From the Collection: Josh L. Bell, if, Los Angeles Dodgers
Cleveland signed 1b Josh Bell this week. I was able to get him in person once while in Akron, so that is neat. And he seems like a smart signing, considering the lack of slugging the Guards have in their line-up.
But I wanted to take a moment to remember another Josh Bell, only this one is Josh L. Bell. This Bell was a prospect in the Dodgers organization in the mid-2000s, and in many ways was a similar prospect to the Guard’s new first baseman.
Josh L. Bell was drafted out of a Florida high school in the 4th round of the 2005 draft. He was a bat-first prospect, with excellent power and approach. Weight was an issue early in his career, which limited his speed and defense, but in a testament to his maturity, he lost 30 pounds prior to the 2008 season. From 2006-2009 he was one of the Dodger’s best prospects, as high as #8 for the 2009 season. And when he was traded to the Orioles in early 2012, he was their #2 prospect.
Bell would make the majors in 2010 with Baltimore and would spend parts of the next three seasons in the big leagues. He struggled at the plate, and would never see more than 159 at-bats in any season. He spent all of 2013 in the minors, his last season in affiliate ball. Bell spent 2014-2019 in Korea and Indy Ball before retiring.
I saw Bell play here in Hawaii. At the time, he was huge. I hate to say “fat”, but yea. Still, it was clear he was a good hitter, and his weight loss late in his career was a real sign that he took his job seriously. It’s a shame it did not work out. Still, he spent 14 years in professional ball, and this isn’t anything.