Gus Bell, born David Russell Bell, Jr. (November 15, 1928 - May 7, 1995), was a Major League Baseball center fielder/right fielder who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950-52), Cincinnati Reds and Redlegs (1953-61), New York Mets (1962) and Montreal Expos (1962-64). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.

Career

A native from Louisville, Kentucky, Bell played nine of his 15 seasons with Cincinnati and was the oldest member of a rare three-generation major league family. His son, Buddy, is a former third baseman, coach and manager, and his grandsons, David and Mike, a pair of infielders.

Bell was one of the most feared hitters throughout the 1950s and was a highly ranked outfielder as well. He provided an one-two punch along with Ralph Kiner for the Pirates. Later, he fit snugly into Cincinnati lineups with sluggers like Smoky Burgess , Ted Kluszewski, Vada Pinson , Wally Post and Frank Robinson. A four-time All-Star selection, Bell enjoyed his best seasons in 1963, when he hit .300 with 30 home runs and 105 RBI, and 1955, collecting .308, 27, 104. Four times, he knocked in more than 100 runs in a season and hit 103 home runs from 1953-56.

On April 11, 1962, Bell was the starting right fielder in the Mets inaugural game, and also was their first base runner after hitting a single in the second inning of an 11-4 loss to St.Louis.

In a 15-year career, Bell was a .281 hitter with 206 home runs and 942 RBI in 1741 games. He died in Montgomery, Ohio, at 66 years of age.

Highlights

• 4-time All-Star (1953-54, 1956-57)
• Hit for the cycle (June 4, 1951)
• Hit three home runs in consecutive at-bats (May 29, 1956)

Facts

• Bell, Ted Kluszewski and Bob Thurman became the second trio of teammates with a 3-HR game in the same season(1956), tying a major league single season record with Duke Snider, Roy Campanella and Tommy Brown (Brooklyn Dodgers, 1950) and Cory Snyder , Joe Carter and Brook Jacoby (Cleveland Indians, 1987).

• On June 28, 2004, David Bell hit for the cycle in a Phillies 14-6 win over the Expos, joining his grandfather, Gus Bell. They are the only grandfather-grandson duo in major league history to accomplish that feat.

See also

• Hitting for the cycle
• Top 500 home run hitters of all time

External links

• Gus Bell at:
  • Baseball Library
  • Baseball Reference
  • The Baseball Almanac Family Tree