Cincinnati Reds name David Bell as new manager

The Cincinnati Reds have found their new manager. David Bell will be the 63rd manager in the history of the Reds franchise.

The Cincinnati Reds have their new skipper. David Bell was named the new manager of the ballclub on Sunday and an introductory press conference is scheduled for 11:00 AM ET on Monday at Great American Ball Park. Bell is a Cincinnati-native and a graduate of Moeller High School.

Bell, 46, has been around the game for a long time. His grandfather, Gus Bell, played outfield for the Reds from 1953-61 and went to four All-Star Games. His father, Buddy Bell, played 19 years in the Majors, including a four-year stint with the Reds from 1985-88. Buddy, who currently serves in a front office role with the Reds, also managed for nine years in the big leagues.

Cincinnati will be the first opportunity for David Bell to manage at the Major League level. Bell had previously spent time (2008-11) as a manager for the Carolina Mudcats and Louisville Bats, both of whom were minor league affiliates of the Cincinnati Reds.

Bell has spent the last several years with many different, successful organizations around Major League Baseball. He was the third base coach of the Chicago Cubs during the 2013 season. Bell was then named hitting coach of the St. Louis Cardinals the following year and was the Cardinals bench coach from 2015-2017 under manager Mike Matheny. This past season, Bell was the vice president of player development for the San Francisco Giants.

David Bell played 12 seasons in the Majors and was a career .257 hitter. Bell played for six different franchises with his best season coming in 2004 as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies. Bell is a member of one of the five families to have three generations of Major League players.

It took several weeks, 12 candidates, and multiple interviews, but the Cincinnati Reds finally have their guy to lead this team going into next season and beyond. Bell signed a three-year contract that runs through the 2021 season with a club option for 2022.