View source for Gus Bell

{{Short description|American baseball player (1928–1995)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Gus Bell
|image=Gus Bell 1961.jpg
|caption=Bell in 1961
|position=[[Outfielder]]
|bats=Left
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1928|11|15}}
|birth_place=[[Louisville, Kentucky]], U.S.
|death_date={{death date and age|1995|5|7|1928|11|15}}
|death_place=[[Montgomery, Ohio]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=May 30
|debutyear=1950
|debutteam=Pittsburgh Pirates
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=May 1
|finalyear=1964
|finalteam=Milwaukee Braves
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value=.281
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=206
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=942
|teams=
*[[Pittsburgh Pirates]] ({{mlby|1950}}–{{mlby|1952}})
*[[Cincinnati Reds|Cincinnati Redlegs / Reds]] ({{mlby|1953}}–{{mlby|1961}})
*[[New York Mets]] ({{mlby|1962}})
*[[Milwaukee Braves]] ({{mlby|1962}}–{{mlby|1964}})
|highlights=
*4× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1953 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1953]], [[1954 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1954]], [[1956 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1956]], [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1957]])
* [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]]
}}
'''David Russell''' "'''Gus'''" '''Bell Jr.''' (November 15, 1928 – May 7, 1995) was an American professional [[baseball]] player and [[Scout (sport)|scout]]. He played in [[Major League Baseball]] as a [[center fielder]] from 1950 to 1964, most prominently as a member of the [[Cincinnati Reds]], where he was a four-time [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] and a member of Cincinnati's {{Baseball year|1961}} [[List of National League pennant winners|National League pennant]]-winning team.<ref name="Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com">{{cite web |url=https://www.mlb.com/reds/hall-of-fame/alumni/directory#b-content |title=Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com |work=mlb.com |access-date=12 October 2023 }}</ref> Bell had 100 or more [[Run batted in|runs batted in]] four times during his Reds career and batted .292 or better six times.<ref name="Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com"/>

Bell also played for the [[Pittsburgh Pirates]], [[New York Mets]] and [[Milwaukee Braves (1953–65)|Milwaukee Braves]]. He was inducted into the [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]] in 1964.<ref name="Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame at MLB.com"/>

==Family==
A native of [[Louisville, Kentucky]], and graduate of [[Flaget High School|Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School]], Bell was nicknamed "Gus" as a youngster because he was a fan of longtime MLB player [[Gus Mancuso]].<ref>Spink, J. G. Taylor, ed., ''1951 Official Baseball Register.'' [[St. Louis, Missouri]]: ''[[The Sporting News]],'' 1951. Page 27.</ref> 

Gus Bell was the oldest member of a rare three-generation major league family.  His son [[Buddy Bell|Buddy]] has been a [[third baseman]], [[Coach (baseball)|coach]], [[Manager (baseball)|manager]] and front-office executive in the majors since 1972, and his grandsons, former MLB infielders [[David Bell (baseball)|David]] and [[Mike Bell (third baseman)|Mike]], became coaches, managers or player development officials after their playing careers.

The elder Bell wore uniform #25 during his nine years with the Cincinnati Reds (known as the "Redlegs" from 1953 to 1958). Buddy Bell wore 25 in tribute to his father during much of his playing and managing career, including his 1985–88 tenure with the Reds. David Bell, who managed the Reds from 2019 to 2024, carried on the tradition when he took Cincinnati uniform #25 as well.

==Career==
===Pittsburgh Pirates===
Bell was 18 years old when he made his pro debut in the Pirates' [[farm system]] in 1947. In both 1948 and 1949, he batted over .300, and led the [[Eastern League (1938–present)|Eastern League]] in hits during the latter season. A torrid start to his 1950 season at [[Triple-A (baseball)|Triple-A]] [[Indianapolis Indians|Indianapolis]] — he hit .400 with 66 hits in 38 games — earned him a call-up to Pittsburgh. He debuted on May 30 playing both ends of a [[Memorial Day]] [[doubleheader (baseball)|doubleheader]] against the [[St. Louis Cardinals]] at [[Forbes Field]], and went four for ten; then, the following day, against the [[Boston Braves]], he maintained the same pace, with two hits in five [[at bats]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1950/Ibellg1030011950.htm |title=1950 PIT NL Regular Season Batting Log for Gus Bell |author=<!--Not stated--> |date= |website=retrosheet.org |publisher=[[Retrosheet]] |access-date=October 30, 2022 |quote=}}</ref> He ended his rookie season with a .282 batting mark in 111 games as the Bucs' starting [[rightfielder]].

