San Francisco Giants manager Gabe Kapler talked with a few of his coaches before Monday's series opener against the Cincinnati Reds about finding a way to express their condolences to David Bell after his brother, Mike, died of cancer on March 26.
The Giants had LaMonte Wade Jr. join Kapler for the lineup card exchange and met Bell at home plate before Monday's game. Wade played for the Minnesota Twins last year and Mike Bell was the team's bench coach.
Wade embraced David Bell with a hug and told him how much he appreciated his late brother.
"That was incredible," Bell said. "What an unbelievable gesture, a gesture by LaMonte and Gabe and the Giants. All I could say is how much it meant to me and to our family. Just another sign, another example of the people that Mike touched. I mean, I was blown away. I shouldn’t be at this point because people have been incredible. The support has been just unbelievable and it’s helped us so much.
"I shouldn’t have been surprised, but man, what a surprise and what an unbelievable gesture. Something that they didn’t have to do. And to hear the things that he had to say was just a bit overwhelming, but so appreciated. It just helps so much."
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Mike Bell was 46. He played in 19 big-league games, all with the Reds in 2000. He was a longtime farm director for the Arizona Diamondbacks before he was hired as the Twins' bench coach prior to the 2020 season.
What did Wade say to David Bell?
"It was just how much Mike meant, how he had gotten to know him, and how much he loved and appreciated Mike," Bell said. "He just wanted to personally express his condolences to me and our family. Gabe did the same and the umpires did the same.
"It’s incredible. Like I said, again, I was blown away by the love. Just the people in baseball, it’s a pretty close family throughout baseball, but this has been ... obviously, I’ve never been through anything like this, but it just says so much about people and it says a lot about Mike, of course."
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The Arizona Diamondbacks paid tribute to Mike Bell during their first home game of the season, which was against the Reds last Friday, with a pre-game moment of silence. Mike Bell's wife, Kelly, and their three children attended the game. Buddy Bell, the father of Mike and David, and a member of the Reds front office, was also at the game.
"We thought it was a good idea given the fact that LaMonte knew David’s brother, Mike, and we thought he could share some thoughts with David," Kapler said. "He did. I think David was appreciative and we both expressed condolences."
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