#424 Gary Bell

We've got back-to-back Seattle Pilots with Diego Segui and Gary "Ding Dong" Bell. Who'da thunk it? One thing that jumps out at me when I look at this card is the zipper vest being worn by Gary. It's a cool look, something completely different. All the same, I think button jerseys are more aesthetically pleasing. On with...

Fun facts about Gary Bell:

-His full name is Wilbur Gary Bell.

-Shares a birthday (November 17) with Hall of Famer Tom Seaver.

-Went 12-10 with 10 complete games and a 3.31 ERA as a 21-year-old rookie for the 1958 Indians. Finished third in Rookie of the Year voting behind Albie Pearson and Ryne Duren.

-Was a four-time All-Star, but did not post a winning record in any of those three seasons (9-10 in 1960, 14-15 in 1966, and 11-11 in 1968). He was selected to two All-Star Games in 1960.

-Hit one home run, a solo shot off of Boston's Jim Lonborg in 1965.

-Gary was a valuable reliever for the Indians, throwing in at least 56 games in each season from 1962 through 1965. He saved 17 games in 1965.

-Pitched in three games of the Red Sox' seven-game World Series loss to the Cardinals in 1967. After getting hit around in Games Three and Four, he came back to earn the save in Game Six.

-Shut out the White Sox in the first-ever major league game in Seattle. Scattered nine hits and four walks in a 7-0 triumph.

-Was Jim Bouton's roommate with the Pilots, earning him a lot of face time in Bouton's notorious memoir Ball Four. Bell came across as a good-natured raconteur (for instance: "Nobody interferes in Gary Bell's personal life, not even his wife.") Gary was also one of the few guys featured in the book who didn't take it personally. As he once remarked to Bouton, "I have to go around telling everybody that you're not f***in' Adolf Hitler".

-Post-baseball, Gary sold real estate in Arizona before returning home to San Antonio. He was in the restaurant business and later ran a sporting goods store.