Rob Butcher
Cincinnati Reds’ VP Media Relations

CINCINNATI — The Cincinnati Reds today announced the hiring of Buddy Bell as Vice President, Senior Advisor to President of Baseball Operations, General Manager Dick Williams.
“I am very excited for the opportunity to add Buddy to our front office,” Williams said.
“He has longstanding ties to Cincinnati and experience in all facets of the game — as a player, as a coach and manager as well as a variety of front office roles. He is a well-rounded resource that we can all draw upon. We welcome him home to Cincinnati.”
Bell, 66, spent 4 seasons playing with the Reds from 1985-1988 and then joined the organization’s front office for the 1999 season as minor league field coordinator.
Bell worked for the Chicago White Sox for the last 14 seasons, including the last 5 years as Vice President/Assistant GM. He assisted in Major League roster and staffing decisions, took on amateur and special scouting assignments and oversaw the team’s player development system.
Sox Chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said, “Buddy Bell has influenced the careers of literally thousands of professional baseball players through his passion for coaching and player development. He has left a long-lasting mark on the White Sox organization, our minor league staff and players throughout our system.
“There is absolutely no way to thank him enough for all he has done and his years of devotion to this organization and to making our minor leaguers better as players and as people. We personally wish him nothing but success and fulfillment as he returns home to the city of Cincinnati and a Reds organization that very appropriately carries a great deal of meaning and pride for the entire Bell family.”
Bell played 18 seasons with the Cleveland Indians (1972-1978), Texas Rangers (1979-1985, 1989), Reds and Houston Astros (1988). He was a 6-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award winner and 5-time All-Star. He was elected to the Texas Rangers Hall of Fame in 2004.
Bell spent 13 seasons on Major League field staffs, including 9 as manager in Detroit (1996-98), Colorado (2000-2002) and Kansas City (2005-2007).
Bell has five children: David, Mike, Ricky, Kristi and Traci.
David played in the majors from 1995-2006 and was just named Vice President of Player Development for the San Francisco Giants.
Mike was selected by Texas in the first round in 1993, played for the Reds in 2000 and currently is the Director of Player Development for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Ricky was drafted by the Dodgers in the third round in 1997 and played 10 minor league seasons.
Buddy and his father, Gus, who played in the Major Leagues from 1950-1964, established a record for hits by a father/son duo (4,337), later broken by Barry and Bobby Bonds.
Bell graduated from Cincinnati’s Moeller High School and attended Xavier University and Miami (Ohio) University. He resides in Chicago.