Celebrity Death

DMX has died -- a week after suffering an overdose ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... X had virtually no brain function after he was deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes following his overdose. Brain function never returned, and by Thursday his organs began failing while he remained on life support in a New York hospital.

Many people in X's family were at the hospital over the last week, including his mom, fiancee and many of his kids.

A rep for his family tells TMZ, "We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days. Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end."

The statement continues, "He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.”

DMX got his start in music back in the '80s, performing with Ready Ron -- while simultaneously serving time behind bars ... until he finally dedicated himself to music full-time in the '90s. He eventually got signed to Columbia Records' Ruffhouse imprint, and appeared on records with Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Mase and even the rock band Sum 41.

It wasn't until '98 that he truly broke out, when he released his Ruff Ryders debut studio album "It's Dark and Hell is Hot" to critical and mainstream acclaim ... not to mention he added his new canine persona.

'IDAHIH' produced 4 singles, including the well-known "Get At Me Dog," "How's It Goin' Down," "Stop Being Greedy" ... and the track that might perhaps his best known, the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," which became to be the song everyone played to get hyped.

'Ruff Ryders'' has gone down in history as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever, and it ended up making it on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

He followed up that success quickly with a 2nd album later the same year -- "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" came out in December of '98, and ended up hitting #1. At the time, he was the second rapper to release back-to-back albums in the same year ... the first being Tupac.

At that point, DMX had cemented himself and his sound ... abrasive, rough around the edges, but also catchy and great for parties and getting amped. His third album hit that last point home with his single "Party Up (Up in Here)" ... another one of X's notorious songs that helped him get major play on radio, in clubs and in movies.

Speaking of movies, X himself made his feature film debut in 2000's "Romeo Must Die," which starred Jet Li playing a version of Romeo opposite Aaliyah.

He went on to star in a number of memorable flicks after that as the 2000s rolled on -- "Exit Wounds" and "Cradle 2 the Grave" come to mind ... so do "Never Die Alone" and "Last Hour." Safe to say, X was making a name for himself both in and out of music ... but of course, he was fighting legal battles in the background at the same time.

Over the years, he got rung up on many charges -- weapons, drugs, DUI and later tax evasion. He served time for some of those cases, but always continued his music career.

As he struggled with the law, X continued to crank out hits ... including the memorable "X Gon' Give It to Ya," "Where the Hood At?" and "Lord Give Me a Sign" as well as "We in Here."

He really seemed to turn his life around in 2019 after ending a 12-month sentence for tax evasion. DMX had long battled substance abuse and it was at this point that he did his last rehab stint.

Afterward, he was looking better than he had in years and made his return to the stage in December 2019 when he hit Hakkasan in Las Vegas, chatting it up and taking photos with fans before he hit the stage.

In another sign of just how beloved he was by fans and the industry ... DMX, of all people, created a new Christmas classic in 2012 when he freestyled his own version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It had all the charm his audience had come to love about the man.

In July 2020, fans worldwide watched as legends DMX and Snoop Dogg faced off in a Verzuz battle with over 500,000 viewers on Instagram Live.

The rappers complemented each other as they spit some of their most iconic tracks, like when DMX hopped on and joined Snoop for 'Ain't No Fun.' Snoop also got down with "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Gin and Juice" while DMX spit "Where My Dogs At" and his megahit-song "X Gon' Give It To Ya," which brought Snoop out of his seat.

The last time our cameras caught him out was in July 2019 ... and DMX talked to us about the importance of being safe on movie sets when doing action scenes/stunts.

DMX is survived by his 15 children. The youngest was born in 2016 to his fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom.

X was 50.

Prince Harry & Meghan Markle have made their own statement about the passing of Prince Philip ... with a loving tribute on their website.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex's Archewell site just updated so that it's only displaying a message honoring Queen Elizabeth's husband -- and Harry's grandfather -- who died Friday at Windsor Castle.

It reads ... "In Loving Memory of His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, 1921-2021."

Harry and Meghan add ... "Thank you for your service...You will be greatly missed."

As we reported ... Buckingham Palace released a statement from The Queen announcing Prince Philip's death, and that was it from the Royal Family until the Archewell post.

