Hen Bell

Hen Bell
2010
J. Freeland Chryst Award

Hen Bell took over as the head coach of the Manheim Central baseball team in 1972. Following one losing year, he led the Barons to 27 straight winning seasons.

Bell's baseball teams at Manheim Central earned eight section titles and four Lancaster-Lebanon League championships (1983, 1984, 1991 and 1993). He was named the L-L League Coach of the Year twice. He finished his baseball coaching career at the end of the 1999 season with a record of 410-205. Many of his former players earned college scholarships and some signed pro baseball deals.

Bell graduated from Columbia High School in 1954 where he was a four-year starter at second base. After graduating from Millersville State College in 1958, he began his teaching career at Hempfield and his coaching career at Columbia HS, where he was an assistant basketball coach and the head baseball coach. He coached baseball for three seasons at Columbia.

Bell also served as an assistant and the head boys basketball coach at both the varsity and junior high levels at Manheim Central HS. In 1980, he led the Barons to a section title and the L-L League boys basketball title game.

In addition to the Lancaster County Sports Hall of Fame, Bell was also inducted into the Susquehanna Valley Chapter of the Pennsylvania Sports HoF, L-L League HoF and the Manheim Central HoF.