The newly acquired Josh Bell is already producing for AA Bowie.
With 3 hits in 6 at-bats last-night, Bell is now 7 for 19 (.368) in his first 6 games in the Eastern League.
While Bell has been in AA all year (previously the Southern League), it is good to see him off to a strong-start in the Orioles organization.
At-times, you forget the players are human, and the experiences they go through with a trade.
Bell’s ordeal was chronicled with Baseball Prospectus:
http://www.baseballprospectus.com/ar…eid=9346#31141
For Bell, it was a mix of emotions. “This is the team that drafted me… the team I’ve been with for four years now. I’ve been around many of my teammates for all of this time, grown up with them, trained with them, made friends, some best friends and now it’s like starting all over again,” said Bell. “It’s uncomfortable when our clients get traded because one of their first thoughts is that they’ll never see any of these people again,” added Kusnick.
The first thing Bell had to do was get back to Chattanooga and pack. As the Lookouts were on the road at the time of the deal’s consummation, he caught a flight the next morning, and had less than a day to gather his belongings from the townhouse he shared with teammate Adam Godwin. “I had pretty much everything I own there,” said Bell. “I filled up two big suitcases and made sure I had my computer, and figured that would be enough for the one month left in the season,” he continued, noting that he left two bags behind that an aunt, who lives a couple hours drive away, will pick up later. “Then I called the landlady and told her this was my final month,” he added.
Finding new roommates is a constant part of being in the minors, be it from trades or promotions, so even though he had nothing to do with the deal, Godwin, and 11th-round pick making a minor league salary, needs to find a new roommate for his final month in the Southern League. As far as moving expenses go, those are on the player as well.One common problem, setting up new living arrangements, won’t be an issue for Bell. Also traded from the Dodgers and assigned to Bowie was right-hander Steven Johnson, a Maryland native who Bell will live with during the season’s final weeks. “It made life substantially easier having him get traded somewhere that he had a built-in roommate and place to live,” Kusnick noted.
Meanwhile, Kusnick began doing the work to get Bell ready for his new organization. “He needed new stuff, obviously, because he can’t wear blue with the Orioles” said Kusnick. “We have a relationship with many companies so we quickly ordered new equipment for him and had it over-nighted so he’d be ready with it day one,” he added. “Players have enough going on with their entire careers suddenly getting turned around, these little things is what we are there for.” As an aside, Josh likes his new colors, saying, “Black and orange… it gets to be Halloween every day.”
Owner
Chris Stoner founded Baltimore Sports and Life in 2009. He has appeared as a radio guest with 1090 WBAL, 105.7 The Fan, CBS 1300, Q1370, WOYK 1350, WKAV 1400, and WNST 1570. He has also been interviewed by The Baltimore Sun, Baltimore Business Journal, and PressBox (TV). As Owner, his responsibilities include serving as the Managing Editor, Publicist, & Sales Director.