GaryMrMets
06-30-2004, 02:39 PM
http://www.philly.com/mld/inquirer/sports/9036431.htm
Posted on Tue, Jun. 29, 2004
Bell's cycle revs up Phillies
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
David Bell couldn't have had a better night, and the Phillies couldn't have dreamed up a better way to open an important 14-game homestand.
Bell became just the seventh player in the franchise's 122-year history to hit for the cycle last night as the Phils turned into the Pattison Avenue Punishers and routed the Montreal Expos, 14-6, in front of a happy crowd of 39,444 at Citizens Bank Park.
Well, at least the crowd left happy.
It booed starter Kevin Millwood when he gave up a two-run homer to Terrmel Sledge as the Phils fell behind, 3-0, in the second inning.
The boos turned to cheers as the Phils erupted for six runs in the fourth and five in the sixth en route to the big victory, in which Millwood (6-5) won his second straight start for the first time since May 5 and May 11.
The biggest cheers of the night came in the seventh, when Bell completed his cycle - and a six-RBI night - with a two-run triple off Montreal reliever Rocky Biddle.
Bell became the first Phillie to hit for the cycle since Gregg Jefferies did it Aug. 25, 1995.
He also became the second member of his family to accomplish one of baseball's rarest feats. Bell's grandfather, Gus Bell, did it on June 4, 1951.
David Bell, the son of former major-league third baseman and manager Buddy Bell, the current Cleveland Indians bench coach, is a third-generation big-leaguer. He remembers hearing his grandfather talk about hitting for the cycle. Gus Bell, a four-time all-star outfielder, died in 1995 but not before telling his grandson about his accomplishment as a Pittsburgh Pirate in 1951.
"Oh, yeah," Bell said with a fond smile. "He told me."
After the game, Bell got a shaving-cream pie from Tomas Perez. He could have washed it down with the bottle of Dom Perignon that was sitting in front of his locker.
"This is special," Bell said. "It's special because it doesn't happen very often. It's one of those things that is kind of rare."
No doubt. There have only been 243 cycles in major-league history.
Bell didn't realize he had hit for the cycle until he got to third base and was congratulated by third-base coach John Vukovich.
Then he looked in the dugout and his teammates were going crazy.
"That was nice to see," Bell said. "It meant a lot to me."
It took several minutes for Bell's cycle to become official. Montreal manager Frank Robinson tried to have Bell's triple ruled a double because a fan appeared to interfere with the ball as it reached the center-field wall above Brad Wilkerson's head.
Robinson, who had earlier seen Pat Burrell deliver two hits after the skipper ordered intentional walks to Jim Thome, lost his argument with umpire crew chief Ed Montague.
"The crew chief said he would have called a triple anyway," Robinson said. "I thought it was a copout."
And what if Robinson had won his argument?
"I would have had to have gone out there and argued," Phils manager Larry Bowa said, laughing. "With the way David runs, he doesn't get many triples."
Bell's four hits highlighted a 15-hit Phillies' attack. He doubled in the second inning, belted a three-run homer in the fourth, and had an RBI single in the sixth.
Bell began the night with 29 RBIs and ended it with 35.
If Bell was the game's first star, Burrell wasn't far behind.
He got the Phils started with a solo homer to left in the second inning off Montreal starter Sun-Woo Kim.
In the fourth, Burrell came up with the bases loaded after Robinson ordered Thome walked. Burrell drove an 0-2 fastball up the middle for two runs.
Burrell also singled in the sixth after Thome was intentionally walked. That loaded the bases for Bell, who had an RBI single.
"Pat picked up the whole club when they started walking Thome," Bowa said.
Millwood pitched six innings and allowed five runs. The Expos hit three homers off Millwood, who had good enough stuff to strike out nine, but struggled with location again.
"For the most part, I threw the ball where I wanted to," Millwood said. "When I didn't, they hit it hard."
Millwood benefited from the type of run support usually afforded teammates Eric Milton (6.96 runs per nine innings) and Brett Myers (6.43).
The Phils hit three homers. The third came in the sixth inning when Chase Utley, hitting for Millwood, belted a three-run shot into the second deck above right field.
"We scored a lot of runs tonight," Bowa said. "But to me, the key is the next three days. We need to maintain some consistency."
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/inquirer/9035/81631955835.jpg
The Phillies' David Bell hits a three-run home run off Montreal Expos reliever T.J. Tucker. Earlier Bell hit a single and a double. After the homer he comleted the cycle with a triple.
