George Bell

Born: 10/21/1959 in San Pedro de Macoris, San Pedro de Macorís, D.R.

MLB Debut: 1981-04-09 | Final Game: 1993-10-02

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 190 lbs

Full name: George Antonio Bell

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

George Bell, born in 1959, was a prominent Major League Baseball outfielder and designated hitter who played from 1981 until his retirement in 1993. Bell's career spanned over a decade during a vibrant era in baseball, marked by offensive prowess and evolving player dynamics. He made a significant impact on the game, particularly during his tenure with the Toronto Blue Jays, where he became the franchise's first true superstar. Over the course of 1,587 games, Bell amassed 1,702 hits, 265 home runs, and 1,002 RBIs, showcasing his power and consistency at the plate, culminating in a commendable batting average of .278. Bell's achievements included three All-Star selections, reflecting his status as one of the premier players of his time. His ability to drive in runs and his formidable presence in the lineup were pivotal in helping the Blue Jays establish themselves as contenders in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Known for his powerful swing and aggressive playing style, Bell also demonstrated speed on the bases, finishing his career with 67 stolen bases. His contributions to baseball and the Blue Jays' legacy remain significant, as he helped lay the groundwork for the team's future successes, including their eventual World Series championships.

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1587	6123	814	1702	308	34	265	1002	67	331	771	0.278	0.316	0.469	0.785	10238.5

Career AVG .278 vs. league average .258 across their career seasons — +7.7% above league average.

Career OBP .316 vs. league average .324 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .469 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — +20.9% above league average.

Career OPS 0.785 vs. league average 0.712 across their career seasons — +10.3% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1981	TOR	AL	60	163	19	38	2	1	5	12	3	5	27	0.233	.255 (-9%)	.320 (-20%)	.368 (-5%)	.688 (-12%)	-370.5
1983	TOR	AL	39	112	5	30	5	4	2	17	1	4	17	0.268	.260 (+3%)	.324 (-6%)	.389 (+12%)	.714 (+4%)	31.1
1984	TOR	AL	159	606	85	177	39	4	26	87	11	24	86	0.292	.259 (+12%)	.322 (+1%)	.384 (+30%)	.707 (+17%)	1752.9
1985	TOR	AL	157	607	87	167	28	6	28	95	21	43	90	0.275	.257 (+7%)	.323 (+1%)	.390 (+23%)	.714 (+13%)	1395.5
1986	TOR	AL	159	641	101	198	38	6	31	108	7	41	62	0.309	.257 (+20%)	.325 (+7%)	.395 (+35%)	.720 (+22%)	2643.3
1987	TOR	AL	156	610	111	188	32	4	47	134	5	39	75	0.308	.262 (+17%)	.331 (+6%)	.415 (+46%)	.746 (+28%)	3306.3
1988	TOR	AL	156	614	78	165	27	5	24	97	4	34	66	0.269	.254 (+6%)	.317 (-4%)	.377 (+18%)	.695 (+8%)	678.8
1989	TOR	AL	153	613	88	182	41	2	18	104	4	33	60	0.297	.254 (+17%)	.319 (+3%)	.375 (+22%)	.694 (+13%)	1321.2
1990	TOR	AL	142	562	67	149	25	0	21	86	3	32	80	0.265	.257 (+3%)	.324 (-7%)	.385 (+9%)	.710 (+2%)	-0.7
1991	CHC	NL	149	558	63	159	27	0	25	86	2	32	62	0.285	.255 (+11%)	.323 (avg)	.384 (+22%)	.708 (+12%)	1089.6
1992	CHW	AL	155	627	74	160	27	0	25	112	5	31	97	0.255	.255 (avg)	.322 (-9%)	.377 (+11%)	.699 (+2%)	2.0
1993	CHW	AL	102	410	36	89	17	2	13	64	1	13	49	0.217	.265 (-18%)	.332 (-27%)	.403 (-10%)	.735 (-18%)	-1611.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
12	48	6	13	3	0	1	3	0	7	0.271

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1989	ALCS	TOR	5	20	2	4	0	0	1	2	0	3	0.200
1985	ALCS	TOR	7	28	4	9	3	0	0	1	0	4	0.321

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
2B	1	0	1	0	0	0
3B	8	0	1	3	0	0
OF	1227	1211	2292	81	88	11

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1981	TOR	OF	44	37	92	3	3	2
1983	TOR	OF	34	32	61	1	3	0
1984	TOR	3B	3	0	0	2	0	0
1984	TOR	OF	147	144	289	11	9	1
1985	TOR	3B	2	0	0	1	0	0
1985	TOR	OF	157	157	320	13	11	3
1986	TOR	3B	2	0	1	0	0	0
1986	TOR	OF	147	147	269	17	10	1
1987	TOR	2B	1	0	1	0	0	0
1987	TOR	3B	1	0	0	0	0	0
1987	TOR	OF	148	147	248	14	11	1
1988	TOR	OF	149	147	253	8	15	1
1989	TOR	OF	134	134	258	4	10	1
1990	TOR	OF	106	106	226	4	5	1
1991	CHN	OF	146	145	249	6	10	0
1992	CHA	OF	15	15	27	0	1	0

Career Games by Position

Position	Games
Second Base	1
Third Base	8
Left Field	1123
Right Field	114
Designated Hitter	340

Awards & Honors

Year	Award	Notes
1993	Player of the Week	Week of 1993-05-22
1992	Player of the Week	Week of 1992-07-04
1992	Player of the Week	Week of 1992-08-08
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-06-09
1990	Player of the Week	Week of 1990-06-23
1989	Player of the Month	August
1989	Player of the Week	Week of 1989-08-18
1988	Player of the Week	Week of 1988-04-08
1988	Player of the Week	Week of 1988-09-02
1987	Most Valuable Player
1987	Player of the Week	Week of 1987-06-13
1987	Player of the Week	Week of 1987-08-01
1987	Silver Slugger	OF
1987	TSN All-Star	OF
1987	TSN Major League Player of the Year
1987	TSN Player of the Year
1986	Player of the Week	Week of 1986-09-05
1986	Silver Slugger	OF
1986	TSN All-Star	OF
1985	Silver Slugger	OF

Salary History

Year	Team	League	Salary
1993	CHA	AL	$3,650,000
1992	CHA	AL	$3,650,000
1991	CHN	NL	$2,150,000
1990	TOR	AL	$2,000,000
1989	TOR	AL	$1,900,000
1988	TOR	AL	$1,900,000
1987	TOR	AL	$1,175,000
1986	TOR	AL	$725,000
1985	TOR	AL	$335,000
Total Career Earnings			$17,485,000

Award Voting History

Year	Award	League	Finish	Points Won	Points Max	Votes First
1992	Most Valuable Player	AL	20th	3.0	392	0
1989	Most Valuable Player	AL	4th	205.0	392	4
1987	Most Valuable Player	AL	1st	332.0	392	16
1986	Most Valuable Player	AL	4th	125.0	392	0
1985	Most Valuable Player	AL	8th	84.0	392	0
1984	Most Valuable Player	AL	19th	5.0	392	0
1981	Rookie of the Year	AL	8th	2.0	140	0