When the San Diego Padres have their first save situation at home this season, the bullpen gate will swing open and Bell will ring in a new era.

Bell is taking over as closer for Trevor Hoffman, baseball's all-time saves leader who had an unpleasant end to his long Padres career and moved on to Milwaukee.

Bell's task is enormous, considering that Hoffman has 554 career saves.

Bell has two.

Yet he also has all the confidence in the world.

"I personally never thought he'd go anywhere," Bell said recently at the Padres' spring camp in Peoria, Ariz. "I didn't think I'd start closing for another year, to be honest with you. I'm sad to see him go but on the other hand I'm happy to see him go because I get an opportunity to fulfill my dream, to become a major league closer and show everybody that I can do it. But he was a great teammate, a good friend and a great competitor."

Hoffman's run as closer ended in the offseason when the penny-pinching Padres pulled their $4 million contract offer. He ended up signing with the Brewers for $6 million.

Hoffman's save opportunities at Petco Park were always lively because AC/DC's "Hells Bells" began blaring from the sound system the instant he started jogging in from the bullpen.

Bell's choice for an entrance song is "Blow Me Away" by Breaking Benjamin, which is from the soundtrack to the video game Halo 2.

That alone says a lot about Bell, who thinks he's perfectly suited to be a closer.

"Everybody's always said, 'You're kind of weird,"' he said. "The old makeup is, the only good closers are weird. They're a little out there, they're a little crazy. I can say most of my friends can say I'm out there. My family would say I'm out there."

Bell has never argued that point with them.

"I'm 31 years old, I like playing video games, I like little toys, I love Toys R Us. I'm a big kid. For my kids, it's a bonus. I'll play with it and I'll give it to them."

Bell looked up at his travel bag and mentioned that that's where he keeps his water balloons and a launcher.

"I still have all my Legos, Hot Wheels, Micro Machines," he said. "My son has them and plays with them. Little airplanes, GI Joes, little army men. My son has them, but they're mine. My son's got a whole bunch of toys because I kept all my old toys. I'll still play with them."

Bell said he loves Power Wheels and Big Wheels. "I really wish I could get in them," the 6-foot-3 Bell said ruefully.

"I don't think I'm going to grow up," he added.

Coincidentally, the hard-throwing Bell credits his Nintendo Wii Fit game for helping him lose 25 pounds. He reported to camp at a svelte 245 pounds.

"It said I was obese," said Bell, who weighed 270 pounds when he began playing the video game in the offseason. "I was disappointed that I was that big. I literally took the game to heart. I did the work but I kind of credit the Wii Fit."

Coming off a 99-loss season, the Padres are going to need Bell to anchor a bullpen that's had dramatic turnover.

"He's his own person," catcher Nick Hundley said. "He knows what he's about and he doesn't put on a face and try to fool people. You know what you're going to get with him. The biggest thing is that he wants the ball. He's got enough makeup and enough competitive fire in him that he's going to be fine."

Manager Bud Black considers Bell to be off the wall, but has no problems with that.

"I think his fantasy football team was Toys R Us," Black said.

"I think it's a great opportunity for him," the manager said. "We think he can do it. It's a little bit different than pitching at any other time of the game, I think, so I think he's prepared himself for this day. Now we'll just see how it goes. But I know he's excited about the opportunity."

Bell has been working on a changeup to go with his fastball and curveball. Bell chatted with Hoffman during the last two seasons about Hoffman's changeup, and he also studied photos off the Internet showing how his former teammate gripped the ball.

Bell is ready for the shift in mentality from working the eighth inning to taking over in the ninth.

"In the eighth inning you go out there and do your best, like everybody, try to get three outs and hand the ball over to Trevor," Bell said. "If you don't have it that day, somebody will warm up behind you, bail you out of the jam or what not, where in the ninth inning, it's all on you. There's nobody else behind you. If they need me for the eighth and ninth, I'm there, too. To get five outs, or four outs or just three outs in the ninth. I'm up for the challenge."