Rob Bell definitely senses the major-league aura. But he knows he must behave like a veteran today.

        Weather permitting, Bell, a 23-year-old right-hander, will make his big-league debut today against the Chicago Cubs at Cinergy Field.

        Taking the mound will force him to suppress the thrill of being in Cincinnati. The rush hit him when he walked into the clubhouse for the first time and saw the names on the backs of players' uniforms. It continued washing over him during pregame introductions on Opening Day and as he watched his teammates run toward the first-base line.

        “It's just an amazing feeling, the newness of everything,” Bell said. “To walk around town and see people wearing Cincinnati Reds shirts, knowing this is the team I'm part of.”

        But the glow will fade when Bell confronts the likes of Sammy Sosa and Mark Grace.

        “In retrospect, I'll say to have faced those guys in my first start was kind of neat,” he said. “I respect those guys, and there's no questioning their ability. But I'm looking at it just the same as if it were Joe Crede from the Chicago White Sox, who played for the Birmingham Barons last year. If I try to overcompensate and say, "Oh, man, I'm facing Sammy Sosa,' I'll throw a waist-high fastball and I'll be getting a new one from the home-plate umpire.”

        Bell suddenly became the Reds' No.5 starter when they released Mark Portugal on March 29. Until then, he was expected to continue his minor-league seasoning. Considered a top prospect since Atlanta drafted him in 1995, Bell, who came to Cincinnati in November 1998, has pitched only 72 innings above Single-A.

        “I'm here because I need to be successful,” Bell said. “I need to command my pitches the same as last year when I was in (Double-A) Chattanooga or the Arizona Fall League.”

        Said manager Jack McKeon: “I'd like to see the kid get off to a good start. That would be a big plus for his confidence. I imagine he's going to be a little bit nervous. But he's a pretty strong kid.”

Cubs 10, Reds 6 Box, runs Reds send White to Rockies for Aybar Sosa starts HR derby Big bats mark Bell's debut Cromer now 3-for-3 for career Outfield platoon producing

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