Tuesday, January 25, 2011
By Greg Gulas
BOARDMAN
Preparing for his 20th season as a major-league umpire will be no different than the previous 19 for Wally Bell.
He’ll head to spring training at the end of February and work about 20 Grapefruit League games.
Based in the Sarasota, Fla., area for a little over a month, Bell and his crew will work spring games for the Baltimore Orioles, Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays, then head north for a regular season of anywhere between 139-145 games.
Speaking to the Curbstone Coaches at the Blue Wolf Banquet Center on Monday, Bell said he looks forward to starting a new season.
“The joke is that you cannot wait for the season to finish, yet at this time of the year, especially in Youngstown where the snow can be a real challenge, being in Florida for a month during February and March has its benefits,” Bell said.
Bell’s umpire teammates crew this year will consist of Poland’s John Hirschbeck — the crew chief — Laz Diaz and rookie Scott Barry.
“We’re all very close friends and that is what makes the year a lot of fun for everyone,” he said.
“It’s a great crew and because of that very reason you look forward to going to the ball park each and every day.”
Hall of Fame player Frank Robinson has replaced Jimmie Lee Solomon as MLB’s umpire chief, and quickly earned their respect.
“Frank listens to all of the umpires and their many concerns about the game,” said Bell. “He understands the game, wants open communication between himself and our staff and is passionate about making the game better.”
Bell has worked one World Series (2006), two All-Star Games (1997, 2000) six Division Championship Series and four League Championship Series.
Last year, Bell worked the NLCS between Philadelphia and San Francisco.
As for replay and the technology that goes with it, Bell’s opinion might not be the same as that of his colleagues.
“Technology has added a new aspect to the game. As a purist I would like to see it stay as is,” he said.
“They’ve talked about expanding replay but will stick to just home run calls for the upcoming season.”
Next week, the Curbstone Coaches will meet at Youngstown State for a tour of the athletic facilities.