Wally Bell facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Wally Bell
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Bell in 2011
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| Born | January 10, 1965 Ravenna, Ohio, U.S.
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| Died | October 14, 2013 (aged 48) Youngstown, Ohio, U.S.
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| Alma mater | Austintown-Fitch High School |
| Occupation | MLB umpire |
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (188 cm) |
Wally Bell (born January 10, 1965 – died October 14, 2013) was a well-known American umpire in Major League Baseball (MLB). He helped make sure games were fair and followed the rules. Wally worked in the National League from 1992 to 1999. After that, he worked for both the American League and National League from 2000 until he passed away in 2013.
He first wore the number 36 as an umpire. Later, he changed to number 35 when the two leagues combined their umpire teams. This happened because another umpire, Tim McClelland, had been using number 36 for a longer time.
Wally's Umpiring Career
Wally Bell finished high school at Austintown-Fitch High School in 1983. He started umpiring when he was just 17 years old. He worked for Little League and other summer baseball games.
Wally and his friend Brian O'Nora, who also went to Austintown-Fitch, went to umpire school together. Both of them later became umpires in the major leagues! Before reaching the top level, Wally spent eight years working in minor leagues like the International League and the Southern League. He finally became a major league umpire in 1992.
Big Games Wally Umpired
During his time in Major League Baseball, Wally Bell umpired in many important games. These included:
- One World Series (in 2006)
- Three All-Star Games (in 1997, 2000, and 2013)
- Seven Division Series (playoff games before the championship)
- Four League Championship Series (the games to decide who goes to the World Series)
Memorable Moments
Wally Bell was part of some truly special moments in baseball history:
- He umpired the very first baseball game in New York City after the sad events of September 11, 2001.
- In 2007, he was working at first base when Barry Bonds broke the all-time home run record.
- He was at third base in 2012 when Adrián Beltré of the Texas Rangers managed to hit for the cycle. This means he hit a single, double, triple, and home run all in the same game!
- One of his proudest moments was returning to umpire after having open heart surgery in 1999.
Wally's Passing
Wally Bell sadly passed away on October 14, 2013, because of a heart attack. He was 48 years old. He is remembered by his son and daughter.
His last games were part of the 2013 National League Division Series playoffs. These games were between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the St. Louis Cardinals.
As a way to honor Wally, umpires wore a special "WB" patch on their uniform sleeves. This tribute lasted for the rest of the 2013 playoffs and all of the 2014 season. There were also moments of silence at baseball parks to remember him. Wally was even being considered to umpire in the 2013 World Series, which shows how respected he was.
See also
- List of baseball players who died during their careers
- List of Major League Baseball umpires
