James Cool Papa Bell
James "Cool Papa" Bell was a prominent figure in the Negro Leagues, celebrated for his extraordinary speed and versatility as a baseball player. Born on May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi, he faced the challenges of growing up in a segregated society that limited opportunities for African Americans. After moving to St. Louis, he began his baseball career playing for amateur teams and quickly gained recognition for his pitching skills, eventually signing a professional contract with the St. Louis Stars.
Over his 25-year career, Bell transitioned from pitcher to outfielder, honing his hitting skills and contributing to several championship wins with teams like the Pittsburgh Crawfords and the Washington Homestead Grays. Known for his remarkable speed, he became legendary for stealing bases and executing remarkable plays, earning stories that sometimes bordered on the mythical. Despite his talent, Bell's opportunities in Major League Baseball were curtailed by the color barrier of his time.
After retiring from professional play, he continued to live in St. Louis, taking on a job as a security officer. In 1974, he was posthumously honored with induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, ensuring that his legacy as a celebrated athlete in the history of baseball would not be forgotten.
James Cool Papa Bell
Baseball Player
- Born: May 17, 1903
- Birthplace: Starkville, Mississippi
- Died: March 7, 1991
- Place of death: St. Louis, Missouri
Sport: Baseball
Early Life
James Thomas Bell was born in Starkville, Mississippi, on May 17, 1903. He was the son of a farmer and the great-grandson of an American Indian. As a child, James lived on a small tract of land in Starkville with his parents. Life was tough for most African American families in the deep South during this time. Segregation denied African Americans many of the rights and opportunities granted to white Americans. James completed his elementary education at the African American school in Starkville. Because there was not an African American high school in Starkville, his mother sent him at the age of seventeen to live with his sister and four brothers in St. Louis, Missouri . She wanted him to continue his education by attending high school there.
The Road to Excellence
James never attended school regularly in St. Louis; instead he got a job working in a packing house. In his spare time, he played baseball with four of his brothers for an amateur team in St. Louis called the Compton Hill Cubs. He became a star pitcher and played with several other semiprofessional teams around St. Louis. In 1922, he was pitching for the East St. Louis Cubs, a semiprofessional team, against the St. Louis Stars of the Negro National League. In that game, he struck out eight of the Stars’ players with his knuckleball. The St. Louis coach and management were impressed with his abilities and a few days later offered him a professional contract. Even though James loved baseball, he did not immediately jump at the chance to play. He had to decide between his job in the packing plant and professional baseball.
James’s sister did not want him to join the team, but his brothers knew his ability and wanted him to play baseball. Baseball finally won out as he signed a contract to play for the Stars for ninety dollars a month. This began a professional career that lasted twenty-five years, until 1946.
In 1922, while pitching for the Stars, James struck out future hall-of-fame member Oscar Charleston in a “clutch” situation. Teammates on the Stars started calling James “Cool” because of his self-composed demeanor during this feat. After James played under the name “Cool” Bell for a while, Bill Gatewood, manager of the Stars, thought that this nickname was incomplete and added “Papa.” Thus James “Cool” Bell was forever known as “Cool Papa” Bell.
The Emerging Champion
Cool Papa pitched and played outfield for the Stars for two years before he was made a full-time outfielder. He possessed outstanding speed, which allowed him to run great distances to catch and recover fly balls. This change from pitcher to outfielder allowed him to concentrate on his hitting. Cool Papa worked hard to become a complete ballplayer. He learned to hit from both sides of the plate to take advantage of his speed. During his nine years with the Stars, he developed the skills that eventually made him a star in the Negro Leagues. The Stars won championships in 1928, 1930, and 1931. While playing with the Pittsburgh Crawfords from 1932 to 1936, Cool Papa played alongside other Negro League greats Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, William “Judy” Johnson, and Leroy “Satchel” Paige. During this time, the Crawfords won Negro League Championships every year.
Cool Papa soon developed the distinction as the fastest man in baseball. He was credited with stealing 175 bases during the 1933 season. No one in the Negro Leagues or the segregated major leagues was faster. James’s speed became the topic for both verified and exaggerated stories. On sacrifice bunts, Cool Papa often went from first base to third base. In an exhibition game against Major League Baseball’s(MLB’s) Cleveland Indians, Cool Papa once scored from first base on a bunt when he saw no one was covering home plate. One of the exaggerated stories about Cool Papa’s speed had him hitting a ball and then the ball hitting him as he slid into second base. Another story described him as so fast that he could turn out the light and be in bed before the room got dark.
Continuing the Story
From 1938 to 1941, Cool Papa played baseball in the Mexican League and became a star and crowd favorite. In 1942, he returned to the Negro Leagues for a brief stay with the Chicago American Giants. In 1943, he joined the Washington Homestead Grays. While with the Grays, he teamed with Negro League greats Walter “Buck” Leonard and Gibson to lead the Grays to championships in 1943, 1944, and 1945.
Cool Papa’s career in baseball spanned twenty-five years. During that time, he was voted to every Negro League all-star game except for the years he played in Mexico. Only one thing kept Cool Papa, as well as other great players of the Negro Leagues, from playing in the major leagues—the color of their skin. Unfortunately for players and fans, Cool Papa played during the time of segregation, when the two races had separate baseball leagues.
After Cool Papa’s retirement, he returned to St. Louis and found a job as a security officer for the city. In 1951, at the age of forty-eight, Cool Papa was approached by the St. Louis Browns about coming out of retirement and joining the team. He turned down the opportunity, knowing that his speed and batting were not what they once were. For Cool Papa, as for so many of the stars of the Negro Leagues, the color barrier was broken near the end of or after their careers. MLB fans were never exposed to Negro League players’ great abilities. In 1974, Cool Papa reached the pinnacle of baseball fame when he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
Summary
James “Cool Papa” Bell was a star in the Negro Leagues. However, because of segregation, he remained obscure to MLB fans. His speed on the base paths and his performance with a bat earned him a reputation as a multitalented baseball legend. He is remembered as a player who was well-liked by teammates, opponents, and fans of the Negro Leagues. Cool Papa was truly a champion.
Bibliography
Freedman, Lew. African American Pioneers of Baseball: A Biographical Encyclopedia. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 2007.
James, Bill. The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract. New York: Free Press, 2003.
Kirwin, Bill. Out of the Shadows: African American Baseball from the Cuban Giants to Jackie Robinson. Lincoln: University of Nebraska Press, 2005.
Riley, James A. The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues. New York: Carroll & Graf, 1994.