Pirates' Josh Bell has plenty to prove to SI, himself

For several days, Josh Bell was so focused on the Cincinnati Reds and the first series of the season, he didn’t even know about the criticism leveled against him by an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated.

The words were more than critical, however. Some might call them hurtful. Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington called them racist.

The remarks were published March 19 and were prompted by a question asking the scout who he believes is the most overrated Pirates player.

Here’s the quote critical of Bell:

“Josh Bell can’t play. He’s not a good defender. He’s a big lump. He has bad agility, bad footwork. He can’t run. Supposedly he’s a big power threat, but he hit 12 home runs at first base. This is not a kid! This is his third year in the big leagues! I don’t think he’s got the ability to get better.”

Huntington responded by saying on 93.7 FM, “Those anonymous scouts are hacks. A lot of their criticisms are directed at minorities. We’re happy these guys don’t work for our organization.”

True to his personality, Bell responded with measured, thoughtful remarks when asked about the quote before Monday’s game.

“I decided to show whoever that guy is, most importantly, my friends and family and my pops, who watches every game, what we’ve done (to prepare for the season) will pay off. I’m excited to show that.”

Bell, 26, admitted his production fell off last season from 26 home runs and 90 RBIs in 159 games in 2017 to 12 and 62 in 148 last year (even while he bumped up his batting average six points to .261).

“It was pretty bad,” he said. “There’s nothing I can do about that.”

Bell said he is in the midst of working to prepare for a long, productive career.

A new man?

Francisco Cervelli improved his 2017 offensive numbers, hitting .259 with 12 home runs and 57 RBIs in 104 games last season, up from .249/5/31/81.

He credited a trainer he began working with after missing the final month of the ’17 season with a quad injury.

“This is my 17th year playing professional baseball, and it feels like it is the first one,” said Cervelli, 33. “I feel young. I feel amazing, best I’ve ever been. My trainer saved my life. I was in a lot of pain”

He also deflected credit for the success of the Pirates starting pitchers, mentioning Trevor Williams began varying his repertoire with changeups and curveballs.

“I squat down, do my signs, and that’s it,” Cervelli said. “I smile, and he likes it. This guy has been able to execute well. When a pitcher is able to do that, you have success.”

Student of the game

Williams was the only MLB pitcher last season to make 10 starts of at least six innings without allowing a run, and he made it 11 on Sunday in a 5-0 victory against the Cincinnati Reds.

Manager Clint Hurdle isn’t surprised.

“He keeps a journal. He pays attention,” Hurdle said. “He reads swings. He dives into analytics. He uses video. He’s a very confident man in his skill set.”

Williams said the difference was this year — for the first time — he was certain of a roster spot and could experiment more often in spring training.

“I was thankful for the opportunity that I could work on stuff,” he said, adding he can call on his curveball when he needs an out. “It showed up (Sunday).”