Pirates slugger Josh Bell's offseason workouts paying immediate dividends

By Bob Nightengale
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2019/05/20/pirates-josh-bell-breakout-star/3738862002/
May 20, 2019


(Charles LeClaire/USA Today Sports)

It’s like vacationing in Paris without seeing the Eiffel Tower, traveling to San Francisco without seeing the Golden Gate Bridge, or traveling to the Grand Canyon, without, well, looking into the canyon.

Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Josh Bell, a Texas native, spent his entire past winter in Newport Beach, California ... and never went to the beach.

Snubbed the nightclubs.

Skipped the fine dining.

Oh, but he can tell you all about the batting cages, workout facilities, practice fields and health-food spots in Southern California.

“I didn’t go there on vacation,’’ Bell told USA TODAY Sports. “I went there for work.’’

And he returned to the Pirates from his four-month Southern California excursion as a completely changed player.

A year ago, he was labeled as a one-year wonder, changing his batting stance more often than his socks. He set a National League rookie record for a switch hitter with 26 homers in 2017, only to see his power-game vanish last year – his homers plummeted to 12 while his RBI totals dropped from 90 to 62. He was treated as if he lip-synched his rookie year with an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated calling him a virtual fraud. He was also informed by the Pirates that unless he showed dramatic improvement, he could be spending the season as a platoon player.

Today, Bell is one of the most feared hitters in the game and a legitimate MVP contender. He enters the Pirates’ homestand Tuesday hitting .333 with 14 home runs and tied for the major-league lead with 44 RBI and league-leading 30 extra-base hits. It’s the most homers by a Pirates’ player in the first 44 games since Willie Stargell in 1973, the most extra-base hits since Paul Waner in 1932, and tied for the third-most RBI in franchise history.

Bell, who hit .442 with five homers on the Pirates’ grueling 11-game trip without an off-day, has three multi-homer games in the last two weeks alone. His 1.101 OPS ranks behind only Cody Bellinger of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Christian Yelich of the Milwaukee Brewers.

“We’ve never seen him like this,’’ Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “Really, we haven’t seen anybody like this in a Pittsburgh uniform in quite awhile.’’

No one, not Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente or Stargell has ever had a start like this in Pittsburgh. He may still be 6-foot-4, and 240 pounds of muscle, but looking deep inside his soul, he’s a changed man.

“I saw him in Newport Beach in the off-season,’’ Pirates starter Joe Musgrove said, “and you could just see the look in his eyes, that demeanor. He wasn’t going out partying or doing any of that kind of stuff in the offseason.

‘We talked about it, and he knew there were a lot of expectations and a lot of pressure for him to come out and have a big year, and he embraced it. He said, 'I know what’s expected of me. I had a monster year my rookie year, and I don’t want last year’s season to define me as a person and who I am as a player.'

“To see what he’s done, pretty impressive man.’’

The simple narrative would be that Bell wanted to stick it to that anonymous scout, who belittled him in the Sports Illustrated season preview.

It would seem to be the natural driving force for Bell’s phenomenal start, but there’s one little problem.

He never read the article.

Sure, he heard about it later from friends and family, but it actually never bothered him, and certainly never motivated him.

“I feel like everybody is entitled to their opinions,’’ Bell flatly said. “Last year was pretty bad. So, whoever he is, he had a right to say what he said. I’m sure my family was more ticked than I was.

“I’m pretty even-keeled when it comes to stuff like that. I’m just happy to be proving him and others wrong.’’

There was no smirk. No hint of a smile. No sneer. Nothing.

Then again, if you know Bell, it comes as no surprise, with a DNA that has made him perhaps the most popular player among his teammates, who have never seen him distraught, or even rattled.

“He is just so focused on the present,’’ Pirates starter Chris Archer said, “nothing bothers him. I remember the first time we met was at the All-Star game in Cincinnati in 2015. I made the All-Star team and he was in Class A playing in the Futures Game. I go up to him one night and say, 'Hey, nice to meet you dude. When are you going to get to The Show?’

“He says,'I don’t know. I’m just trying to be in the moment. How about you? When are you going to The Show?’

“He had no idea who I was, or that I was an All-Star. He thought I played for the World Team. I think he thought I was Latin or something.

