Juan Bell Mathey (March 29, 1968 – August 24, 2016) was a Dominican

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Mod ...

player, who played

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

from to , primarily as an

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

MLB career

Early career

Bell originally signed with the

Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...

in at the age of 16 and spent four seasons in its minor league system.

Orioles

Bell was acquired along with

Ken Howell Kenneth Howell, Jr. (November 28, 1960 – November 9, 2018) was an American professional baseball pitcher and pitching coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the National League (NL) Los Angeles Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies (- ...

and

Brian Holton Brian John Holton (born November 29, 1959) is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues primarily in relief from 1985 to 1990. He was a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series winners, notching a save i ...

by the

Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East division. As one of the American L ...

from the Dodgers for

Eddie Murray Eddie Clarence Murray (born February 24, 1956), nicknamed "Steady Eddie," is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman, designated hitter, and coach. Spending most of his MLB career with the Baltimore Orioles, he ranks fourth ...

on December 4, 1988.Chass, Murray. "Baseball: Dodgers Complete Trade for Murray," ''The New York Times'', Monday, December 5, 1988.
Retrieved December 6, 2021 He saw his first major league action the following season, getting called up from the minor leagues in September, . Between that season and , he played in 13 games, mostly as a

pinch runner In baseball, a pinch runner is a player substituted for the specific purpose of replacing another player on base. The pinch runner may be faster or otherwise more skilled at base-running than the player for whom the pinch runner has been sub ...

. In , he got his chance at regular playing time, splitting time at second base with

Billy Ripken William Oliver Ripken (born December 16, 1964), nicknamed Billy the Kid, is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from – for the Baltimore Orioles (1987–92, '96), Texas Rangers (199 ...

alongside Billy's brother,

Cal Ripken Jr. Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed "Iron man (sports streak), The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981� ...

, the Orioles' regular shortstop. However, he hit just .172, and the next spring he lost his roster spot to

Mark McLemore Mark Tremell McLemore (born October 4, 1964) is an American former professional baseball second baseman and utility player in Major League Baseball (MLB). Early years McLemore grew up in Southeast San Diego, where he went to Samuel F. B. Morse ...

and was sent back to the minors.

Phillies

In August , Bell was traded to the

Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) National League East, East division. Since 2004, the team's home sta ...

for infielder Steve Scarsone and was back in the majors. In 46 games, as the regular shortstop over the remainder of the season, Bell hit .204, however it was enough to allow him to stick with the big club in

spring training Spring training is the preseason in Major League Baseball (MLB), a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for Schedule (workplace), roster and position spo ...

. Once again, however, Bell's bat was not up to the task, as he hit just .200 in 65

at bat In baseball, an at bat (AB) or time at bat is a batter's turn batting against a pitcher. An at bat is different from a plate appearance. A batter is credited with a plate appearance regardless of what happens during their turn at bat, but a batt ...

s before being placed on waivers.

Brewers

Bell was claimed by the

Milwaukee Brewers The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...

, who gave him his most extended shot at a regular job yet. Bell responded with what was his best season, batting .234 with career highs in home runs (5) and RBI (29). The following spring, he was released by the Brewers after they signed

Jody Reed Jody may refer to: *Jody (given name), a list of people with the given name *Jody (singer), French singer, real name Julie Erikssen * "Jody" (song), 1986 single by Jermaine Stewart *"Jody", a 1982 song by America from ''View from the Ground'' *"Jod ...

in the offseason to play second base.

Later career

In the next two seasons, Bell would get additional trials from the

Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos (french: link=no, Les Expos de Montréal) were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal, Quebec. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in t ...

and

Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight ...

. He even set a career high in batting average (.278) in with the Expos, although it was in just 97 at bats. He spent most of those two seasons in the minor leagues, though, and continued to play in the minors until , finishing up his career with the

Syracuse SkyChiefs The Syracuse Mets are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the New York Mets. They are located in Syracuse, New York, and play their home games at NBT Bank Stadium, which open ...

in the

Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. Since 1989, the team has played its home games ...

system. Bell ended his career with a batting average of just .212 in 329 games. Bell played some ball from 1999 to 2000 with

Elmira Pioneers The Elmira Pioneers are a collegiate summer baseball team based in Elmira, New York. They have been affiliated with many major league teams throughout their history. The current Elmira Pioneers play as members of the Perfect Game Collegiate Baseb ...

of the Northern League, as well as

Cafeteros de Córdoba The Cafeteros de Córdoba or Córdoba Coffee Growers was a Mexican League baseball team that played on-and-off from 1937 to 2006. The team played on and off for a duration not last more than a decade: * 1937 to 1939 * 1972 to 1979 * 1984 to ...

and

Campeche Piratas The Piratas de Campeche (English: Campeche Pirates) are a professional baseball team in the Mexican League (LMB) based in Campeche, Campeche, Mexico. History In 1980, the Alacranes de Durango moved to Campeche, and played their home games at Ven ...

of the

Mexican League The Mexican League (, ) is a professional baseball league based in Mexico and the oldest running professional league in the country. The league has 18 teams organized in two divisions, North and South. Teams play 114 games each season. Five te ...

Personal life

Juan was the younger brother of former major league slugger

George Bell George Bell may refer to: Law and politics * George Joseph Bell (1770–1843), Scottish jurist and legal author * George Alexander Bell (1856–1927), Canadian pioneer and Saskatchewan politician * George Bell (Canadian politician) (1869–1940) ...

. Their brother, Rolando Bell, played two seasons in the Dodgers' system as well. He had a son named Joanthony Bell. Bell died of kidney disease in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic on August 24, 2016.

References

External links

Juan Bell
at Baseball Almanac {{DEFAULTSORT:Bell, Juan 1968 births 2016 deaths Albuquerque Dukes players Bakersfield Dodgers players Baltimore Orioles players Boston Red Sox players Cafeteros de Córdoba players Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Canada Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in Mexico Dominican Republic expatriate baseball players in the United States Dominican Republic people of Cocolo descent Deaths from kidney disease Gulf Coast Dodgers players Elmira Pioneers players Harrisburg Senators players Major League Baseball infielders Major League Baseball players from the Dominican Republic Major League Baseball second basemen Major League Baseball shortstops Mexican League baseball second basemen Milwaukee Brewers players Montreal Expos players Oklahoma City 89ers players Ottawa Lynx players Sportspeople from San Pedro de Macorís Pawtucket Red Sox players Philadelphia Phillies players Rochester Red Wings players San Antonio Missions players Syracuse SkyChiefs players West Palm Beach Expos players