With Bruce Bochy heading into the final year of his managerial contract, there are some who suspect this might be his final year at the helm of the San Francisco Giants. Since being hired by the club in 2007, Bochy has brought San Francisco its first three World Series championships and seven winning seasons over his first 11 years as manager.
Yet, time waits for no man — or in this case manager — and it is believed by many, including The Athletic’s Jim Bowden, that David Bell, who was hired by the Giants as their vice president of player development this offseason, will take command once Bochy’s managerial days are over.
“I’m a huge fan of David Bell,” Bowden said on Gary & Larry Friday afternoon. “Whatever he wants to do in this game, he’s going to have the ability to do that. Can I see him as a manager one day, succeeding Bruce Bochy? Absolutely I can.”
As it turns out, Bowden might have played a big role in Bell reaching the major leagues.
“I remember seeing him as a teenager at Moeller High School in Cincinnati,” Bowden said. “I remember walking into the draft room and saying, ‘this guy is going to be in the big leagues’ and everybody laughed at me.”
When Bell became eligible for the MLB Draft in 1990, Bowden was preparing for his first season in the Cincinnati Reds’ front office. Bell went on to be drafted in the seventh round by the Cleveland Indians and reached the major leagues in 1995.
Bell played for six teams in his 12 years in the major leagues and made a lasting impression with the Giants in 2002. Bell scored the game-winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 5 of the 2002 NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals that sent the Giants to the World Series.
Once his career came to an end in 2006, Bell served as a manager in the Reds minor league system from 2009-12. The following year, Bell worked as the third base coach for the Chicago Cubs before joining the Cardinals in 2014, where he was their bench coach the last three years.
“I’m a big David Bell fan,” Bowden said.” And I’m a big fan in whatever role he decides to do. I like him as a developer. I like him as a bench coach. I like him as a third-base coach. I think he could be a future manager.”
To listen to the full interview check out the podcast below, and skip to 6:32 for Bowden on Bell.