Bell played for the Pirates through {{mlby|1952}}, leading the National League in triples with 12 in {{mlby|1951}}, and driving in 89 runs. On [[1951 in baseball|June 4, 1951]], he [[hitting for the cycle|hit for the cycle]] against the [[Philadelphia Phillies]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1951/B06040PHI1951.htm |title=Pittsburgh Pirates 12, Philadelphia Phillies 4 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=June 4, 1951}}</ref> In 2004, his grandson David hit for the cycle; Gus Bell and David Bell are the only grandfather-grandson duo in major league history to hit for the cycle.

But a terrible 1952 campaign, during which the Pirates compiled a franchise-worst 42–112 record and Bell slumped to a .250 batting mark in 131 games, led to his October 14, 1952, trade to the Cincinnati Reds for three players.

===Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds===
During his nine years with Cincinnati from {{mlby|1953}} through {{mlby|1961}}, Bell achieved success and popularity. A four-time NL All-Star selection (1953–54, 1956–57), he enjoyed his best seasons in 1953, when he hit .300 with 30 [[home run]]s and 105 [[Run batted in|RBI]], and in {{mlby|1955}}, batting .308 with 27 home runs and 104 RBI. Four times, he recorded more than 100 RBI in a season and hit 103 home runs from 1953 to {{mlby|1956}}.

Bell hit home runs in three consecutive [[At bat|at-bats]] on May 29, 1956.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1956/B05290CHN1956.htm |title=Cincinnati Reds 10, Chicago Cubs 4 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=May 29, 1956}}</ref> During the 1956 season, Bell, [[Ted Kluszewski]] and [[Bob Thurman]] became the second trio of teammates each to have three-home run games in the same season. The feat had been accomplished by the [[Brooklyn Dodgers]] in 1950 ([[Duke Snider]], [[Roy Campanella]] and [[Tommy Brown (baseball)|Tommy Brown]]) and subsequently was equaled by the [[Cleveland Indians]] in 1987 ([[Cory Snyder]], [[Joe Carter]] and [[Brook Jacoby]]).

In {{mlby|1957}}, Bell and six of his teammates – [[Ed Bailey]], [[Johnny Temple]], [[Roy McMillan]], [[Don Hoak]], [[Wally Post]] and [[Frank Robinson]] — were voted to the [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|National League All-Star]] starting lineup, the result of a [[1957 Major League Baseball All-Star Game#Cincinnati voting controversy|ballot stuffing campaign by Cincinnati fans]]. Bell remained on the team as a reserve, but Post was taken off altogether due to injury. Bell and Post were replaced as starters by [[Hank Aaron]] and [[Willie Mays]]. Bell entered the game as a [[pinch hitter]] for Robinson in the seventh and drove in both Mays and Bailey with a double against [[Early Wynn]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1957/B07090NLS1957.htm |title=American League 6, National League 5 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=July 9, 1957}}</ref>

Bell's last season as a regular outfielder was {{mlby|1960}}, when he started 122 of the Reds' 154 games. In 1961, his final year with Cincinnati, he was a part-time player (starting 54 games) on the Reds' first [[pennant (sports)|pennant-winning]] [[1961 Cincinnati Reds season|team]] in 21 years. In the [[1961 World Series]], Bell was called on to pinch hit in Games 3, 4 and 5 and went hitless in three [[at bats]]. One day after the conclusion of the Fall Classic, won by the [[New York Yankees]] four games to one, Bell was the eighth overall selection in the primary phase of the [[1961 Major League Baseball expansion draft|National League expansion draft]] by the New York Mets.

===New York Mets===
Bell started the {{mlby|1962}} season with the Mets, and on April 11, 1962, he was the starting right fielder in the Mets' inaugural game. He became the first [[Base running|base runner]] in Mets history after hitting a [[Single (baseball)|single]] in the second [[inning (baseball)|inning]] of an 11–4 loss to the Cardinals.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1962/B04110SLN1962.htm |title=St. Louis Cardinals 11, New York Mets 4 |website=[[Retrosheet]] |date=April 11, 1962}}</ref> But he collected only 15 hits in 101 at bats (.149) in 30 games with the expansion club.

