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The 1920s in America

Bell, James “Cool Papa”

by Paul Finnicum

Identification: American baseball player

Born: May 17, 1903, Starkville, Mississippi

Died: March 7, 1991, St. Louis, Missouri

James “Cool Papa” Bell was a pitcher and outfielder who began his career in the early 1920s. He starred in the segregated Negro Leagues from 1922 to 1946 and was part of championship teams with the St. Louis Stars, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Homestead Grays. Bell led two leagues in hitting and had a reputation as the fastest man in baseball.

James Thomas Bell, known to teammates and fans as “Cool Papa,” broke into the Negro Leagues in 1922. He began his career as a pitcher with the St. Louis Stars and earned his nickname for striking out the great Oscar Charleston while staying cool under in-game pressure. Although an exceptional all-around player, Bell was especially known for his speed, and he soon began to play as an outfielder to take advantage of this talent. Stories of his feats of speed were popular among fans and fellow players, who reported that Bell had at times gone from first to third base on a bunt, scored from second base on a sacrifice fly, and stole two bases on the same pitch. Increasingly exaggerated tales claimed that Bell had once been called out at second base when he was hit by his own batted ball. The most famous story of his speed came from pitcher Satchel Paige, who said that Bell was so fast that he could turn off the lights and get into bed before it got dark. While stories related to Bell’s speed on the base path can never be confirmed due to the lack of media coverage and accurate recordkeeping for Negro League games, Bell was documented to have once stolen more than 170 bases in a season. In addition, his recorded lifetime batting average of .338 demonstrated his offensive talent.

Impact

James “Cool Papa” Bell continued to play professional baseball until his retirement in 1946, coaching the Kansas City Monarchs for a short while afterward. In acknowledgment of his talent as a leadoff hitter, his incomparable speed on the bases, and his superlative defensive skills, Bell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.

Further Reading

1 

Hogan, Lawrence D. Shades of Glory: The Negro League and the Story of African-American Baseball. Washington, D.C.: National Geographic Society, 2006.

2 

Peterson, Robert. Only the Ball Was White: A History of Legendary Black Players and All-Black Professional Teams. Old Tappan, N.J.: Prentice Hall. 1970.

3 

Ward, Geoffrey, and Ken Burns. Baseball: An Illustrated History. New York: A. A. Knopf, 1994.

Citation Types

Type
Format
MLA 9th
Finnicum, Paul. "Bell, James “Cool Papa”." The 1920s in America, edited by Carl Rollyson, Salem Press, 2012. Salem Online, online.salempress.com/articleDetails.do?articleName=1920_0060.
APA 7th
Finnicum, P. (2012). Bell, James “Cool Papa”. In C. Rollyson (Ed.), The 1920s in America. Salem Press. online.salempress.com.
CMOS 17th
Finnicum, Paul. "Bell, James “Cool Papa”." Edited by Carl Rollyson. The 1920s in America. Hackensack: Salem Press, 2012. Accessed September 18, 2025. online.salempress.com.