Cool Papa Bell
From BR Bullpen
James Thomas Bell (born as James Thomas Nichols)
- Bats Both, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 155 lb.
- Born May 17, 1903 in Starkville, MS USA
- Died March 7, 1991 in St. Louis, MO USA
Inducted into Hall of Fame in 1974
[edit] Biographical Information
"One time he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit his ass sliding into second." - Satchel Paige about Bell
Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on February 13, 1974 by the Special Committee on the Negro Leagues.
Bell migrated from Mississippi to the St. Louis area in 1920, joining family members who had already done so, and began his baseball career in 1921 pitching for the semi-pro Compton Hill (St. Louis) Cubs, playing alongside three of his older half-brothers, Lee, Robert, and Sam. He signed with the St. Louis Stars May 3 1922 and was their top pitcher the next season, going 11-7 with a 4.53 ERA, leading the team in victories and ERA. Another half-brother, Fred Bell, pitched for the Stars in 1923.
Bell won a Triple Crown in the 1940 Mexican League. His .437 led the league by 73 points ahead of fellow Hall of Famer Martin Dihigo and his 12 homers edged Ted Strong and Josh Gibson by one (though Gibson did not play the whole year in Mexico). Bell also led the league in OBP, slugging (by 65 points over Strong), runs (24 more than Willie Wells) and triples and finished one behind Wells and Wild Bill Wright in doubles. Amazingly, the speedster was only 3rd in steals, behind Sammy Bankhead and Wright.
Bell's batting hand changed over time. It appears that he was a righty hitter when he first came up with St. Louis. In 1924, Manager Big Bill Gatewood taught him to switch-hit, making him a far more valuable offensive player. The Mexican League encyclopedia lists him as a lefty, so he may have stopped being a switch-hitter late in his career.
