games over 12 seasons, Bell posted a .278batting average (1,702-for-6,123) with 814runs, 308doubles, 34triples, 265home runs, 1,002RBI, 331base on balls, .316on-base percentage and .469slugging percentage. He recorded a .964fielding percentage. In the 1985 and 1989ALCS, he hit .271 (13-for-48) with six runs, a home run and 3 RBI.[1]
Bell is the older brother of late major leaguerJuan Bell.[1]
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