===Milwaukee Braves===
On [[1962 in baseball|May 21, 1962]], Bell was sent to Milwaukee to complete a November 1961 transaction in which the Mets acquired veteran slugger [[Frank Thomas (outfielder)|Frank Thomas]]. He batted .285 in 79 games (with 53 games started as an outfielder) to raise his 1962 season average to .241. But he had only six more MLB at bats as a Brave in [[1963 in baseball|1963]]–[[1964 in baseball|64]] until he was released on May 12, 1964, during the roster cutdown then in effect in the major leagues.

==Post-playing career==
Bell was inducted into the [[Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum|Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame]] in 1964.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15227870/fans_choose_gus_bell_for_hall_of_fame/ |title=Fans Choose Gus Bell For Hall Of Fame |agency=[[Associated Press|AP]] |newspaper=[[The Advocate (Newark)|The Newark Advocate]] |location=[[Newark, Ohio]] |date=August 20, 1964 |access-date=November 18, 2017 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> After his playing career, he worked for an auto dealership, ran a temporary employment agency, and was a [[Scout (sport)|scout]] for the [[Cleveland Indians]] and [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15227950/exreds_star_gus_bell_dies_at_66/ |title=Bell, ex-Flaglet, Reds star, dies |first=George |last=Rorrer |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |location=[[Louisville, Kentucky]] |date=May 9, 1995 |access-date=November 18, 2017 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> Bell died in May 1995, at [[Bethesda North Hospital]] near Cincinnati, at the age of 66; he had recently had a [[Myocardial infarction|heart attack]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/15227950/exreds_star_gus_bell_dies_at_66/ |title=Ex-Reds star Gus Bell dies at 66 |first=George |last=Rorrer |newspaper=[[The Courier-Journal]] |location=[[Louisville, Kentucky]] |date=May 9, 1995 |access-date=November 18, 2017 |via=newspapers.com}}</ref> He was survived by seven children and 36 grandchildren.<ref>{{cite news|last=The Associated Press|title=Gus Bell Dies at 66; Star in '50s for Reds |date=May 10, 1995|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/05/10/obituaries/gus-bell-dies-at-66-star-in-50-s-for-reds.html|access-date=August 13, 2019}}</ref>

On what would have been Bell's 83rd birthday – November 15, 2011 – he was inducted into the Louisville Catholic Sports Hall of Fame, with a speech by his grandson David.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-THciPWQ7Q  |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211212/l-THciPWQ7Q| archive-date=2021-12-12 |url-status=live|title=Louisville Catholic Sports Hall of Fame - Gus Bell Speech |date=February 5, 2013 |via=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://catholicsportsnet.com/louisville/articles/2012/11/8/the-louisville-catholic-sports-hall-of-fame |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201080943/http://catholicsportsnet.com/louisville/articles/2012/11/8/the-louisville-catholic-sports-hall-of-fame |url-status=usurped |archive-date=December 1, 2017 |title=The Louisville Catholic Sports Hall of Fame |first=Billy |last=Reed |website=catholicsportsnet.com |date=November 8, 2012 |access-date=November 19, 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders]]
* [[List of second-generation Major League Baseball players]]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=|espn=|br=b/bellgu01|fangraphs=|brm=bell--005dav|retro=B/Pbellg103}}
*[http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_B/Bell.Gus.Obit.html Gus Bell] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200123015830/http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Obits_B/Bell.Gus.Obit.html |date=January 23, 2020 }} at The Deadball Era
*{{find a Grave}}

{{s-start}}
{{s-ach|ach}}
{{Succession box| before = [[Hoot Evers]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]]| years = June 4, 1951 | after = [[Larry Doby]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame|state=collapsed}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Gus}}
[[Category:1928 births]]
[[Category:1995 deaths]]
[[Category:Albany Senators players]]
[[Category:American Roman Catholics]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Louisville, Kentucky]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Redlegs players]]
[[Category:Cincinnati Reds players]]
[[Category:Cleveland Indians scouts]]
[[Category:Flaget High School alumni]]
[[Category:Hollywood Stars players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Indians players]]
[[Category:Keokuk Pirates players]]
[[Category:Leesburg Pirates players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball center fielders]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball right fielders]]
[[Category:Milwaukee Braves players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:National League All-Stars]]
[[Category:New York Mets players]]
[[Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers scouts]]