Cubs name Bell third base coach, Rowson hitting coach

The Chicago Cubs today named David Bell as the club’s third base coach and removed the interim tag from hitting coach James Rowson. 

Manager Dale Sveum’s coaching staff is now complete for the 2013 season, as Bell and Rowson join pitching coach Chris Bosio, first base coach Dave McKay, bench coach Jamie Quirk and bullpen coach Lester Strode.  Staff assistants Mike Borzello and Franklin Font will also return next season.  Bell replaced Pat Listach, whose contract was not renewed following the 2012 campaign.

Bell, 40, joins the Cubs after managing and coaching third base in the Cincinnati Reds minor league system the last four seasons, most recently guiding the Triple-A Louisville club in 2012.  Prior to Louisville, Bell was the manager for Double-A Carolina from 2009-11, with the 2009 campaign marking his first stint as a manager or coach at the professional level after his 12-year major league career ended in 2006.

A former infielder, Bell batted .257 (1,239-for-4,826) with 267 doubles, 123 home runs and 589 RBI in 1,403 major league games for six different teams – Cleveland (1995, 1998), St. Louis (1995-98), Seattle (1998-2001), San Francisco (2002), Philadelphia (2003-06) and Milwaukee (2006).

Bell is a member of one of Major League Baseball’s three-generation families, as he is the son of Buddy Bell and the grandson of Gus Bell.  When David hit for the cycle on June 28, 2004 with Philadelphia vs. Milwaukee, he joined Gus as the first grandfather-grandson tandem in major league history to hit for the cycle.  Bell is a native of Cincinnati, OH.

Rowson was named major league interim hitting coach June 13 after joining the organization as the minor league hitting instructor prior to the 2012 campaign.  Strode returns for his seventh season as the club’s bullpen coach, while Bosio, McKay, Quirk, Borzello and Font each return for their second season in their respective big league coaching staff roles.