Bell on not sliding

Given last night’s blowout, it wasn’t a huge play by any means. But I did get a few emails asking about why Josh Bell –who was running from first base– scored standing up when there was a throw to the plate during the six-run seventh inning.

Here’s what Bell had to say about that play:

“When you are running you kind of get an idea in  your head of how much time you have. Yesterday
I figured if the ball hadn’t been there yet maybe they would have cut it off,” said Bell, who scored on Robert Andino’s bases-clearing double.  “By
the time I got close, I saw [Cesar] Izturis he was going down [with his hands] but by
then it was too late.”

Bell said he saw Izturis right at the last second, and Matt Wieters –who was also standing on the on-deck circle — didn’t make any motions to help. 

“A lot of times you are in such a zone, they might be doing
something, you are looking at them but not really looking at them” Bell said. “It was too late for me to slide, like the last time. I figured
out I was already past him.”

This isn’t the first time Bell hasn’t slid, and he said he didn’t receive any specific reprimand from manager Buck Showalter. But in the future, when in doubt, he will  get down.

“Oh, I’ll be sliding now,” Bell said.