Tigers give Blake Bell a fallback plan

With the 1,303rd pick of the baseball draft, the Detroit Tigers drafted Bishop Carroll graduate Blake Bell — who hasn't pitched since 2008.

"I heard about that," Bell said with a laugh.

Bell left Wichita for Norman, Okla., on Saturday to participate in football workouts as a Sooner.

"It's an honor to get that and I haven't played baseball," Bell said. "Just being drafted, saying you were drafted, I don't care what it is, that's a cool deal."

The Tigers have a Wichita connection in David Chadd, the vice president of amateur scouting. Bell played football with Chadd's nephew, Timmy.

Chadd "knows about his talent and all that," said Bell's dad, Mark. "Obviously he knows Blake is going to OU and not going to go anywhere. It's quite an honor to be drafted by the major leagues. It's an honor and another something about Blake that I shake my head about."

Bell didn't rule out playing baseball some day.

"There could be always something that happens," he said. "You never know. I could end up playing baseball. You never know, something could happen."

"He's committed down there at OU," Mark Bell said, "and he's getting after it pretty hard. But ... you feel pretty good about it."

This story was originally published June 10, 2010 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Tigers give Blake Bell a fallback plan."