Why does Josh Bell's locker feature a baseball decorated like Wilson from 'Cast Away'?
Hitting the ball clear out of PNC Park and into the Allegheny River beyond is no easy feat. Only five homers have done so since the stadium opened in 2001, and two of those came off the bat of Pirates first baseman Josh Bell, each traveling more than 450 feet.
That's the kind of thing you'd want to commemorate. It turns out that Bell has done just that -- and he's even taken the effort to paint one to reflect its time floating in the open water.
We have a lot of questions. Did it wash up on the banks of the river with a bunch of other stuff? Does Bell talk to this ball when he's alone in the clubhouse? Is it named Wilson or does it have another name? Is it decorated with blood, or is that just red paint?
It's good to see that Bell has found himself such a worthy companion. Let's just hope that it doesn't roll or float away when he's on the field or a road trip.