Bell hopes to make noise in late innings
By: DAN HAYES - Staff Writer | ∞
PEORIA, Ariz. ---- Padres reliever Heath Bell has lofty goals for his return to San Diego.
The Oceanside-born pitcher envisions himself a setup guy or a closer in the majors. After bouncing around the New York Mets organization for nine years, Bell feels he has a fresh start after he was acquired in a November trade.
And if he's as poised as he is confident, you might see Bell at the back of the bullpen soon enough.
"I came over here to be a seventh- or eighth-inning guy," Bell said. "That's initially what I want to do. I closed pretty much my whole career in the minors. And I'd really like to close. To be a setup for Trevor (Hoffman), one of the best closers of all time, that's what I'm fighting for."
Scott Linebrink, Cla Meredith and a handful of other relief pitchers might say something about that. But Bell ---- who lived in Oceanside until he was 7 ---- wants to prove he has a lot to offer and that the Mets will see their mistake in dealing him and Royce Ring for Ben Johnson and Jon Adkins on Nov. 15.
After racking up 108 saves and posting a 3.17 ERA in the minors, the 29-year-old Bell has mostly been a mop-up guy in the majors. Bell entered 10 of his final 11 games in 2006 with the Mets trailing. He finished with a 5.11 ERA, but struck out 35 hitters in 37 innings pitched.
"I'm not a three- or four-inning guy," Bell said. "I'm a guy who can come in seven straight days and give you an inning. I'm excited about the opportunity here because I'm not labeled one bit."
Stuff has never been the question for Bell. The 6-foot-3 pitcher, who was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mets in 1998, owns a 98 mph fastball and has a good off-speed pitch.
"He has a good arm, a good power slider and good deception," pitching coach and Mt. Carmel High alumnus Darren Balsley said. "Hitters don't get a real good look at his pitches."
Manager Bud Black and his staff are enjoying what they've seen in the first week of spring training. Black said Bell is throwing low, hard and with confidence.
Now, he needs to take the next step.
"There's no denying his stuff," Black said. "The velocity is there and his secondary pitches are solid. For him, it's a matter of putting them all together and getting that consistency."
Bell just wants a consistent role. During his first two seasons in the Mets organization, Bell saved 48 games. His consistent numbers continued and he finally reached New York in 2004, when he had a 3.33 ERA and 27 strikeouts in 24 1/3 innings pitched.
But his role constantly changed in 2005, and Bell struggled to a 5.59 ERA.
"With the Mets, you weren't going to pitch for seven or eight days, and then you were going to pitch three innings," Bell said. "In the minors, I was pitching every third day. It was almost like I went to the majors to sit."
Ring, who has been Bell's roommate with the Mets, at Triple-A Norfolk and again in Peoria, saw the entire scenario.
"He was a bottom of the bullpen kind of guy," Ring said. "They'd run him out there for two or three innings. Most of the time, the first two innings he'd do real well and the third inning, he'd gas out a little and give up two or three hits."
Black thinks Bell's role will be more defined in San Diego. But he's happy with the versatility he offers.
"The thing I like about Heath is he has closed games before," Black said. "He has pitched in a setup role and in middle relief. He understands a lot of what it takes to do many of those roles. But for us initially ---- and these things can change based on performance ---- he's in the group of guys who's going to pitch in the middle of the game prior to the back end of the bullpen."
If it's defined, Bell is all for it.
"I really think this is my year to shine because I'm with a team that wants me," Bell said. "I'm going to have a job here. I'm going to have a role.
"I'm going to be part of a team."
Contact staff writer Dan Hayes at dhayes@nctimes.com.
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