Why Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo added Reds' David Bell to All-Star coaching staff
Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo invited David Bell to his 2024 All-Star Game coaching staff, showing his respect for both he and his brother.
That is because while Lovullo clearly respects Bell — who is the manager of the Cincinnati Reds — that is not the only reason Lovullo felt compelled to make this decision. Lovullo also is particularly fond of Bell because of his relationship with Mike Bell, the brother of David Bell and the DBacks farm director from 2011-2019. He even managed DBacks minor league affiliates in the Yakima Bears (2007) and Visalia Rawhide from (2008-09).
Mike Bell passed away in March of 2021 from kidney cancer, after leaving the DBacks organization to join the Minnesota Twins in 2020 as their bench coach. Lovullo told Steve Gilbert of MLB.com that he "wanted to honor Mike the best way" he could.
“His brother Mike ran our player development for a number of years, and he has relationships with just about all the young players you're watching on the baseball field perform at a high level,” Lovullo said to Gilbert. “And I just wanted to honor Mike the best way I could. It just made so much sense for me personally, and professionally, to ask David to join us. And it's an honor for me to have him and be able to share with the world this great baseball story. This is a great moment for baseball and it'll be a lot of fun for me to sit next to him [in the dugout] and tap into the Bell family a little bit more.”
Beyond the connection with Mike Bell, Lovullo also knew David Bell due to the two playing together in 1995 with the Buffalo Bisons. The Bisons were the the then-Cleveland Indians Triple-A affiliate.
David Bell went on to play Major League Baseball for 12 years after that. Lovullo was in the middle of an eight-year major league career.
Lovullo was only permitted to add one other coach to his All-Star staff beyond the members of the DBacks staff that were to accompany him, an honor for the DBacks' having won the 2023 National League pennant. Gilbert reports that Lovullo knew David Bell would be the one he would ask before spring training even started this year, but he waited to ask him until they were face-to-face when the two squads faced off in the Cactus League.
“It's especially meaningful because of Mike,” Bell said. “Mike and I spoke a lot, and I feel like I know people throughout this organization probably a lot better than I do. And Torey and Mike had a close relationship. I know the impact he had on you and the impact you had on him. It was a very close relationship. So that's why this is so meaningful to me. The relationships that Mike had throughout this organization meant so much to him. So to be able to do this with Torey, it just means so much to me and my family.”
The DBacks (21-23) are 5-1 against the Reds (19-25) this season. This is David Bell's sixth season as manager of the Reds.
His father is Buddy Bell, who is a six-time Gold Glove winner and five-time All-Star. Per Gilbert, Buddy Bell was a mentor for Lovullo. Buddy Bell managed in the big leagues for nine seasons.
This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Adding David Bell to All-Star staff was important for Torey Lovullo
