HEATH BELL: PREPARING TO ENTER THE GAME

Category: Top Stories

The Padres closer shares his tips on getting ready to head to the mound.

It's said that good things come to those who wait. Heath Bell might be the perfect example of this saying.

After pitching in the minor leagues for eight years, and performing some unremarkable work as a middle reliever for the Mets, Bell's career finally blossomed as a set up man for future Hall of Famer Trevor Hoffman in 2007. Two year later, Bell found himself as the Padres' closer and had a break out year. He was named to his first National League All-Star team and finished last season with a league-leading 42 saves.

"If you work hard you can make yourself into something. I kept believing in myself," Bell, 32, told Junior Baseball.

He was drafted after his first year of junior college in 1997 by Tampa Bay in the 69th round but did not sign. After his sophomore year in college, he was not drafted but signed with the New York Mets in 1998 as a non-drafted free agent. Bell began his minor league career in Kingsport, Tenn. in 1998 and worked his way up the ladder, with stops in the Class A South Atlantic League in 1999 in South Carolina, the high Class A Florida State League in 2000, Class AA Binghamton, N.Y. of the Eastern League in 2001 and then Class AAA Norfolk, Va., of the International League in 2002. He spent all of 2003 with Norfolk. 

"I have done everything," Bell recently told Junior Baseball. And his hard work paid off.

After being traded to the Padres, Bell recorded 57 holds as a setup guy from 2007-08 and his 12 wins out of the bullpen tied for second in that category in the National League during that span. The California native then went on to have his breakout year last year.

Bell noted that he has one of the shortest deliveries in the majors as he strides toward the plate with his left leg. He said he has a "herky-jerky" motion that some in the Mets system did not like. But when he came to the Padres, Bell said pitching coach Darren Balsely told one thing: "Do not change a thing. That is you."

Bell said he doesn't hold a grudge against the Mets for trading him.  

"I think it helped my career, for whatever reason. I don't regret my time with New York," he said. "They gave me a shot. I owe the Mets about 90 percent of what I have done. They gave me a chance."

Another benefit for Bell in being traded to San Diego was getting to work behind closer Trevor Hoffman, one of the all-time greats in that role. Bell also got to watch former teammate Greg Maddux, a Cy Young Award winner. 

Bell, who was a starting pitcher in high school, said it takes a lot of patience to be a reliever, and preparation. You have to watch the game closely as you prepare to get ready to pitch. He shared advice on what to do as you get ready to take the mound.

 

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