For two seasons, 1936 and ’37, Bell was one of the best right handed hitters in the game. In 1936 he hit .344 with 123 RBI and 100 runs scored for the Browns, and he led the AL in hits (218) and doubles (51) in 1937 while hitting .340 with 117 RBI. Bell was a graduate of Texas A&M; College, where he studied to be a teacher. When he batted .250 for the Browns in 1935, they farmed him out, calling him the “$17,500 Lemon.” Following the advice of manager Rogers Hornsby, whose style Bell adopted, he raised his average nearly 100 points the next season. Alcohol problems hastened his decline, and he was out of the majors by 1942. He coached at the University of Texas for many years.
