George Bell
Hailing from the Dominican Republic's baseball hotbed, San Pedro de Macoris, George Bell became a slugger for the Toronto Blue Jays in the 1980s. He hit 20 or more homers wight times, peaking with 47 in 1987 when he won the American League Most Valuable Player Award. A three-time All-Star, Bell teamed with Llotd Moseby and Jesse Barfield on one of the best outfields in history.
Played For
Toronto Blue Jays (1981-1990)
Chicago Cubs (1991)
Chicago White Sox (1992-1993)
Best Season: 1987
The league-leading 47 homers and 134 RBI won him the MVP trophy, but his 2-for-26 performance in the last seven games of the season (all losses) led to Toronto's loss of the AL East title.
Where He Played
Left field and DH. He was a pretty poor left fielder, though his arm wasn't that bad. He was a drafted originally as a shortstop.
Born
George Antonio (Mathey) Bell was born on October 21, 1959, in San Pedro de Macoris
Batted: Right
Threw: Right
Primary Position: OF
Primary Team: TOR
Major League Debut
April 9, 1981
Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1981
Cal Ripken Jr.
Gary Gaetti
Chili Davis
Brett Butler
Ryne Sandberg
Steve Bedrosian
Tom Brunansky
Kent Hrbek
Steve Sax
Nicknames
Liberty
Similar Players
Vic Wertz
Related Players
Lloyd Moseby and Jesse Barfield... Bell beat out Alan Trammell for the '87 AL Most Valuable Player Award
| Hall of Fame Voting |
| Year |
Election |
Votes |
Pct |
| 1999 |
BBWAA |
6 |
1.2% |
|
Post-Season Appearances
1985 American League Championship Series
1989 American League Championship Series
Awards and Honors
1987 AL MVP
Hitting Streaks
22 games (1989)
Transactions
March 7, 1978: Signed by the Philadelphia Phillies as an amateur free agent.
December 8, 1980: Drafted by the Toronto Blue Jays from the Philadelphia Phillies in the 1980 rule V draft.
November 5, 1990: Granted Free Agency.
December 6, 1990: Signed as a Free Agent with the Chicago Cubs.
March 30, 1992: Traded by the Chicago Cubs to the Chicago White Sox for Sammy Sosa and Ken Patterson.
October 13, 1993: Released by the Chicago White Sox.
All-Star Selections
1987 AL
1990 AL
1991 NL
Best Strength as a Player
Power
Largest Weakness as a Player
Clutch hitting. In the 19 biggest games of his career (post-season and the last seven games of the '87 season), Bell produced four RBI.
Learn More about George Bell
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