Notebook: Twins Community Mourns the Loss of Mike Bell

[Allen Post]

It was a sorrowful day in Twins Territory and around baseball, as Twins bench coach Mike Bell passed away this afternoon. On the field, the Twins dropped a close one to Atlanta.

Mike Bell, 1974-2021

The Twins announced today in an official statement that bench coach Mike Bell passed away this afternoon at the age of 46 after a six-week battle with kidney cancer. Bell spent 28 years in and around Major League Baseball as a player, coach, and player development expert. Bell’s tenure with the Twins was short – he joined the team prior to the 2020 season – but, by all accounts, he became a valuable and well-loved member of the coaching staff immediately. Dave St. Peter, Derek Falvey, and Rocco Baldelli each spoke of Bell’s importance to the club today.

Mike Bell was from one of America’s greatest baseball families with his grandfather Gus, father Buddy, and brother David all having lengthy careers around the game. Mike was a baseball lifer in his own right, and surely would have contributed a lot more to the sport had cancer not taken his life so early.

Tonight’s Spring Training game went forward as scheduled at the request of the Bell family and in honor of Mike. Both teams stood on the foul lines for a moment of silence before the game, and Bell’s #36 Twins jerseys were hung up in the Twins’ dugout. Also, Miguel Sanó, who was especially touched by Bell, was one of a few players to write his own tribute on the side of his hat:

We at Twins Daily join the Twins organization and the baseball world in offering our condolences to the Bell family and all that were close to Mike.

Final: Twins 6, Braves 7

Box Score ǀ Savant

Twins Takeaways

Standout Pitcher: Kenta Maeda (4 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 4 K)

Standout Hitter: Miguel Sanó (1-2, BB, 1 very large HR)

Fastest Pitch: Tyler Duffey (92.4 MPH)

Max Exit Velocity: Miguel Sanó (110.7 MPH)

Twins Blast Five Solo Homers, Ninth Inning Rally Comes Up Short

If the Twins had any runners on for tonight’s five home runs this game would’ve been a blowout victory. But they didn’t, so they lost in a close one. Kyle Garlick, Willians Astudillo, Sanó, Jose Miranda, and David Banuelos each had a solo shot, and, until Aaron Sabato’s RBI single in the ninth, the homers represented all of the Twins’ runs. Sanó’s dinger was especially impressive as it traveled 458 feat and left the bat at a whopping 110.7 MPH. 

In the bottom of the ninth, after the Braves were erroneously given an insurance run on a tight play at the plate, the Twins, with one run already in, had the bases loaded with two out and Banuelos at the plate. However, 22-year-old Freddy Tarnok pumped three 96+ MPH fastballs past the young Twins catcher to finish the game with a resounding strikeout.

Maeda Effective, Happ Much Less So

With less than a week until he takes the mound on Opening Day, Kenta Maeda left little doubt that he’s locked in. Last season’s Cy Young runner-up sprinkled three hits over four scoreless innings and struck out four Braves. With his spring work likely finished, Maeda Grapefruit League numbers are a sight to behold – he’s allowed only one run on only eight hits in 18 1/3 innings with 22 strikeouts. It’s safe to say the Twins’ ace is ready to go.

However, with just over a week until J.A. Happ is scheduled to make his first start, the Twins’ fourth starter got roughed up. Happ allowed five earned runs over 3 2/3 innings and had trouble avoiding hard contact throughout his outing. Happ entered spring camp late due to his bout with COVID-19 and has struggled on the mound. If the Twins decide he isn’t quite ready to go next week, Randy Dobnak should have no problem taking his spot for this first time through the rotation.

Tomorrow: Rays at Twins, 12:05 CST, Glasnow vs. Thorpe

Around the League

• Casey Mize, baseball’s 11th best prospect according to MLB.com, will make the Opening Day rotation with the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers won’t be good or particularly interesting in 2021, but every fifth day, it’ll be worth tuning in to watch Mize.
• Two-time All Star Todd Frazier opted out of his deal with the Pirates and will become a free agent. The corner infielder produced at a high level this spring and will look for a better deal elsewhere.
• MLB’s COVID-19 testing remains good. This weeks round of tests saw four new positive tests out of 13,978 tests for a 0.03% positive rate.