It's still unclear what Prince Harry and Meghan's plans are now, but there are reports that at least Harry will be heading to the UK for his grandfather's funeral ... setting up what could be an awkward family reunion.

DMX made a huge impact on athletes around the world -- many of whom are paying tribute to the rapper in the wake of his death Friday morning.

NFL star Adrian Peterson posted, "A Hip hop icon like no other. RIP."

LeBron James paid tribute by playing X's music on his IG page -- including the smash hit "Slippin'."

He also tweeted, "X 4L!! Rest In Paradise LEGEND!!"

NBA star Jamal Crawford added, "DMX gave hope to the hopeless ... RIP legend."

Stephen Jackson posted a picture of his tattoo which features a quote from DMX.

"If my life ain’t long, I thank God with my last breath so my life ain’t wrong."

"[DMX] inspired me to get this tat 17 yrs ago," Jackson posted ... "Words that stuck with me. Rest Easy Big Dog. Gone but never forgotten. Prayers and condolences to DMX and his family."

Ex-NFL wide receiver Torrey Smith -- "RIP DMX! My love for dogs was influenced by him. His lyrics also made me feel like I could get through anything!"

"I’m glad that he was able to receive his roses recently. His mental health struggle was documented for all of us to see and learn from. Prayers up for his family."

Even pro wrestling legend Iron Sheik weighed in ... "DMX RIP BROTHER FOREVER."

Charlotte Hornets player Miles Bridges: "RIP DMX if you know me you know I fw X heavy smh this one hurt."

NFL's A.J. Brown: "All Dawgs go to Heaven!! RIP DMX."

Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh and Queen Elizabeth II's husband of nearly 73 years, has died ... TMZ has learned.

Buckingham Palace released this statement ... "It is with deep sorrow that Her Majesty The Queen announces the death of her beloved husband, His Royal Highness The Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh."

The statement goes on ... "His Royal Highness passed away peacefully this morning at Windsor Castle. Further announcements will be made in due course. The Royal Family join with people around the world in mourning his loss."

Prince Philip has had major health issues recently ... he was hospitalized back in February with heart issues.

The Prince had mostly been secluded as of late -- along with the Queen -- not necessarily for direct health issues ... but due to the recent safety precautions regarding the coronavirus pandemic. Philip was at-risk as a very old man with pre-existing conditions.

He was even hospitalized briefly in December to treat one of those conditions, but was released to join the Queen in time for Christmas.

Of course, in January 2019 he was also involved in an alarming car crash in which he was the driver. He was unhurt but decided to voluntarily turn in his driving license afterward ... at the age of 97.

Philip married Elizabeth in 1947 ... she became Queen in 1952, and he was dubbed a Prince of the UK in 1957.

Philip was born in Greece into the royal families of that country and Denmark. He was raised all over Europe, but joined the British Royal Navy at the age of 18. He served in WWII, and eventually rose to rank of commander until he retired from military service.

He retired from his official royal duties in August 2017 at the age of 96 after 65 years of service.

Philip is survived by QEII, their 4 children (Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward), 8 grandchildren (including Prince William and Prince Harry), and 8 great-grandchildren ... including the youngest heir to the throne, Prince George.

He was the oldest-ever male British Royal at 99.

Howard Weitzman, an influential and wildly successful attorney who represented some of the biggest names in Hollywood has died.

He died this week in Pacific Palisades, CA after battling cancer ... according to his family.

Howard spent over 50 years repping celebs, including O.J. Simpson, John DeLorean, Michael Jackson, Morgan Freeman, Magic Johnson, Marlon Brando, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sugar Ray Leonard, Justin Bieber, Ozzy Osbourne, Diddy, Ivan Reitman, Ron Meyer and countless others.

He represented Michael Jackson's Estate from the get-go, and also repped the singer in the civil lawsuit brought by Jordan Chandler.

Howard famously repped O.J. Simpson in the murder case, but only for a day. The video above was shot when Weitzman and Simpson left LAPD headquarters after O.J. was interviewed the day after the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman. Howard quit the case the next day ... the story goes his wife, Margaret, urged him to withdraw.

