Although baseball has always been Billy Wayne Bell’s favorite sport, football was a very close second. Then again, when you’re a native Texan, a love of football is expected.
And if not for a Matt Cassell-like role for Bell in high school, the decision as to which sport to pursue in college might have been more difficult for the Portland Sea Dogs outfielder.
“I was a cornerback and backup quarterback. I backed up J.P. Losman, who went to Tulane,” said Bell, who has gone by his nickname “Bubba” since childhood, when his father started calling him that because it “sounded like a baseball player’s name.”
Losman broke lots of records at Tulane, was a 2004 NFL first-round draft pick, and has been a quarterback for the Buffalo Bills for the last five seasons. Bell set a couple records at Nicholls (Louisiana) State University, was a 2005 42nd-round Major League Baseball draft pick, and has been a minor league outfielder for the Boston Red Sox the last five years.
“I don’t think I took more than five or six snaps my senior year, but I really enjoyed going after people and hitting people at cornerback,” said Bell, who was born in Houston and now lives in Paris. “Baseball’s always been my first love, and I’ll admit I’ve always wanted, for one game, to be able to run out onto the field at the University of Texas or other big-time school and feel that adrenaline rush, but I feel like I’ve picked the right career.”
It’s tough to dispute that statement, given his current statistics. The extremely versatile outfielder is having a solid season at bat with a .288 average (through Thursday), four home runs, 15 RBIs and five stolen bases to go with nine doubles and a triple.
“My numbers aren’t exactly what they could be right now,” the 26-year-old Bell said. “I’ve been hitting the ball really well, but it’s not always falling in.
“I’m trying to put up numbers that may be a little unrealistic. I think if I stay where I am, things will work out.”
Bell may have high expectations, but given his injury-plagued pro career so far, it’s understandable.
“That’s been my M.O. is not being able to stay healthy all year,” Bell explained.
In 2007, he missed almost a month with an injured quadriceps muscle. Last year, he started the season with an ankle injury and then a stress fracture in his left femur ended his season after 79 games.
“It started out as a little bit of pain in my leg and I tried to rest and play through it for another week or so, but finally when I was limping getting out of bed, I went to our trainer,” he said. “In November, I was completely cleared and I spent the rest of the offseason rehabbing. Mid-February was when I first started feeling like I could step on the gas.”
Bell, who has good speed, is just trying to become more aggressive on the basepaths.
“Running is fairly natural for me, but sometimes I don’t trust myself as far as running the bases,” he said. “I really need to feel my legs underneath me, get out to a good jump and steal bases. “This year I’ve been able to get out and run more.”
He’s doing plenty of that in the outfield, and not just while trying to track down sinking liners and warning-track shots. Bell has also been running from one position to another.
“When we were in New Britain last week, I played left field, right, center and right over four consecutive days, so I got a lot of different looks from a lot of different places,” he said. “It’s kind of been a work in progress for me, but I feel very comfortable in any of those positions. I think that’s a big plus for me.”
Bell, who calls himself a “five-tool” player (batting average, power, running speed, fielding and arm strength), says being adept at several positions can only help his chances for promotion to Triple-A or the bigs.
“None of my tools are spectacular, but I do have all five and can get the job done,” he said. “I think the biggest thing by far is realizing you’re not on your own timetable.
“Everybody wants to get to the big leagues real quick, but some guys have to take different paths. As soon as you figure out you’re on the organization’s timetable and just enjoy what you’re doing at whatever level you’re at, the easier it is.
“It’s going to happen for me. It’s just a matter of when.”
Catching on with Sea Dogs
Fans will be allowed to play catch on Hadlock Field before the start of Portland’s 1 p.m. Monday game against Connecticut. The field will open at 10 a.m. and remain open for fans until 11:30 a.m. The first 500 children who go on the field will receive Sea Dogs logo baseballs. Fans must provide their own gloves.