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[h2oface]

My bet is it's not COVID. It's 38 and Happless. Cringed at the signing. Still cringing. That was relentless and ugly. Still. Happless.

[jimbo92107]

Opposite reaction to J.A. Happ's outing. I was actually impressed. He was getting hammered, but clearly it wasn't bothering him. He was simply throwing pitches, then observing where they wound up in and around the zone. His intention, according to a couple of very good Twins ex-pitchers (Santana and Hawkins), was to gather information, make some corrections, then be ready for the season.

 

If Happ is that cool a customer, he may well be a very solid pitcher. Supporting evidence: After getting hammered like that, a rookie usually would get wild, start firing fastballs like a bad shotgun. Happ continued to throw his low-zone sliders and changes. No apparent deviation from the plan. Conclusion: He didn't care about the game's outcome. He was using the hitters for pitching practice. Yet another reason for fans to discount the results of spring training games. Sometimes a pitcher really is just sharpening his tools. 

[shimrod]

 I think we'd all prefer to see him sharpening pitches that are less hittable. 

[big dog]

I listened to the Baltimore game last week when he got roughed up a bit. The Oriole announcers said he was pretty clearly just working on hitting specific spots. They made it sound like he wasn't getting hammered, he was just doing what he thought he needed to work on and if the Orioles hit him, so be it. Hopefully he's getting ready.

 

And I wouldn't be disappointed to see the Dobber get a chance either.

[ashbury]

I listened to the Baltimore game last week when he got roughed up a bit. The Oriole announcers said he was pretty clearly just working on hitting specific spots. They made it sound like he wasn't getting hammered, he was just doing what he thought he needed to work on and if the Orioles hit him, so be it. Hopefully he's getting ready.

"Hitting specific spots" seems like something that can be done in drills, and doesn't require an opposing batter to stand there and swing (or not swing). If he's not ready to actually pitch, so be it, he got a late start; but give the innings to someone who is actually ready.

 

[ashbury]

"Hitting specific spots" seems like something that can be done in drills, and doesn't require an opposing batter to stand there and swing (or not swing). If he's not ready to actually pitch, so be it, he got a late start; but give the innings to someone who is actually ready.

Upon second reading, I guess I want to complete my thought by saying that this reductio ad absurdum leads me to think that Happ was actually doing more than just "hitting spots" that the other team's announcer was saying. I would hope.

[Trov]

I take little stock in what vet pitchers do in ST both good and bad.  If you know you are going to make the team many players will just work on things and not care about results.  Lets wait and see what the regular season brings before we are ready to release Happ.  He is slotted as 4th starter too, not like we are hoping he would step in to be a top guy. 

[jmlease1]

what a shame about Mike Bell. That's just horrible and tragic. Seems appropriate that they played the game, though, considering what a baseball family he was part of and the baseball lifer he was.

 

Gotta say, that news makes it a little harder to give a crap whether JA Happ is ready/not ready, washed up/doing veteran pitching things, or any of it.

 

RIP, Mike Bell.

[tarheeltwinsfan]

RIP Mike Bell. Prayers for hius  family and friends.

[Doctor Gast]

Sano's HR is a great tribute to Mike. It'd be better if they'd won but sei le vie (pardon my terrible French). My opinion is still, we need at least 2 long relievers 3 would be better. I'm afraid that our BP could easily be over worked under these circumstances. A long reliever can take the place of 2 or 3 short.

[Squirrel]

Sano's HR is a great tribute to Mike. It'd be better if they'd won but sei le vie (pardon my terrible French). My opinion is still, we need at least 2 long relievers 3 would be better. I'm afraid that our BP could easily be over worked under these circumstances. A long reliever can take the place of 2 or 3 short.

