Sunday, March 31, 2002
The longtime Salem broadcaster has done minor league games seven of the last nine years.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
The biggest risk of Todd Bell's life turned into his biggest break.
After a lengthy disagreement with WSOM AM-600 over high school basketball coverage, Bell decided to quit the station in December.
Bell, who worked at the Salem station for 12 years, didn't have a fallback job and spent the next three months unemployed.
He sent tapes to every Double A and Triple A baseball team in the country. No one seemed interested.
Next option: "I was probably a month away from going back to school," Bell, an assistant for the Salem High girls basketball team this season, said. "I thought, well, maybe 12 years is all I was meant to do. I probably would have gone back to school to teach and coach."
Then, on Feb. 11, he got the call that would change his life.
One of Bell's references had just talked to Ken Schnacke, the general manager of the Columbus Clippers -- the New York Yankees' Triple A team.
The Clippers' longtime broadcaster, Terry Smith, was leaving to broadcast games for the Anaheim Angels. Schnacke was wondering why Bell hadn't called the Clippers about the opening.
"I didn't know they had an opening," said Bell, a broadcaster for the Canton-Akron Indians and Akron Aeros for seven of the last nine years.
Bell got an interview the next day. He went for a second interview on Feb. 22.
"It's funny, but when I left for the interview, I really felt it was my job to lose," he said. "During the second interview, he was showing me around the stadium and asked me, 'So, do you want it?' "
"Sure," Bell said.
"You're in," Schnacke said.
Bell then had to break the news to the Quakers.
"It was pretty emotional," Bell said. "A couple girls broke down and cried. And it was very emotional when I quit the station.
"Broadcasting in Salem was a tremendous learning and growing experience in my career and it really helped me develop into the person I am today."
Getting started: Bell, 31, grew up listening to Indians broadcaster Herb Score -- "and his many partners over the years," he said -- and Cavs broadcaster Joe Tait. He graduated from Minerva High School in 1988 and went to a six-month broadcasting school in Cleveland. He was hired at Salem in June of 1989, where he was sports director from 1990 to 2001.
Two years ago, Bell met St. Louis Cardinals broadcaster Jack Buck -- "he's kind of my idol," he said -- and had his picture taken with him at a Cardinals game.
That picture is on his desk in Columbus.
Bell will broadcast all 144 Clippers games this summer -- his partner, Gary Richards, only does home games -- and will work at the station year-round.
The only problem is that Bell is an Indians fan. Does it bother him to be working for the Yankees?
"On the record, I love it," Bell said with a laugh. "I grew up hating the Yankees so that makes it tough. My friends kid me about it a lot."
Secure situation: For now, he's just enjoying the stability. The Clippers have had a team for 26 years and Columbus is talking about building a new stadium. The last five Clippers broadcasters -- including current Indians play-by-play man Tom Hamilton -- have moved on to the major leagues.
"That makes me a little nervous because I know I have some big shoes to fill," Bell said. "If I make it [to the majors], that would be great, but it's nice to know I'll be in the field for a while.
"It's like they say, broadcasters don't retire, they die."
scalzo@vindy.com