The Reflections of Baseball Legend James “Cool Papa” Bell
The Hall-of-Famer and Negro League star saw and did a lot during his amazing career
Many baseball players have nicknames but just a select few have monikers that perfectly encapsulate their talent and personality. It’s hard to think of a case that personifies this any better than legendary Negro League outfielder James “Cool Papa” Bell, who was as classy as he was dominant. In one interview he gave in the 1970s, he provided a glimpse of what made him tick and some important reflections on his career.
Born in 1903, Bell was a switch-hitting outfielder with blinding speed. Sadly, due to Major League Baseball’s racist unwritten rule that barred players of color, he was unable to play in the big leagues. However, he had a splendid 25-year professional career in the Negro Leagues and Mexico (1922–1946), including many exhibition games against teams from the majors.
Although records are incomplete, Bell is credited with a .318 batting average. In the early days of his career he even pitched a little. He was also so fast that he piled up stolen bases and took extra bases like they belonged to him. One famous story told by his former roommate and Hall-of-Fame pitcher Satchel Paige was that he was so quick he was able to turn out the lights and be in…
