The former Cuban outfielder Alexei Bell has taken on a new challenge in baseball: Atlantis University, a university based in Miami, has introduced him as their new batting coach, according to the Pelota Cubana account announced on Facebook.
The Santiago native, regarded as one of the most powerful hitters of his generation in the Cuban National Baseball Series, will be responsible for the offensive training and development of the players in the university program.
Bell built his name representing the team Santiago de Cuba, where he combined power, speed, and run production throughout a lengthy career in the National Series.
The pinnacle of his career as a player came in the 2007-2008 season, when he hit 31 home runs and drove in 111 runs with Santiago de Cuba in a campaign that is etched in the memory of Cuban baseball.
In addition to his time in the national league, Bell wore the uniform of the Cuban national team for several years in international competitions, gaining experience in the most demanding settings of amateur baseball.
As a hitting coach, his work will focus on the offensive development of a new generation of college baseball players, thereby extending his connection to the sport from a completely different perspective.
The appointment adds a new Cuban presence to American collegiate baseball in a technical role, following a growing trend of former players from the Island who, after their playing careers, take on coaching and training responsibilities within the North American sports system.
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