Friday, May 17, 2024

We remember Cool Papa Bell (1903-1991)

Image result for james papa bell images(You can listen to my show.  If you like our posts, please look for ”Donate” on the right column of the blog page.)

James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell was born on May 17. 1903 and played his entire career in the Negro Leagues.    
He was one of the fastest men ever to play baseball.    Satchel Paige once said this about him:
“One Time he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit him sliding into second.”
He was part of the greatest Negro League teams.  Bell won many  championships with the St Louis Stars, the Pittsburgh Crawfords, and the Homestead Grays.   The 1935 Crawfords featured five future Hall-of-Famers: Bell, Oscar Charleston, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson and Satchel Paige.

Like many Negro League stars, he played in Mexico and Cuba. 

Bell was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 when many of the Negro League greats were added.

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