Carolina Mudcats return Bell, entire staff for 2011 season

The Carolina Mudcats have announced a rarity in minor-league baseball.

• Photo by Nikolaus © 2010 Carolina Mudcats
• Mudcats manager David Bell

Back at the helm for a third season will be manager David Bell, joined also for a third season by both hitting coach Ryan Jackson and trainer Jimmy Mattocks. Pitching coach Tom Brown is back for a second season.

Bell, 38, who played parts of 12 seasons in the big leagues with the Indians, Cardinals, Mariners, Giants, Phillies and Brewers, is 123-153 in his two seasons in Zebulon, his only two years as a minor-league skipper.

Jackson, also 38, is in his fifth season as a coach with the Reds’ organization after an 11-year playing career that included parts of four seasons at the Major League level with Florida (1998), Seattle (1999) and Detroit (2001-02). He played for the Durham Bulls in 2000 and ’03 and was NCAA National Player of the Year in 1994 at Duke.