What a punkass Heath Bell turned out to be. I’m not saying that because the National League lost to the junior circuit (Again!), but because I just read his post game comments and it showed me what a jerk he really is.

For those of you who made the wise decision not to watch last night’s mid-summer classic, Heath Bell was charged with the loss after allowing a triple to the Detroit Tigers’ Curtis Granderson who then scored on a sac fly by the Oriole’s Adam Jones in the eighth inning to break the 3-3 tie and put the AL on top. After the game, a brash and unremorseful Heath Bell had this to say,

“I’m driving with my eyes closed. I was never given a scouting report.”

Rather than assuming even a tiny bit of responsibility, he placed the blame squarely on… hmmm… Joe Torre? Charlie Manuel? Any of the other coaches? It’s the biggest cop-out I’ve heard in quite some time, but it gets even worse. When asked to respond on potentially costing home-field advantage for the Dodgers in the World Series, Bell said:

 “Well, they’ve won so many games this year. And I’ve ruined games for the Dodgers like two or three times with saves against them. I guess I’m just doing what I normally do.”

Did he really just say that? (What a freaking loser!) Finally, he goes on to further explain how little he cared about the loss;

“This was a very good wakeup call because this doesn’t count on my record. I didn’t ruin it for the Padres, my ultimate team.”

This is one of the reasons why the NL has lost to the AL for thirteen straight years. Having just one guy like Heath Bell on your squad is like the ultimate kiss of death. And who knows, maybe this “I don’t give a shit” attitude is more prevalent than we think.

If we lived in a world where everything was fair and justice always prevailed, Heath Bell would never be allowed to play in another All Star Game no matter how well he pitches in the future.

When a player openly belittles the game the way Bell did, a game that Major League Baseball has placed so much significance on, than that player should never be allowed to step foot on the field of another All Star game.

You know what really makes me feel bad right now? All the times that I have bashed Omar Minaya on this site for trading Heath Bell to the Padres.

 Knowing now, what a selfish loser Bell really is, the truth of the matter is that I would never want a guy like him in our clubhouse anyway.

This entire episode gives me a greater appreciation for our players, and Carlos Beltran in particular.

I recall how devastated Beltran was after striking out to end the 2006 NLCS and ending the Mets quest for a third World Series title. I remember in spring training of this season when he told reporters that he is still haunted by the memory of that Adam Wainright curve ball, and that it has motivated him to be a better and more aggressive hitter. (And he certainly has been.)

The way Heath Bell handled himself after the game is really an insult to the vast majority of players who do care about winning. 

Heath Bell not only cheapens the All Star game, he rots the fabric of the national pastime itself.

I have officially jumped off the “why did we trade Heath Bell” bandwagon. Last night. Bell gave me the reason why.