Bell, Cool Papa (1903-1991), was a star baseball player in the Negro leagues . The Negro leagues were professional baseball leagues for Black players. Black players were barred from white-controlled major league baseball from the late 1890’s until April 15, 1947, when Jackie Robinson played his first game for the Brooklyn (now Los Angeles) Dodgers. Bell played for several teams in the Negro leagues from 1922 to 1950. He also played over 20 seasons of winter baseball in California, Cuba, and Mexico. Bell became legendary for his speed, both as a baserunner and on defense as a center fielder. Bell was also an outstanding hitter. Statistics in the Negro leagues were often incomplete and unreliable, but he has been credited with batting higher than .400 in some seasons and with stealing 173 bases in a 200-game season. In 54 documented games against teams made up of white major league players, he batted .391. Bell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
James Thomas Bell was born on May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi. His mother sent him to live with some of his family in St. Louis, where he attended high school for two years, worked in a packing plant, and played semiprofessional baseball. The St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League signed him in 1922.
Bell originally was a pitcher who occasionally played in the outfield. During his rookie season, while facing the famous Oscar Charleston , Bell calmly struck him out. Bell’s manager then gave him the name “Cool Papa.” In 1924, after suffering an arm injury, Bell switched to center field permanently.
Bell played for St. Louis from 1922 to 1931. He played for the Detroit Wolves and the Kansas City Monarchs in 1932. He then joined the Pittsburgh Crawfords in 1933. From 1933 to 1936, the Crawfords were one of the greatest teams in baseball history, often featuring future Hall of Fame stars Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson , Judy Johnson , Buck Leonard , and Satchel Paige .
In 1937, Bell left the Crawfords to play in the Dominican Republic. From 1938 to 1941, he played in Mexico. Bell returned to the Negro leagues in 1942 and played on several teams in the following years, including the legendary Homestead Grays . He ended his career as a player-manager with a farm team of the Kansas City Monarchs from 1948 to 1950.
After his retirement, Bell worked as a custodian and a security guard at the St. Louis City Hall. He died on March 7, 1991.
See also Negro leagues .
