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David Gus "Buddy" Bell (born August 27, 1951 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is a former third baseman and manager in Major League Baseball, most notably with the Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers. He is the son of former player Gus Bell and the father of player David Bell.
He was born while his father was playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He was drafted in 1969 by the Indians and was regarded as a promising prospect from the beginning. He first appeared in the major leagues with the Indians in 1972, appearing mostly in the outfield as a rookie, but afterwards becoming a fixture at third base. He was a solid, but not overpowering, hitter on a mostly lackluster Indians team. He was named to the All-Star team in 1973.
After the 1978 season he was traded to the Rangers, in exchange for Toby Harrah – a player who seemed similar in many ways, a good hitting infielder in the middle of his career.
He had his best season at the plate for the Rangers in 1979, with 200 hits and 101 RBIs, and also won his first Gold Glove Award. He won the American League Gold Glove at third base for each following year through 1984, and made the All-Star team from 1980 through 1984 as well.
In the middle of the 1985 season he was traded from Texas to the Cincinnati Reds, where his father had been a popular player in the late 1950s. This was a very popular addition with Reds fans, and Buddy responded with two more solid years. In the 1988 season he began to fade, and was traded to the Houston Astros. He was released in December and signed as a free agent with the Rangers for the 1989 season, in which he appeared sparingly.
Following retirement he worked for several years as a coach in the Reds and Indians organizations, and the managed the Detroit Tigers from 1996 through 1998, when he resigned after 135 games because he "couldn't stand the losing" (and the Tigers were a terrible team at the time). He then managed the Colorado Rockies from 2000 through part of 2002 when he was fired after a 6-16 start.
He was well-liked by teammates and fans and continues to be remembered by the organizations he played for.
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