George Bell made his point by showing up two days early for spring training, breaking his tendency of tardiness as a Toronto Blue Jay.
Don Zimmer appreciated it. And then he made his point Thursday in a meeting with Bell just minutes after the left fielder wore a Cub uniform for the first time.
Wasting no time defusing a potentially touchy situation, Zimmer called Bell into his Fitch Park office and told him his plans to replace Bell in left, probably with Doug Dascenzo, when the Cubs hold a late lead.
Bell often met ex-Toronto manager Jimy Williams with a scowl, but he met Zimmer with a smile.
”He said, `You don`t have to tell me that,` ” Zimmer said. ” `I`ve watched you guys on TV. I know you take out the left fielder.`
”I wanted him to know that, because that`s what I`m going to do.”
End of discussion, apparently.
Bell`s trying his best to get off on the right foot with the Cubs, who have agreed to pay him $9.3 million for three years and could add another $3.3 for an option year. A perennial latecomer in Toronto`s training camps, he said he came here early to ”try to communicate” with the players and coaches.
Zimmer said he didn`t tell Bell whether he would bat cleanup, as he did in Toronto, or whether he would bat fifth behind Andre Dawson, the Cubs`
cleanup man last year.
”What happens in spring training will dictate that,” Zimmer said.
”One`s going to hit fourth and one`s going to hit fifth.”
