Josh Bell was a second-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates and made his Big Leage debut with the club in 2016. Since that time, he has been traded on four different occasions and is now with his sixth major league team.
MLBbro.com reporter Brett Quintyne spoke with the well-traveled hired gun about his latest deadline trade, his mission in Arizona, life goals and the Bros who inspired his MLB journey.
“Another deadline, another trade,” Bell told MLBbro.com as he is used to moving around mid-season. “I’m happy to be on a better team with aspirations of going on to the postseason and doing some damage there,” he added as he looks to be in the playoffs for the third consecutive season.
Josh Bell Is A Rare Switch-Hitter
The number of switch-hitters has decreased over the years and once again that number will be under 10 percent in 2024. It’s always been part of Bell’s game.
“I started switch-hitting as a kid, virtually every at-bat I would go back and forth,” he said as he spoke about his early memories of hitting from both sides of the plate. “As the competition got better, I started matching up lefty righty and have pushed that through to the Big Leagues so I am definitely thankful for it,” Bell said of that skill set.
Josh Bell Had Strong Foundation Of Women Driving HimTo Give Back
“Having support, educated women. When I have questions I feel I can always go to them,” Josh said when asked about his mother and sister being professors at different universities. “As I get older, I wonder if I’m going to go back to college, or what I will do after the game. It’s great to have that family support into my adulthood,” he continued.
“Giving back is important, it helps my game. It makes me realize there is a bigger World out there than just baseball. I’m helping the kids but they are helping me as well,” Bell gushed about the book club he launched in 2020. On a monthly basis, he helps select books that will inspire children to become better individuals.
Even though Texas is known for its high school football, he didn’t participate.
“My dad tore up his knee in college and said if he ever had a son, he’s not going to play football,” Bell gave as his reasoning for not playing on the gridiron. “It was a tough couple of years with the coaches in my ear, but I made the right choice,” he added.
Which MLBbros Inspired Josh Bell?
Away from the diamond he likes college football. “I was committed to play baseball at the University of Texas but my best friend went to Texas A & M, and another good friend went to TCU. If it’s on I’ll watch it.” Bell spoke of rooting for the teams that play in his home state.
And who are the Bros that Josh Bell admired as he was coming up in the game?
“The first guy that comes to mind is Prince Fielder,” he recalled. “Obviously Griffey. Seeing CC Sabathia everywhere. I had the chance to play against Brandon Phillips a couple of times. Those are the ones that stand out for me.”
Jo Adell was a first round pick of the Los Angeles Angels in 2017 and made his big league debut in 2020. Since that time the team has had three different managers but this year he has emerged as the everyday right fielder under skipper Ron Washington. Going into the season the Angels were expected to be a bit more aggressive and Adell has been a big part of that. “We’re pushing the issue this year. I’ve worked on getting that jump and not every time have I been safe but I’m trying to get the extra base when I can,” he said about being third on the team in stolen bases.
“The numbers have been good for me, making sure that I’m in every pitch and making good decisions at the plate, it’s exciting” he added. Adell was leading the team with 15 home runs and was second on the team with 43 RBI at the All Star Break.
Adell is from Louisville, Kentucky and is still a big part of the culture in his hometown. “Giving back to the community and being with kids has been a big part of what I focus on in my foundation. We’re always looking to do different projects and help out” he spoke of the Jo Adell Foundation. A couple of the activities that his foundation has taken part in has been providing turkey dinners for those in need during Thanksgiving and hosting a baseball camp at his former high school.
So many Major Leaguers excelled in multiple sports in high school and Adell was no exception. When asked if there was pressure to play basketball he chuckled and said “A little bit. The bigger part was the football. My dad played professionally a little bit and that was on my back as well,” Adell mentioned. “I fell in love with the game really early, I always loved playing and was excited during baseball season so it stuck” he said of his choice to make baseball his career path.
Adell is a player who truly is a student of the game and has learned from multiple players over the years. “Once I got into my first couple of days of pro ball Kyle Lewis was someone I looked up to”. “He was somebody on the mentality side that really helped me” Adell praised the 2020 American League Rookie of the Year. “Torii Hunter has been huge in developing that game plan and mindset of where I need to be” he added. “This entire coaching staff has been a big part of my growth and where I’m at in my game so far” he concluded.
There are many father and son combinations that have reached the Major Leagues over the years. A few that come to mind are the Griffeys, the Bonds, and the Fielders. One family that has made terrific contributions to this game but seemingly go unnoticed are the Bufords. Don Buford played ten seasons in the Major Leagues – five with each the Chicago White Sox and Baltimore Orioles, the latter of which he won a World Series title with in 1970. His youngest son Damon spent nine seasons in the big leagues, collecting numerous “firsts” for Major League Baseball along the way. “All three of my sons made it, I’m a very proud dad.” Don reflected.
His oldest son, Don Jr. is an orthopedic surgeon and middle son Darryl is a lawyer. The elder Buford was always able to keep an eye on Damon’s development. “He spent a lot of time with me as a teenager when I was on Frank’s staff with the Giants. He connected with big leaguers early” Damon recalled.
Both men played for the University of Southern California where Don was a coach for the Trojans during Damon’s freshman year. “It was at that point where I knew he had a chance, he was playing Pac-10 baseball,” he said. It has always been a very strong father son bond but 1992 was special. Don was the skipper of the Hagerstown Suns which was the Double A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles that year and son Damon was the starting centerfielder. “He was going up, it was just a matter of when,” Don said of his son’s impending promotion to the big leagues.
1993 was a banner year for the Bufords as Don was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame and Damon made his Major League debut. “Being in the Big Leagues was great but seeing my dad inducted into the Hall of Fame that season was really special” Damon shared.
