Batting average .281 Role Baseball player Name Gus Bell | Runs batted in 942 Home runs 206 | |
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Died May 7, 1995, Montgomery, Ohio, United States | ||
Louisville Catholic Sports Hall of Fame - Gus Bell Introduction
David Russell "Gus" Bell, Jr. (November 15, 1928 – May 7, 1995) was an American center and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Pittsburgh Pirates (1950–52), Cincinnati Reds/Redlegs (1953–61), New York Mets (1962) and Milwaukee Braves (1962–64). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.
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Career
A native of Louisville, Kentucky and graduate of Bishop Benedict Joseph Flaget High School, 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, are a pair of infielders.
A four-time All-Star selection, Bell enjoyed his best seasons in 1953, when he hit .300 with 30 home runs and 105 RBI, and 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 1956.
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. Those 1962 Mets lost 120 games, still the most defeats for a Major League team in a single season since the 19th Century.
In a 15-year career, Bell was a .281 hitter with 206 home runs and 942 RBI in 1741 games.
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