 

 

(for future reference, it’s c’est la vie )

[DocBauer]

Just horrible news for the entire Bell family. Cancer is never a thing to be taken lightly, but I sure thought from the initial reports this was something they had addressed and he had a hopeful prognosis. Love and prayers for the entire Bell family!

 

As far as the game and Happ, meh, he's behind schedule and trying to ramp up as quickly as be can. I refuse to not be concerned but I recognize it's early for him, he has a couple more starts to go, and a lot of times veteran arms like Happ ARE just getting in innings and working on things. We've all seen veteran guys just turn on a switch when the season starts and they suddenly look like themselves. Will that happen here? No way to know. But having Dobber ready to go if he needs a little more time or needs a piggyback is quite the luxury.

[h2oface]

 

Opposite reaction to J.A. Happ's outing. I was actually impressed. He was getting hammered, but clearly it wasn't bothering him. He was simply throwing pitches, then observing where they wound up in and around the zone. His intention, according to a couple of very good Twins ex-pitchers (Santana and Hawkins), was to gather information, make some corrections, then be ready for the season.

 

If Happ is that cool a customer, he may well be a very solid pitcher. Supporting evidence: After getting hammered like that, a rookie usually would get wild, start firing fastballs like a bad shotgun. Happ continued to throw his low-zone sliders and changes. No apparent deviation from the plan. Conclusion: He didn't care about the game's outcome. He was using the hitters for pitching practice. Yet another reason for fans to discount the results of spring training games. Sometimes a pitcher really is just sharpening his tools. 

 

 

You are so kind. 

I now totally despise him.

He cost me $20. to a Braves fan friend. Maeda on the mound.... and then that crap.  

I bet he doesn't make it much past the all-star break, if not before.

Those tools didn't get any sharper as the outing went on, if that was what he was doing.

38 and cooked.

[jimbo92107]

 

You are so kind. 

I now totally despise him.

He cost me $20. to a Braves fan friend. Maeda on the mound.... and then that crap.  

I bet he doesn't make it much past the all-star break, if not before.

Those tools didn't get any sharper as the outing went on, if that was what he was doing.

38 and cooked.

Yikes, you bet $20 bucks on a 38 year old pitcher? 

Another twenty reasons not to bet on sports...

Okay, where are those little emoticons...

 <--- there's where you put that money!

[h2oface]

 

Yikes, you bet $20 bucks on a 38 year old pitcher? 

Another twenty reasons not to bet on sports...

Okay, where are those little emoticons...

 <--- there's where you put that money!

 

I didn't know at the time Happless would be after Maeda! I was goaded into it.

[big dog]

 

Upon second reading, I guess I want to complete my thought by saying that this reductio ad absurdum leads me to think that Happ was actually doing more than just "hitting spots" that the other team's announcer was saying. I would hope.

All I know is what I hear on the radio. It sounded like kind of a weird thing to say. It sounded to me like the announcer thought Happ was throwing the pitches that were called and the Orioles were getting batting practice.

[big dog]

 

 

Yikes, you bet $20 bucks on a 38 year old pitcher? 

Another twenty reasons not to bet on sports...

Okay, where are those little emoticons...

 <--- there's where you put that mone

in a spring training game???

[ashbury]

All I know is what I hear on the radio. It sounded like kind of a weird thing to say. It sounded to me like the announcer thought Happ was throwing the pitches that were called and the Orioles were getting batting practice.

Either the announcer was being nice, or else the guy in the control booth was in his ear telling him dead air was unacceptable so just say something.

 

[big dog]

 

Either the announcer was being nice, or else the guy in the control booth was in his ear telling him dead air was unacceptable so just say something.
 

Sorry that a quote from a radio announcer has you so perturbed. They must be working on their deliveries as well.

 

Haven't we heard about pitchers using spring training games to work on location many times before? It was his second appearance. The way it was worded was kind of strange, but that's what I took it to mean. Anyway, I have no idea if Happ is going to be a decent #4 or not, but I hope (and expect) that the Dobber gets a chance and does well.

[TouchEmAllGuy]

RIP to Mike Bell. So sad and tragic