Kevin Gorman: Josh Bell is face of the Pirates, who hope his bubble won't burst

Josh Bell makes it a point to practice in game-like conditions so he always pops in a mouthful of bubble gum for batting practice, mimicking his motions for facing major-league pitching.

When he left the batting cages for a photo shoot Thursday to promote the Pittsburgh Pirates’ new road jerseys, Bell was still chewing gum. Naturally, he started blowing bubbles.

That’s how the face of the franchise was obscured by a big bubble for a social media tease of the unveiling of the black jersey with Pittsburgh scripted across the front.

Now, the Pirates are banking on Bell to blow up the baseball world while hoping that his bubble doesn’t burst.

These new uniforms POP ?

Via Josh Bell on Instagram#PittsburghPirates #LetsGoBucs #Pittsburgh pic.twitter.com/nlrvwUNvAA

— Let's Go Bucs (@Go_Buccos) January 24, 2020

Short on starpower after releasing charismatic catcher Francisco Cervelli last August, with two-time All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez jailed since September, two-time Gold Glove outfielder Starling Marte on the trading block and ace pitcher Jameson Taillon recovering from a second Tommy John surgery, the Pirates are desperate for a draw to the ballpark.

Bell fits the bill.

The 6-foot-4, 240-pound switch-hitting first baseman is coming off his best season, leading the Pirates with 37 home runs and 116 RBIs. At 27, he’s in his prime and is a big-league bargain after avoiding arbitration by agreeing to a $4.8 million salary that makes him the club’s fourth-highest paid player.

No wonder new manager Derek Shelton identified Bell as the one position player the Pirates have penciled into the starting lineup before the start of spring training next month: “I can definitely say Josh is going to play first (base).”

Taillon gave his own endorsement, ticking off face-of-franchise credentials that go beyond Bell being a good ballplayer.

“He’s just got something about him. He’s got it. He’s got that ‘it’ factor,” Taillon said Saturday at PiratesFest at PNC Park. “He’s cool. He draws people to him. He’s very well-spoken, extremely kind, hard-working. He’s who you want to support. Nobody in this whole building can say a bad word about Josh Bell.

“It’s been an honor playing with him. It’s been fun watching him grow. It’s been fun watching him develop into who he is today. He’s always working, always looking to get better. He’s taking care of his body. He’s a guy that you can buy his jersey and feel good about supporting him.”

Bell had an historic month of May, when he had 46 hits and 31 RBIs, including 12 doubles and 12 home runs, and a franchise-record 94 total bases on his way to 27 home runs and 84 RBIs in the first 88 games. Those numbers – which would have led the Pirates in both categories for the 2018 season – earned Bell his first All-Star Game and Home Run Derby appearances.

“I feel like that’s what drives us, right? That’s what dreams are made of. That’s what was driving me in offseasons prior,” Bell said. “My dad would tell me in the backyard, ‘Hey, you’re going to be an All-Star one day. You’re going to be in the Home Run Derby.’ So it was cool to finally live those dreams out, be able to celebrate them with my family and my friends. For them to be able to see it at the highest stage was awesome.”

Just as Bell was on the brink of becoming one of baseball’s biggest breakout stars, he got out of sync by timing his swing to off-speed pitches instead of fastballs. His numbers slipped in the second half, when he slashed .233/.351/.429 with 10 homers and 32 RBIs.

It’s no coincidence that the Pirates went into a freefall, suffering 24 losses in a 28-game span in July and August. He slashed .346/.433/.715 in 65 wins, but only .217/.307/.441 in 78 losses. The Pirates were 4-15 in the games Bell didn’t play last season.

Winning matters more to Bell than being the face of a franchise that finishes in last place in the NL Central, which is why he brings up how Andrew McCutchen and Marte were catalysts for the Pirates on teams that played in the postseason.

“Their legacy comes with their playoff pushes and playoff runs, not necessarily the games that we were in the playoffs but the games leading up to the playoffs, when we were making a push to get there. That’s what people remember,” Bell said. “You look at all those highlights, the fans are going crazy. Every homer, they know how important it was. Each robbed homer, each diving catch, they were living that. That’s who Cutch was. That’s who Marte is. That’s where legacies are introduced, when you’re winning ballgames.”

So, Bell wants to be more than the face of the franchise. He wants to be the face of a Pirates playoff team, a player they can build around. But will the Pirates build a contender while Bell’s window with the team remains open.

Bell said the Pirates haven’t approached him to offer a contract extension and, with Bob Nutting as their owner and Scott Boras as his agent, you have to wonder whether they will bother.

Will Bell become the team’s next generational talent or just another future trade chip? For now, Bell is embracing being the Bucs’ biggest draw and the face of their franchise.

“Y’all have been talking about that for a couple of years but I’ll take it in with open arms,” Bell said. “It’s definitely a cool aspect. Just going around in the CARE-a-van and seeing my jerseys 90 minutes away, two hours away was definitely cool.

“Hopefully, there’s more of that to come.”

For Pirates fans, finding a favorite player to follow is like chewing bubble gum. Enjoy the flavor, for however long it lasts.

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