Aside from playing in the first Arizona Fall League in 1992 with Dusty Baker as his manager, Buford was part of another big league first. On his 27th birthday while playing for the Texas Rangers they played host to the San Francisco Giants in the first ever interleague game. In the second inning Buford reached on a fielder’s choice and then swiped second base for the first ever stolen base in interleague play. “I guess it’s kind of cool, but it was more about being in the right place at the right time,” he said.
Moving into the next decade, Buford again found himself in the right place at the right time. On March 29, 2000 now with the Chicago Cubs they faced the New York Mets in the regular season opener in Japan. Buford delivered a first-inning single that scored fellow bro Eric Young. It was the first hit and RBI not only of the new millennium but also the first in the major leagues outside of North America. “I fouled off a bunch of pitches to the left side from Mike Hampton and then I lined one to the right side and it fell for the hit,” Buford recounted about the lengthy at-bat.
Aside from his dad, Buford had a couple of other favorites. “I looked at Eric Davis in centerfield and that’s who I wanted to be like,” Buford mentioned. “Once I got to the show, guys like Mark McLemore, Harold Baines, Harold Reynolds were very good to me,” he added.
July 4, 2021 was a very special day for the Buford family. Don, Damon, and Mrs. Buford took in a game at Anaheim against the Orioles. It was the first time that Don and Damon were ever spectators at a game together. One of them was always on the field in uniform when the other was watching.
A typical major league season is certainly a marathon more than a sprint. Guys will have their ups and downs but staying consistent is the key to being a regular in the lineup.
The lefthanded hitter is batting .321 and shows no sign of slowing down. A Maryland native, playing in his sixth big league season, Wade has overcome some injuries that he had earlier in his career but has proven to be a factor as the cleanup hitter this season.
Wade’s versatility is another reason why he is in the Giants lineup on a daily basis. While a bulk of his playing time has been at first base this season, he has also seen action in right field and in left field.
“You have to prepare well and be ready for any situation” he told MLBbro in spring training.
The spring certainly prepared him well as he has committed just one error so far this season. His high average is definitely being noticed and talked about as well.
Lamonte Wade Jr. OBP Is Historic
His command of the plate was recently analyzed on an MLB Network segment in which his current league-leading On Base Percentage of .466 was considered “Barry Bonds type numbers”.
Wade is truly the Giants best hitter right now. He has come a long way since being a ninth round pick in the 2015 draft by the Minnesota Twins.
Knowing the strike zone has been a big part of his climb to the major leagues, twice (2017, 2019) he was named as having the best plate discipline in the Twins system.
A trade in February of 2021 brought Wade over to the National League and gave him his first post season experience.
Wade has made the most of his experiences and in addition to his stellar batting average the 30 year old also is second in the league in walks only to fellow bro Mookie Betts.
The Giants might be playing sub .500 baseball but Wade makes sure the clubhouse is fun and entertaining. Ping Pong is his sport of choice away from the diamond.
“Sometimes in the clubhouse, guys will get into it and play. It’s something that keeps it light and fun” he mentioned during spring training. “You gotta be quick in both, it’s a hand eye sport and both take a lot of coordination” he shared.
Whether it’s a ping pong ball back at you or a baseball back towards an opposing pitcher, the Giants have a guy who is ready to hit!
Slumps are something that every major league veteran has endured during their career. Ballplayers don’t love it but as professional athletes they know how to overcome it. Minnesota Twins outfielder Byron Buxton is looking to rise to the challenge. A Georgia native, playing in his 10th big league season, Buxton has overcome some injuries but has been a factor in the lineup ever since he became a professional.
Buxton was selected in the first round (2nd overall) by the Twins in the 2012 Major League draft. His ascension to the Majors was steady in winning the Midwest League Most Valuable Player Award in 2013 and despite missing time with a concussion and sprained left wrist in 2014 was named to the Arizona Fall League all prospect team. Making his major league debut on June 14, 2015, he began to show why he was considered one of the top prospects in the game with various milestones including a three-homerun game, an inside the park homer, and receiving a Gold Glove in 2017.
Something that isn’t talked about much is that Buxton was successful in 33 consecutive stolen-base attempts that spanned from 2018 until April 22, 2019. That mark is a Twins team record and his speed is a big reason why he has only been caught stealing 10 times in his big league career and not at all since 2021.
Buxton is a big part of the Twins success and the 30 year-old now sees time in the designated hitter role as well. Defense in the outfield has always been special to him however, “it gives me the opportunity to still go out there and contribute to the team,” he told MLB network in a recent interview.
As a busy major leaguer and family man, Buxton still finds time to contribute to the fans that support him and his team. He’s a previous winner of the Carl R Pohlad award given by the Minnesota Twins for community service. Aside from having a brother in the Navy, Buxton started Buxton’s Battalion, which gives tickets to military members on Friday home games. Several members of the Minnesota national guard also get to play catch pregame with Buxton before certain home games.
On a road trip this past week in Baltimore the autographed ball that he signed for an eight year-old boy was stolen. When he heard about it, he told the thief on Twitter, “Hope to see you one day or meet you at some point! We will make it right. I gotcha!” True to his word another signed baseball, a pair of batting gloves, and a bat were delivered to the youngster the next day.
He doesn’t take this game for granted at all. “To have this many years in the league is a milestone I didn’t think I’d get to in life, it’s something I cherish a lot,” Buxton reflected on his career during an interview with MLB network. His batting average is going to increase, his defense is spectacular, and he rarely grounds into double plays. Buxton still has a while to go as a big leaguer.
Recent Comments