When he helped free DeLorean from a cocaine charge in 1984, Howard popularized those press conferences you see on the courtroom steps.

Howard was born and raised in Los Angeles, playing baseball as a kid and studying at Los Angeles City College and USC Law School before founding the law firm Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump LLP, where he was the lead trial attorney in over 300 criminal and civil jury trials.

He also served as vice president of corporate operations for Universal Studios from 1995-98 and lectured at USC Law School, Harvard, Georgetown Law Center, UCLA and other law schools.

Howard often made the rounds as a guest on national TV, going on "CBS This Morning," "Good Morning America" and "Dateline."

He's survived by his wife, Margaret, and their children, Jed and Armen.

Howard was 81.

Isaiah Thomas says it was "only right" to choose #24 when he signed with the N.O. Pelicans last week -- explaining it's the perfect way to pay tribute to his mentor, Kobe Bryant.

32-year-old Thomas inked a 10-day contract with the Pels on Friday -- and got emotional when talking to the media Tuesday about his jersey number selection before making his debut with the team.

'Kobe was one of my very close mentors," Thomas said ... "And [choosing #24] was an opportunity to pay homage to one of the best players to ever play the game."

"Hopefully it works out and I could play like Kobe a little bit if I get in there."

Thomas and Kobe had a close relationship -- IT says he would regularly text and call Mamba for advice about the game ... and about life.

"And, I miss that ... about being able to reach out to not one of the best basketball players in the world, but one of the best people in the world."

Kobe passed away in January 2020 -- but IT has vowed to honor Bryant's legacy every time he steps on the court ... and he certainly delivered on Tuesday.

IT made an immediate impact for the Pels as they took on the Atlanta Hawks -- scoring 8 straight points after he checked in.

The death of Team USA hockey legend Mark Pavelich -- a key part of the "Miracle on Ice" team -- has been ruled a suicide, officials announced.

The 63-year-old died on March 4 at the Eagle's Healing Nest in Minnesota -- where Pavelich had been undergoing court-ordered treatment as part of a 2019 assault case.

After a thorough investigation, the Midwest Medical Examiner's Office issued a statement Monday saying Pavelich "died of asphyxia due to a plastic bag over head. The manner of death is suicide."

Pavelich -- who famously made the assist on the game-winning goal to beat the Russians in the 1980 Olympics -- had been battling mental health issues in recent years.

In fact, during his assault case -- stemming from a violent altercation with a neighbor -- the ex-hockey star was diagnosed with PTSD and multiple clinical psychologists found him to be both mentally ill and dangerous.

One psychologist testified Pavelich suffered from "mild neurocognitive disorder due to traumatic brain injury with behavioral disturbance (psychotic symptoms, aggression)" -- and suggested the condition may have been caused by repeated hits to the head.

Pavelich's family had said they believe hockey was a major contributing factor to his brain injuries.

After his stint on Team USA, Mark spent 5 seasons with the NY Rangers -- followed by brief stints with the Minnesota North Stars and San Jose Sharks.

He retired from pro hockey in 1992.

Disney famously made a movie about the "Miracle On Ice" team in 2004 -- and Pavelich was played by actor Chris Koch.

Paul Ritter -- best known around the globe for playing Eldred Worple in "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" -- has died.

A rep for the British actor says Paul died of a brain tumor Monday night. He died peacefully at home with his wife Polly and sons -- Frank and Noah -- by his side. The rep added, "He was fiercely intelligent, kind and very funny. We will miss him greatly. Paul was an exceptionally talented actor playing an enormous variety of roles on stage and screen with extraordinary skill."

Some of Paul's bigger credits include appearing in the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace" as government adviser Guy Haines. In his homeland ... Paul was best known for playing the family patriarch in the long-running Channel 4 comedy "Friday Night Dinner."

He was also a brilliant stage actor that landed him both Olivier and Tony Award nominations. Paul's work in "Coram Boy" earned him an Olivier nomination in 2006. His starring role in "The Norman Conquests" in 2009 snagged him a Tony nomination.

He was most recently in the HBO miniseries "Chernobyl" ... portraying Anatoly Dyatlov, the supervisor who was blamed for not following safety protocols leading to the nuclear disaster.

