(1903–91). Legendary for his blinding speed on the basepaths, the baseball player James Thomas (Cool Papa) Bell never played in the white major leagues. Instead he starred on three outstanding teams in the Negro leagues: the St. Louis Stars, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Homestead Grays. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Early life

James Thomas Bell was born on May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi. His father was a farmer and one of his grandfathers was a Native American. At age 17 he moved to St. Louis, Missouri, where he attended high school for two years. Then his talents as a pitcher were discovered by the St. Louis Stars of the Negro leagues. He began playing baseball as a full-time professional when he was 19.

Career

During this time, the white major leagues did not allow African Americans to play on their teams. Nevertheless Bell made a name for himself. He earned the nickname “Cool Papa” as a very young man, by striking out Oscar Charleston, a future Hall of Fame player, without showing any nervousness at all. After injuring his pitching arm, he shifted to the outfield, where he proved to be even more effective than he had been as a pitcher.

After leaving the Stars, he played in the Negro leagues for two Pennsylvania teams, the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Homestead Grays. He also played for leagues in Mexico and the Dominican Republic. He was a fine hitter who in 1940 won the Mexican League's triple crown, leading the league in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in.

Bell's outstanding talent was his speed afoot. He may have been the fastest runner ever to play baseball. He once stole 175 bases in less than 200 games, sometimes stealing two bases on one pitch. Many of his base hits were ground balls no one else could have beaten out. The most famous story about his speed was told by his old roommate Satchel Paige. Cool Papa, Paige said jokingly, could turn out the hotel room lights and be in his bed before the room got dark!

Bell finished his baseball career in 1950 as a player-manager of a team in Kansas City. He turned down an offer to play for the St. Louis Browns in the major leagues in 1951, when he would have been 48 years old.

Later life

After retirement, Bell moved back to St. Louis. He became a custodian and security officer at city hall until 1970. In 1974 he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame. He died on March 7, 1991.