Posted on Tue, Jun. 29, 2004
Bell's cycle revs up Phillies
By Jim Salisbury
Inquirer Staff Writer
David Bell couldn't have had a better night, and the Phillies couldn't have dreamed up a better way to open an important 14-game homestand.
Bell became just the seventh player in the franchise's 122-year history to hit for the cycle last night as the Phils turned into the Pattison Avenue Punishers and routed the Montreal Expos, 14-6, in front of a happy crowd of 39,444 at Citizens Bank Park.
Well, at least the crowd left happy.
It booed starter Kevin Millwood when he gave up a two-run homer to Terrmel Sledge as the Phils fell behind, 3-0, in the second inning.
The boos turned to cheers as the Phils erupted for six runs in the fourth and five in the sixth en route to the big victory, in which Millwood (6-5) won his second straight start for the first time since May 5 and May 11.
The biggest cheers of the night came in the seventh, when Bell completed his cycle - and a six-RBI night - with a two-run triple off Montreal reliever Rocky Biddle.
Bell became the first Phillie to hit for the cycle since Gregg Jefferies did it Aug. 25, 1995.
He also became the second member of his family to accomplish one of baseball's rarest feats. Bell's grandfather, Gus Bell, did it on June 4, 1951.
David Bell, the son of former major-league third baseman and manager Buddy Bell, the current Cleveland Indians bench coach, is a third-generation big-leaguer. He remembers hearing his grandfather talk about hitting for the cycle. Gus Bell, a four-time all-star outfielder, died in 1995 but not before telling his grandson about his accomplishment as a Pittsburgh Pirate in 1951.
"Oh, yeah," Bell said with a fond smile. "He told me."
After the game, Bell got a shaving-cream pie from Tomas Perez. He could have washed it down with the bottle of Dom Perignon that was sitting in front of his locker.
"This is special," Bell said. "It's special because it doesn't happen very often. It's one of those things that is kind of rare."
No doubt. There have only been 243 cycles in major-league history.
Bell didn't realize he had hit for the cycle until he got to third base and was congratulated by third-base coach John Vukovich.
Then he looked in the dugout and his teammates were going crazy.
"That was nice to see," Bell said. "It meant a lot to me."
It took several minutes for Bell's cycle to become official. Montreal manager Frank Robinson tried to have Bell's triple ruled a double because a fan appeared to interfere with the ball as it reached the center-field wall above Brad Wilkerson's head.
Robinson, who had earlier seen Pat Burrell deliver two hits after the skipper ordered intentional walks to Jim Thome, lost his argument with umpire crew chief Ed Montague.
"The crew chief said he would have called a triple anyway," Robinson said. "I thought it was a copout."
And what if Robinson had won his argument?
"I would have had to have gone out there and argued," Phils manager Larry Bowa said, laughing. "With the way David runs, he doesn't get many triples."
Bell's four hits highlighted a 15-hit Phillies' attack. He doubled in the second inning, belted a three-run homer in the fourth, and had an RBI single in the sixth.
Bell began the night with 29 RBIs and ended it with 35.
If Bell was the game's first star, Burrell wasn't far behind.
He got the Phils started with a solo homer to left in the second inning off Montreal starter Sun-Woo Kim.
In the fourth, Burrell came up with the bases loaded after Robinson ordered Thome walked. Burrell drove an 0-2 fastball up the middle for two runs.
Burrell also singled in the sixth after Thome was intentionally walked. That loaded the bases for Bell, who had an RBI single.
"Pat picked up the whole club when they started walking Thome," Bowa said.
Millwood pitched six innings and allowed five runs. The Expos hit three homers off Millwood, who had good enough stuff to strike out nine, but struggled with location again.
"For the most part, I threw the ball where I wanted to," Millwood said. "When I didn't, they hit it hard."
Millwood benefited from the type of run support usually afforded teammates Eric Milton (6.96 runs per nine innings) and Brett Myers (6.43).
The Phils hit three homers. The third came in the sixth inning when Chase Utley, hitting for Millwood, belted a three-run shot into the second deck above right field.
"We scored a lot of runs tonight," Bowa said. "But to me, the key is the next three days. We need to maintain some consistency."
http://www.philly.com/images/philly/inquirer/9035/81631955835.jpg
The Phillies' David Bell hits a three-run home run off Montreal Expos reliever T.J. Tucker. Earlier Bell hit a single and a double. After the homer he comleted the cycle with a triple.