Image courtesy of Encyclopedia Britannica
Cool Papa Bell: The Fastest Man to Ever Play Baseball
James Thomas “Cool Papa” Bell, born May 17, 1903, in Starkville, Mississippi, is widely regarded as one of the greatest players in Negro Leagues history and, by all accounts, the fastest.
Growing up in a large family with a widowed mother, a sister, and five brothers, Bell spent his early years on a farm outside of Starkville. As a child, Bell helped out around his grandfather’s farm, on which the family raised cotton, corn, fruit, and vegetables. Despite not having access to formal sports teams, Bell started playing baseball on hot summer days when he wasn’t needed on the farm. Bell later recalled playing ball at the age of 10 as one of his fondest memories:
“I was just a little boy, but I could throw hard. One day there was a picnic in a little town called Blackjack. After we ate under the cool shade trees, they asked me to pitch in the men’s game. I was scared, but I went out and did my best. I pitched three innings and struck out eight of the nine men I faced. The only guy who hit the ball was Joe Minor. He was the best hitter around, a big guy with thick wrists and real strong forearms. But all he could do was hit a little grounder back to me.
“When it was my turn to hit, a big woman came running to the plate, picked me up, and put me on her shoulder. She yelled at the pitcher, ‘You’re throwing too fast, and this little boy’s going to get hurt.’ But they convinced her to let me bat, and, on the first pitch, I hit a line drive into the outfield for a single. I stole second base and wound up scoring the winning run in the game. Was I happy!
“After I left the field the girls came running up to me and gave me a big piece of chocolate cake. I remember that game better than any I played as a professional.”
The next several years played out similarly for Bell: he worked the farm and played baseball when he could. At the age of 17, Bell moved to St. Louis to be with his brothers and to attend high school. Reportedly, he was unable to attend high school in his rural community because there were only white schools.
Bell got a job at a packing house and had hoped to go to night school, but his undeniable baseball talent soon pulled him out of the classroom. He started playing sandlot ball on the weekends with the Compton Hill Cubs. Bell’s first known appearance in a game was mentioned in a short write-up in the October 15, 1920, edition of the St. Louis Argus. The game took place on October 10, against the East St. Louis Cubs, and Bell was listed as the pitcher — with his older brother Robert catching — in a 15-4 victory for the Cubs.
Baseball quickly became his focus, and in 1922, despite protests from his mother and sister, he began his professional career with the St. Louis Stars of the Negro Leagues as an outfielder and pitcher.
Bell earned his nickname “Cool Papa” while playing for the St. Louis Stars. His teammates called him “Cool” for his ability to keep striking out opponents without showing nervousness. Bell later explained, “’C’mon, Cool,’…didn’t sound right. That’s not enough of a name…got to put something else on it.” So “Papa” was added, and a legend was born.
His composure, speed, and intelligence on the field quickly earned him admiration from fans and fellow players alike. Fellow Negro League player Josh Gibson often quipped, “Cool Papa Bell was so fast he could get out of bed, turn out the lights across the room, and be back in bed under the covers before the lights went out.”
Bell’s speed and base-running skills were unparalleled. Among many legendary accounts, he once stole 175 bases in a 200-game season and was able to round the bases in 12 seconds flat. Even the “fastest man in the world” in the 1930s, Jesse Owens, refused to race Bell.
“If he bunts and it bounces twice, put it in your back pocket,” legendary catcher Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe told author James Riley.
Not just a ringer called in to run bases, Bell was a defensive force. Following an injury to his pitching arm, Bell moved to center field in 1924, a position well-suited for his almost unbelievable speed. He played for the Stars until the club folded in 1931, winning championships in ’28, ’30 and ’31. He played the next season split between the Detroit Wolves, Homestead Grays and Kansas City Monarchs. He then joined the star-studded Pittsburgh Crawfords in ’33 and played alongside legends Josh Gibson and Paige. In ’43, he returned to the Grays and won two Negro Leagues World Series titles in ’43 and ’44. In 1929 and ’32, he also had brief stints with the Chicago American Giants.
Over a career spanning more than two decades, Bell played for some of the top teams in the Negro League, including the aforementioned St. Louis Stars, Pittsburgh Crawfords, Homestead Grays, Kansas City Monarchs, Chicago American Giants, Memphis Red Sox, Detroit Wolves, and others. He appeared in eight East-West All-Star Games and helped his teams win multiple Negro World Series championships.
Bell’s career also took him internationally. He played 21 seasons of winter ball in Cuba and Mexico, winning the Triple Crown in the Mexican League. While his skill was certainly great enough to earn him a spot on any team, he was barred from playing in the MLB because of his race.
Reflecting on the freedom he felt during his time abroad, Bell said, “Everybody was the same down there. We could go in any restaurant, stay in hotels, and oh, the fans? They loved us.”
Bell’s personality off the field was as remarkable as his skill on it. Fellow players recalled him fondly. Dave Barnhill reminisced, “He was a beautiful person. Yes he was. Cool Papa Bell. He was a lovable person. And still is. And always has been. I love him. My goodness, that’s one beautiful man.”
Judy Johnson remembered, “He had time for everybody. Never hurried. Signed autographs, talked to the people, gave advice on baseball, anything they wanted. All the time showing his big beautiful smile. He was so kind. If everybody was like Cool, this would be a better world.”
Bell retired in the late 1940s and worked as a scout, playing manager, and later as a custodian and security officer in St. Louis. The Negro Leagues Committee inducted him into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974, nearly three decades after he retired.
Bell, always living up to his nickname, reflected on the honor: “It’s the highest honor, but I don’t jump up and down and holler and rush to the telephone to call my friends. They’ll learn about it sometime.”
James “Cool Papa” Bell passed away on March 7, 1991, just six weeks after his beloved wife, Clara Belle, died. Lou Brock, one of his pallbearers, remarked, “To his grave goes a whole chapter in the black history of baseball, in black history, period. His dream got deferred. I just hope somewhere in history that his performance gets accurately recorded.”
Bell’s legacy remains immortalized in streets, statues, and honors across St. Louis, and his influence on baseball, particularly as one of the fastest and most gifted players in Negro Leagues history and baseball history writ large, continues to inspire new generations and remind us of baseball’s murky past. But as Bell himself reflected, “Because of baseball, I smelled the rose of life. I wanted to meet interesting people, to travel, and to have nice clothes. Baseball allowed me to do all those things, and most important … it allowed me to become a member of a brotherhood of friendship which will last forever.”