“But that’s him. He’s still the same way. Nothing has changed. He’s always looking for ways to improve, and not focused on other people’s opinions or outside influences.’’“But that’s him. He’s still the same way. Nothing has changed. He’s always looking for ways to improve, and not focused on other people’s opinions or outside influences.’’

The problem a year ago was that Bell perhaps was looking for too many ways to improve. He couldn’t even keep up with his own batting stances and different approaches. One day he was trying to be a power-hitter. The next, a contact hitter. He wanted to drive the ball some weeks, and simply get on base other days.

“I needed to have a moment with him last year,’’ Hurdle said. “He was changing, but not committing to anything. It wasn’t like he was chasing a hit, but in essence, it was chasing stances to find a hit or power.

I told him, ‘You need to give me two core convictions that you believe in that are going to make you a successful hitter. I’m going to give you some time to think about it.'’’

Bell spent four days soul searching, talking to coaches, teammates, friends and family. He sat down with David Freese, the Pirates’ veteran clubhouse leader before being traded to the Dodgers. Freese suggested getting away, starting over, and having a complete make-over in almost complete privacy.

“He wanted me to listen to my own voice, and start growing,’’ Bell said. “I was in a place where I wasn’t having success on a nightly basis, and he said, 'Hey man, if you want to change some things up, go out to Southern California. You’re going to work your tail off, you’re going to eat clean, and you’re pretty going to grow the way you want.'’’

Said Freese: “Everybody was telling him what he should do, but he had to identify what was best for him. He had to be himself and do what he thought was right. He had so much talent, but he had a bullseye on his back. Those first few years are trying years, some guys make it. A lot don’t.’’


(Kamil Krzacynski/UPI)

Bell contacted his agent, Scott Boras, told him he was coming to work out at his facility for the winter, and sought recommendations for a personal hitting instructor. He was introduced over the telephone to Joe DeMarco, a former Big 12 batting champion, minor-league player and coach at Kansas and the University of California Irvine. They talked for the first time on Oct. 9. They began working together Oct. 10. And, except for a 10-day stretch during the Christmas holidays, never stopped.

“If you could spend every day with this man,’’ DeMarco said, “you’d see why he’s doing what he’s doing. His work ethic was unreal. He has insane mindset and preparation. He’s such a good athlete, but he was in Defcon 4, just fighting himself instead of letting his body get in better position.

“It was like having a Harley, but he was on a kickstand. We had to let this Harley run.’’

The two broke down old video, going back to even his Class AAA days when he was the Pirates’ minor-league player of the year. They adjusted his stance, standing taller in the box instead of being so spread out at the plate, giving his bat path more freedom and space, enabling him to dictate the rhythm and pace of his at-bats. Slowly, Bell started to believe in the adjustment himself, and new Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein came to see the new approach, while assistant hitting coach Jacob Cruz voiced his approval.

Now, two months into the season, Bell can hardly believe the results himself. He’s on pace to hit 52 homers and drive in 162 runs, with five of his homers this season traveling at least 450 feet.

“It feels like I’m living a dream,’’ Bell said. “It’s awesome.’’

Oh, and that anonymous talent-evaluator who ridiculed Bell, believing he would never get better?

Nothing but silence.

“I’m excited to show that whoever that guy is,’’ Bell said, “and most important, my friends, my family and my pops who watch every game, that my hard work is paying off.’’

And everyone in baseball, from the beer vendors at Busch Stadium to Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo to the cooks at the Petco Park taco stands, all took notice on Bell’s glorious road trip.

“He’s turning into a superstar in this league,’’ Lovullo said, “right before our eyes.’’

The Pirates, who have gone 45 years without having a player hit 40 homers in a season, finally have that star slugger again,

“Good for him,’’ Freese said. “Good for the city. Good for the organization. Good for all of Pittsburgh. They need a guy like him.’’

The Pirates have gone 27 years without winning a division title and 40 years without a World Series, and if anything is ever going to change, they’ll need Bell in the middle of the renaissance.

“This is a bell that’s going to ring loudly,’’ Boras said, “and it will ring with eloquence.’’

Follow Nightengale on Twitter @BNightengale