Paul was also set to appear in the upcoming World War II drama "Operation Mincemeat."

Kane Roush -- a high school football legend who beat out Joe Burrow for one of the area's top awards -- was shot to death in Ohio over the weekend and cops are now on the hunt for his killer.

He was only 25 years old.

Roush was one of the top running backs in West Virginia in 2013 --constantly making headlines as the leader of the Wahama High School White Falcons.

He led the school to a Class A state title in 2012 -- and famously beat out Joe Burrow for the highly coveted "Gridiron Glory" Player of the Year award in 2013 ... something Burrow even joked about to TMZ Sports right before he was drafted in 2019.

Roush went on to play at the college level for the Div. II University of Charleston Golden Eagles in West Virginia ... earning 2 TDs, 176 yards rushing and another 132 yards receiving during his redshirt junior season.

But, tragedy struck on Easter Sunday -- the Meigs County Sheriff's Department responded to a call regarding shots fired in Pomeroy, OH around 4:52 AM and found Roush on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds in his back, according to the Daily Sentinel.

Officials say Roush crawled to a neighbor's residence about 20 yards away to ask for help ... and was still responsive as cops arrived on the scene.

Roush was transported to a nearby hospital, where he ultimately succumbed to his injuries.

Sheriff Keith Wood believes the incident may have happened after some sort of argument. Officials are currently investigating the incident.

Roush was a human highlight reel on the gridiron -- he had 48 total touchdowns during his senior season at Wahama ... including more than 1,600 rushing yards and another 720 yards receiving.

The UCWV football team tweeted their condolences on Monday ... saying, "Extremely saddened by the loss of one of our own. Rest Easy, Kane."

Gloria Henry -- most famous for playing the mom character on the old 'Dennis the Menace' show -- has died.

The veteran actress passed away Saturday, just one day after her 98th birthday ... this according to her daughter, Erin Ellwood, who broke the sad news on Instagram. After posting some celebratory shots of her mother's milestone year, she said she'd died the next day.

Erin threw up a photo of her mom posing at the Colette Miller angel wings mural in Hollywood, writing ... "She’s flying now, free of her body. She left on a countdown 4 3 2 1 @ 3:40pm. She was such an incredible woman in so many ways. This last year with her has been beautiful and heartbreaking. Thank you all for following me and supporting me on this journey - this beautiful land mine. Goodbye Momma, I love your guts forever ❤️"

On Friday, Erin posted a sweet birthday card Gloria was sent from cartoonist Marcus Hamilton -- the guy famous for those Dennis the Menace cartoons that have appeared in newspapers for years now. He customized it for her, thanking for being the best "mom" Dennis could ask for. Erin says it made Gloria's day to see it.

Of course, Gloria played Alice Mitchell -- the titular character's mom -- on the CBS black and white sitcom for all four seasons from 1959 through 1963, having starred in 146 episodes. She was the epitome of the white picket fence parent ... often playing peacemaker with her rambunctious boy and his nemesis/neighbor, Mr. Wilson.

While she's perhaps best-known from 'DTM' ... Gloria had a long-running career in TV and film that dates back to the '40s, when she starred in B-films like "Adventures in Silverado," "The Arkansas Swing," "Johnny Alegro" and many others.

She made a splash in the '50s as Michelle Malone in 'The Files of Jeffrey Jones' ... and went on to have supporting roles in 'Mr. & Mrs. North,' 'My Little Margie,' 'Perry Mason,' 'Broken Arrow,' 'The Farmer's Daughter,' 'The Brady Brides,' 'Simon & Simon,' 'Silver Spoons,' 'Dallas' and countless other famous series. All in all, Gloria has 65 acting credits to her name.

She'll always be remembered as Dennis' sweet maternal presence though. Gloria was 98.

B.B. Dickerson -- one of the founding members of the funk band War -- has reportedly died.

A rep confirmed his passing to Billboard, citing a battle with a long, undisclosed illness. He said B.B. -- whose real name was Morris -- died peacefully at his home in Long Beach.

