MILWAUKEE –– Before the Cincinnati Reds first game against the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers, manager David Bell brought out the lineup card to home plate. He gave a fist bump to the umpires as the names of the starters were announced over the public address.
Then he walked back to the front of the dugout, high-fived a few players and went to the top of the steps for the start of the game. When Bell became the Cincinnati Reds manager in October, 2018, these were the types of series he imagined.
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“It’s why we all do this, me included,” Bell said. “I love the competition. I love being here with and for our players, for our team, doing my part, trying to contribute in any way I can. I enjoy it. These games, this type of atmosphere, when you’re playing meaningful games, that’s what we’re all in this for.”
During 2019, Bell’s first season as a big league manager, the Reds were never over .500 after April 1. The 2020 season featured a 60-game schedule and games played in empty ballparks.
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In 2021, the Reds are 46-42 on July 10, in the mix in the NL Central and playing in packed stadiums. It’s the first time Bell has had that experience at this point of the season during his managerial career.
“Definitely in my role, this is the best,” Bell said. “The games are fun. The challenge of it is incredible, and always makes me, in fact, grateful.”
Players like Nick Castellanos, Jesse Winker, Joey Votto, Luis Castillo and Wade Miley have led the way to the team’s success. Bell has also played his part as the manager. Here’s what some of the Reds said about the ways their third-year manager is making a difference.
Catcher Tucker Barnhart: He has been phenomenal. I’ve known David for a while, and he instills so much confidence in all of us as players and as people. He has created an environment where everybody thoroughly enjoys coming to work every day and gets to be themselves. It’s just been a joy to be a part of. From a personal standpoint, I’m an emotional guy and I play emotionally. Sometimes that’s my best attribute and sometimes it’s my worst. He has helped me find ways to get lost in the game and not really worry about what happened or what’s going to happen. Just be present, and he has helped me a lot in that way.
Catcher Tyler Stephenson: Just his confidence in us, he believes in us and we believe in him. Obviously I’ve had very little time around him, but he has been great. I believe in him. The conversations we have, he really cares about us as individuals.
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First baseman Joey Votto: He’s steady. He always believes in us. He challenges us. He’s easy to play for because you know he has your back. You know you can communicate with him. His office is always open, and he’s pretty steadfast. He’s stubborn, and he’s exactly what a manager needs to be in a good way. He has the team’s ear, guys respect him and guys want to play hard for him.
Shortstop Kyle Farmer: He’s always positive, there’s never one negative thing that comes out of his mouth. Unless he’s arguing with an umpire. He’s a great friend, great manager and a great human being. His positivity and letting us be ourselves is really starting to come through. We’re all buying into everything we’re doing, and David just backs us up. That’s what makes a great manager and a great human being.
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Third baseman Eugenio Suárez: It’s the best. Not only how he manages us, it’s more about how he is in the clubhouse as a person, talking and communicating. Having a guy like him, like he takes care of us and the way he does it, it’s very important to us. I feel thankful because I got one of the best managers in the league. Not only manager, but also as a person.
When I was struggling, he always talked to me, supported me, and gave me really good words. More important to me, he believed in me. That is very good to have a guy like that.
Left fielder Jesse Winker: He’s consistent day in and day out. He’s a players’ coach. He played for a really long time, so he knows what it’s like to be in the trenches. He has got a lot of feel, and he cares about his team. He has got every quality you could ask for as a player in a manager.
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Right fielder Nick Castellanos: He cares a lot about the players. He really wants to be a good manager. He loves what he does.
Starting pitcher Luis Castillo (via translator Jorge Merlos): It’s very important to play for a manager like that. He has been here for a couple years now, and we get a sense of his true leadership. Nothing has ever changed with him, he has been the same person ever since I met him. Everything about him is straightforward, and that’s what I appreciate about him.
Relief pitcher Sean Doolitle: Speaking as a reliever, the communication with the bullpen as far as usage and roles is something that we’ve been working on all year. He goes around before the game every day, finds each one of us and really communicates the potential scenarios (when) they see us coming into the game so that we know what’s going on down there… That’s an example of a manager who really wants his players to feel comfortable so they know how to prepare.
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