For Father's Sake

Josh Bell, The Orioles' Third Baseman Of The Future, Persevered Through His Dad's Death And Honors The Man Who Sacrificed To Put Him On Road To The Majors

It's not the number of tattoos.

It's not the profound message attached to those lasting images.

What sets apart Josh Bell's tribute to his late father is the location.

There's no coincidence that the body art memorializing Bruce Bell - the cross, the halo, the angel wings, the doves and the clouds - adorns the entire right arm of the Orioles' newly anointed third baseman of the future.

Bell threw 90 mph in practice as a high school sophomore. Scouts still rave about the cannon attached to his right shoulder.

And so Bell, who has lost count of his tattoos, believed there was no better place to honor the man who had sacrificed so much for him.

"I felt like the right side was the spot for it," Bell said. "It's my dominant side. And I want him on my dominant side."

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"I'm not really much of a talker."

A succinct statement, one that encapsulates Bell's introductory teleconference last month that announced the trade of Orioles closer George Sherrill to the Los Angeles Dodgers for two Double-A players: Bell and pitcher Steve Johnson.

Johnson, 21, whose father, Dave, pitched for the Orioles and now broadcasts for MASN, talked comfortably about coming home. Meanwhile, Bell, 22, spoke softly and cautiously about new opportunities.

"He's not one for the spotlight," said Bell's agent, Joshua Kusnick. "That's not something Josh plays the game for."

So it hasn't exactly been a breeze for him the past two weeks, joining a new team, the Double-A Bowie Baysox, while fielding mounting media requests.

The new-team part, though, he already has down.

"He's quiet, but he has fit in really well," Baysox manager Brad Komminsk said. "Just in the couple of days he has been around, the guys have had good things to say about him."

That's how it is with Bell, said his mother, Jacqueline. People have always gravitated toward her son, his easygoing nature and understated approach. And once he is comfortable, he talks, jokes and makes everyone else feel at ease.

"He's very family-oriented, and it shows through. He's very fan-accessible," his agent said. "I have a feeling you'll be seeing him one day in Camden Yards going line to line signing autographs like Cal [Ripken Jr.] used to."

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Bruce and Jacqueline Bell moved from Rockford, Ill., to Palm Beach County, Fla., a dozen years ago to give their sons, Jacob and Josh, a better chance to excel in sports.