Dickerson was one of the OG band members who helped put War on the map in the late '60s and '70s -- this after being discovered by record producer Jerry Goldstein and paired with lead singer Eric Burdon ... who served as the face of the group thereafter.

He served as the primary bassist for War, and often contributed vocals as well -- including heading up lead singer duties for their 10-minute-plus opus "The World is a Ghetto" -- which was reimagined and covered countless times over the years.

B.B. was also there for War's biggest hit single to date, "Why Can't We Be Friends?" plus a long string of other well-known tracks, like "Spill the Wine," "Gypsy Man," "Low Rider," "Me and Baby Brother," "The Cisco Kid," "All Day Music," "Slippin' Into Darkness," "Summer" and countless others.

He was also there performing with War when they notably shared the stage with Jimi Hendrix in London back in 1970 -- which became the latter's last public performance before he died.

B.B. toured and performed with War until 1979 -- when he departed, only to reunite with other founding members in the '90s under a new stage name, the Lowrider Band, as they attempted to get out from under the thumb of Goldstein, who had the rights to "War."

B.B. is said to be survived by his mother, uncle and children. He was 71.

G. Gordon Liddy -- the mastermind behind the Watergate break-in -- said he would go to his grave without talking ... and he's officially done just that.

Gordon's son, Thomas Liddy, tells TMZ ... Gordon died Tuesday morning in Mt. Vernon, Virginia. Gordon, who had been sick and was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, died at the home of his daughter, Alexandra Liddy Bourne.

We're told Gordon did NOT die of COVID-19. In fact, Thomas says his father had received the vaccine 3 weeks ago in Maryland. Thomas and Alexandra were holding Gordon's hands as he passed away.

A little history lesson here for the young ones ... Gordon -- a political operative and former FBI agent -- was one of the guys behind the bungled 1972 break-in at the Democratic National Committee's Watergate headquarters.

They had initially planted bugs and photographed crucial docs ... and gotten away clean. But, some of the burglars -- with Gordon in a Watergate hotel room running point guard -- returned to the scene a few weeks later and got caught.

Gordon was among those arrested and indicted on charges of burglary, wiretapping and conspiracy. Of course, the scandal -- from the break-in to the cover-up -- led to President Richard Nixon's resignation in 1974.

And, while some sang like canaries to get lighter sentences ... Gordon kept true to his word and kept his mouth shut. He spent nearly 4 and a half years behind bars after refusing to testify to a Senate committee ... but President Jimmy Carter would later commute his 6 to 20-year sentence.

After getting out of prison, Gordon made his mark on the small screen with minor roles in "Miami Vice" and "18 Wheels of Justice" ... but it was his nationally syndicated radio talk show that brought him stardom in the 1990s until his retirement in 2012.

Here's your chance to own a big piece of Notorious B.I.G. history ... a hubcap from the SUV the rapper was shot in is hitting the open market.

The folks over at Moments In Time are brokering the sale of one of the 4 hubcaps from the infamous GMC Suburban Biggie was riding in when he was gunned down March 9, 1997, as he left L.A.'s Petersen Automotive Museum.

We're told the seller originally got the hubcap from a family friend who owned the rental company which owned the SUV ... so it's been around the block. We're told the seller had the hubcap for years and just decided to unload it, with an asking price of a cool $150,000.

As you can see ... the hubcap still has part of the sticker that was slapped on it some 24 years ago, and you can still make out the advertisement for his 1997 album, "Life After Death."

The sticker says, "THINK B.I.G. MARCH 25 1997," which was the album's release date.

You can see the hubcap with the sticker in the crime scene photos from back in the day ... after B.I.G. was shot 4 times in a drive-by while the SUV was stopped at a red light on Fairfax and Wilshire Blvd.

Houston Tumlin -- the kid who played Ricky Bobby's son in 'Talladega Nights' -- grew up to proudly serve his country, but sadly suffered from PTSD and depression as a result, which led to his suicide ... his mother tells TMZ.

Michelle Tumlin tells us ... her son honorably served in the U.S. Army for nearly 6 years, earning many accolades as an E-4 specialist in the 101st Airborne Division.

