Heath Bell

Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977 in Oceanside, California) is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball with the San Diego Padres. Bell attended Tustin High School in Tustin, California, which is about 50 miles from his birthplace in Oceanside and 90 miles from his current job in San Diego. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. He also took drama during his sophomore year, appearing as Fred in the play Noises Off. Bel... more

Heath Justin Bell (born September 29, 1977 in Oceanside, California) is a right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball with the San Diego Padres. Bell attended Tustin High School in Tustin, California, which is about 50 miles from his birthplace in Oceanside and 90 miles from his current job in San Diego. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball. He also took drama during his sophomore year, appearing as Fred in the play Noises Off. Bell attended Santa Ana College where he was named a senior All-American in 1997. He was selected by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in the 69th round of the 1997 amateur draft but did not begin his professional career until 1998, when he signed with the New York Mets as an undrafted free agent. After toiling in the Mets minor league system for eight seasons, Bell made his major league debut on August 24, 2004 pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts against his current club, the Padres. The righty spent the next two seasons shuttling... less