Tracy High School catcher Derek Bell went with two of his teammates to Tony Gwynn's Baseball Camp in December 1987 and came back energized Tracy head coach Steve Lopez told The Modesto Bee in May 1988.
The camp came on the eve of baseball season and Lopez saw the benefits, The Bee wrote.
"There was a physical improvement, but it also helped them mentally," Lopez told The Bee of his three players. "It got them thinking about baseball in December."
Bell eventually thought about it enough to make the pros. His pro career lasted two seasons, both spent in rookie ball.
Bell's career began in 1990, signed by the Orioles out as an undrafted free agent.
Bell started with the Orioles at rookie Bluefield. He saw 24 games and hit .222. He hit one home run, which came in a July win. He knocked in a run on a single in another July game and then scored the tying run.
Bell returned for 1991 and stayed in rookie ball, in the rookie Gulf Coast League. He hit .265 in 37 games, with 15 RBI. That season marked his last as a pro.
His playing career over, Bell soon returned home to California and went into law enforcement. The Butte County Sheriff's Office, for Opening Day 2019, noted Lt. Derek Bell and his work years earlier in the Orioles system.
Made the Majors:1,424-32.0
Never Made Majors:3,029-68.0%-X
More 1990 Minor Leaguers:
- Kevin Belcher made majors for 16 games with Rangers, 6/29/11
- Stan Belinda saw 12 majors seasons, returned after MS, 9/22/11
- Buddy Bell saw 18 majors seasons as player, 9 as manager, 7/8/14
- David Bell got drafted from small college, saw 2 pro seasons, 6/3/17
- Eric Bell was nervous in first ML start, saw 6 ML seasons, 9/25/13