Houston's awards include the Army Achievement Medal, National Defense Service Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, but Michelle says he was most proud of earning his Air Assault wings.

Michelle says, "Houston received a different set of wings" this week, and while the family is hurting from the loss, she says they want to stress to anyone who is suffering to reach out and get help.

She says ... "Houston Lee Tumlin was so much more than a child actor from 'Talladega Nights.' My beautiful boy brought joy to everyone he encountered and made them feel special. Houston fought his battle for years, and we will continue to fight for him."

We're told Houston will have a full military funeral, and his family marched in an event over the weekend in Helena, Alabama to raise awareness for veteran suicide and PTSD support.

We broke the story ... Houston died by suicide Tuesday at his home in Pelham.

Along with his military service, he was best known for playing the foul-mouthed Walker Bobby, the eldest son of Will Ferrell's character, in the 2006 comedy, "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby."

Houston was 28.

Deshayla Harris -- one of the stars of 'Bad Girls Club' -- died after falling victim to one of several shootings that occurred in her home state ... TMZ has confirmed.

Virginia Beach PD confirmed Deshayla's ID Saturday as one of two fatalities resulting from three separate shootings from Friday night ... which appear to be unrelated, but happened within a short time of one another. The other victim is 25-year-old Donovan Lynch.

Cops say Deshayla was a bystander for the second shooting, in which a stray bullet from the crossfire hit her. Police do not believe this was a mass shooting -- simply shots fired erupting from feuding parties near the beachfront area of town, where all the resorts lie.

Deshayla is said to have died at the scene. Upwards of eight other people were injured from the shootings -- and police say they have 3 individuals in custody in connection to at least one of those. Ahmon Adams, Nyquez Baker and Devon Dorsey Jr. were arrested and charged with several different counts -- including assault, use and reckless handling of a firearm, among others. VBPD says none of these guys were involved in the shooting that killed Deshayla ... it's unclear if any suspects have been apprehended for that just yet.

Deshayla is known for her appearance on Season 17 of 'BGC' ... which was dubbed 'East Meets West.' They slugged her on the show as the Firecracker Fashionista. Deshayla was portrayed as feisty and a proud East Coaster. She was also a brawler -- getting into a memorable fight with another cast member, Francesca, after spitting in her face.

Despite the bad blood on the show, it appears some of her fellow costars sent their condolences on word that she'd been killed, including Key Marie who posted a tribute to Deshayla on Instagram.

She writes, "No matter how much I refused to talk to you...you never took no for an answer you popped up to my show just to prove fixing our friendship meant something to you 🥲 hardest part about losing you is I never fully forgave you 😫😔 I literally let that TV s*** stand between us building a connection outside of tv 😔🥲🥲🥲 you didn’t deserve this man this shit jus don’t feel real ....I’m sick affffff 🥲🥲 rest easy Babygirl "

Deshayla's final IG post from Friday appears to show her out and about in downtown Norfolk, VA -- which is a stone's throw away from where she was ultimately gunned down.

She was 28.

Devastating news from the Minnesota Twins ... former MLB player and current bench coach Mike Bell has passed away after a battle with kidney cancer. He was only 46.

"The entire Minnesota Twins organization is saddened by the death of current bench coach Mike Bell, who passed away today at the age of 46 from cancer," the team said in a statement Friday.

"At the request of the Bell family, we will play tonight’s game in honor of Mike."

Bell was drafted by the Texas Rangers in the first round of the 1993 amateur draft ... and played 7 seasons in the minor leagues.

He made his MLB debut in 2000 with his hometown Cincinnati Reds ... hitting 2 home runs and 4 RBI before returning to the minors. He retired from playing in April 2005.

Bell's family has a long history in baseball -- Mike's brother, David, played 12 years in the MLB and is the current manager for the Reds.

His dad, Buddy, had an 18-year playing career in the majors before coaching from 1996-2007.

Mike's grandfather, Gus Bell, is in the Reds Hall of Fame.

Earlier this week, Twins manager Rocco Baldelli praised Bell ... saying he was "absolutely invaluable to what we do," according to the Star Tribune.

"I feel fortunate, I really do feel lucky, that I've had the opportunity to work with [him],"