Alexei Bell
From BR Bullpen
Alexei Bell Quintero
- Bats Right, Throws Right
- Height 5' 9", Weight 174 lb.
Alexei Bell has emerged as a top Cuban slugger in 2007-2008.
Bell debuted with the Santiago de Cuba Wasps in the 2001-2002 Serie Nacional, hitting .200/.286/.220 only. In 2002-2003, the outfielder batted .237/.318/.355. Bell began hitting well during the 2003-2004 campaign, with a .283/.337/.415 batting line.
In 2004-2005, Bell hit 12 home runs in 65 games and batted .321/.385/.570, continuing to develop. The 21-year-old set up the winning run in the final game of the playoffs with a fly ball to put Héctor Olivera Jr. on third.
Bell hit .322/.401/.523 in 2005-2006 and .355/.450/.544 in 2006-2007. In 2006-2007, he drove in 60 runs in 85 games and was hit by 14 pitches. He scored 75 runs, third in the Serie Nacional, four behind leader Yohenis Cespedes. He tied for 8th in doubles (22), tied for 5th in times hit by pitch, tied Jorge Padron for 6th in batting average and was 4th in slugging percentage. He hit .318 and slugged .636 in the playoffs.
Bell hit .357/~.379/.429 for Cuba in the 2007 World Port Tournament as a member of the "B" national team.
Thanks in part to a new high-octane baseball (the Mizuno 150 from Japan), Bell burst off to an amazing start in 2007-2008, hitting 17 home runs by the half and on pace to challenge the single-season home run record. In the 2008 All-Star Game, he smashed a 3-run first-inning homer off of ERA leader Yulieski González. He kept up his excellence in the second half, setting new league home run and RBI records; Orestes Kindelan had held the record for Cuban leagues (30) and Joan Carlos Pedroso had held the record for a Serie Nacional (28). Bell finished the year with a .355/.453/.722 batting line. He led the league in runs (96), homers (31, 5 ahead of Yohenis Céspedes), total bases (252, 22 ahead of Alfredo Despaigne), RBI (31 ahead of Rolando Meriño) and slugging. He tied for 4th in triples (7), was second in steals (25, trailing José Julio Ruíz) while only being caught stealing four times, was 10th in walks (59) and just missed the top ten in average. He was second in hits, as his 124 were two less than Ruiz. In the playoffs, Bell set a record with three hits in one inning in the semifinals against Villa Clara. In game four of the Santiago de Cuba sweep of the finals, Bell drove in the winning run with a single off of legendary Pedro Luis Lazo to score Hector Olivera Jr.
