Jay Bell

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Jay Bell (born December 11, 1965) is a former American MLB shortstop and coach. He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians (1986–1988), Pittsburgh Pirates (1989–1996), Kansas City Royals (1997), Arizona Diamondbacks (1998–2002), and New York Mets (2003). He batted and threw right-handed.

Bell debuted with the Indians in 1986 and played his final game with the Mets in 2003. He was a two-time All-Star (1993, 1999) and won a Gold Glove at shortstop in 1993, ending a long streak of honors by Ozzie Smith. He was part of the Diamondbacks’ 2001 World Series championship team and was the winning run in Game 7, reaching base on a ninth-inning bunt before Luis Gonzalez’s walk-off hit.

Born in Eglin, Florida, Bell played high school baseball at J.M. Tate High School in Cantonment. He was a first-round pick by the Minnesota Twins in 1984, but struggled in the minors before being traded to the Indians. In his first major-league at-bat, he hit a homer off Bert Blyleven. Bell was known for his defense and strong knowledge of hitters, and he was also a master at bunting. He later moved from shortstop to second base, where he powered up his home run totals.

After retiring as a player, Bell became a coach. He served as bench coach for the Cincinnati Reds and worked with the New Zealand national team in the 2013 World Baseball Classic qualifiers. He held various coaching and managerial roles in the minor leagues, including with the Pirates and Reds organizations, and with the Yankees and Diamondbacks affiliates. In 2020 he became manager of the Rocket City Trash Pandas, the Angels’ Double-A team, a role he held through 2021. In 2025 he was named manager of the Karachi Monarchs in Baseball United. Bell lives with his family in Phoenix and Tampa, and Phoenix has a Jay Bell Field named in his honor.