Cool Papa Bell
Center Fielder · Career Stats, Hall of Fame Bio & Records (Final season: 1948)
Cool Papa Bell was a center fielder who played in Major League Baseball for 6 teams, including the St. Louis Stars. In 1,237 career games, he hit .325 with 1,592 hits, 60 home runs, and 606 RBI. He also pitched in 49 games, going 20-15 with a 4.64 ERA. Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 and was a 8-time All-Star. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020. His career PIV — Baseball Data Hub's era-adjusted measure of offensive impact — is 14,515.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Center Fielder
- Bats / Throws
- B / L
- Height / Weight
- 6'0" / 155 lb
- Died
- 3/7/1991 in St. Louis, MO, USA
- Last Game
- 1948-11-07
- Hall of Fame
- Inducted 1974 (Negro League)
- Awards
- 8× All-Star
Full name: James Thomas Bell
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1,237 | 4,893 | 1,188 | 1,592 | 270 | 82 | 60 | 606 | 302 | 559 | 21 | .325 | .397 | .451 | .847 | 14,515 |
Career AVG .325 vs. league average .276 across their career seasons — +17.7% above league average.
Career OBP .397 vs. league average .340 across their career seasons — +16.6% above league average.
Career SLG .451 vs. league average .388 across their career seasons — +16.3% above league average.
Career OPS .847 vs. league average .728 across their career seasons — +16.4% above league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | Lg AVG | Lg OBP | Lg SLG | Lg OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 18 | 40 | 6 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .375 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1923 | SLS | NNL | 49 | 108 | 24 | 26 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 7 | 0 | .241 | .282 (-15%) | .344 (-17%) | .390 (-7%) | .734 (-12%) | -228.5 |
| 1924 | SLS | NNL | 65 | 242 | 52 | 73 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 33 | 12 | 20 | 1 | .302 | .283 (+6%) | .345 (+3%) | .389 (avg) | .734 (+1%) | 51.4 |
| 1925 | SLS | NNL | 87 | 380 | 94 | 132 | 33 | 6 | 10 | 58 | 30 | 30 | 0 | .347 | .288 (+21%) | .349 (+13%) | .407 (+34%) | .756 (+24%) | 1688.4 |
| 1926 | SLS | NNL | 91 | 386 | 107 | 129 | 27 | 7 | 12 | 58 | 36 | 48 | 4 | .334 | .279 (+20%) | .345 (+20%) | .390 (+37%) | .735 (+29%) | 2151.2 |
| 1927 | SLS | NNL | 97 | 419 | 89 | 131 | 23 | 5 | 5 | 36 | 25 | 33 | 0 | .313 | .282 (+11%) | .344 (+6%) | .392 (+9%) | .736 (+7%) | 578.4 |
| 1928 | SLS | NNL | 79 | 338 | 81 | 112 | 21 | 6 | 6 | 41 | 19 | 32 | 1 | .331 | .280 (+18%) | .342 (+14%) | .395 (+22%) | .737 (+18%) | 1156.0 |
| 1929 | SLS | NNL | 93 | 375 | 95 | 122 | 24 | 5 | 3 | 38 | 48 | 44 | 1 | .325 | .289 (+12%) | .353 (+13%) | .415 (+6%) | .769 (+9%) | 771.9 |
| 1929 | CAG | NNL | 4 | 17 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .176 | — | — | — | — | 771.9 |
| 1930 | SLS | NNL | 80 | 345 | 107 | 123 | 20 | 8 | 9 | 54 | 15 | 36 | 3 | .357 | .293 (+21%) | .354 (+19%) | .429 (+25%) | .784 (+22%) | 1564.0 |
| 1931 | SLS | NNL | 33 | 132 | 46 | 38 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 16 | 24 | 0 | .288 | .276 (+4%) | .338 (+18%) | .388 (+1%) | .726 (+9%) | 280.8 |
| 1932 | DW | EWL | 29 | 120 | 28 | 38 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 8 | 11 | 0 | .317 | .275 (+15%) | .335 (+13%) | .391 (+2%) | .726 (+7%) | 167.8 |
| 1932 | HG | EWL | 10 | 40 | 12 | 16 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .400 | — | — | — | — | 167.8 |
| 1932 | PC | IND | 2 | 7 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .429 | — | — | — | — | 167.8 |
| 1932 | KCM | IND | 16 | 57 | 17 | 22 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 2 | .386 | .275 (+40%) | .335 (+45%) | .391 (+61%) | .726 (+54%) | 167.8 |
| 1933 | PC | NN2 | 74 | 300 | 64 | 91 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 28 | 16 | 28 | 0 | .303 | .270 (+12%) | .329 (+11%) | .377 (+3%) | .707 (+7%) | 410.1 |
| 1934 | PC | NN2 | 69 | 272 | 52 | 89 | 10 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 14 | 34 | 3 | .327 | .278 (+18%) | .340 (+19%) | .392 (+1%) | .733 (+9%) | 590.3 |
| 1935 | PC | NN2 | 49 | 197 | 68 | 68 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 30 | 12 | 31 | 2 | .345 | .279 (+23%) | .342 (+27%) | .399 (+27%) | .742 (+27%) | 1012.4 |
| 1936 | PC | NN2 | 41 | 165 | 39 | 48 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 20 | 6 | 17 | 0 | .291 | .283 (+2%) | .349 (+2%) | .404 (-12%) | .753 (-5%) | -113.7 |
| 1937 | PC | NN2 | 8 | 36 | 9 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .361 | — | — | — | — | 0.0 |
| 1942 | CAG | NAL | 39 | 141 | 24 | 44 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 11 | 4 | 27 | 1 | .312 | .253 (+23%) | .323 (+30%) | .349 (+16%) | .672 (+23%) | 610.3 |
| 1943 | HG | NN2 | 65 | 263 | 63 | 92 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 29 | 12 | 39 | 1 | .350 | .255 (+37%) | .324 (+33%) | .346 (+25%) | .671 (+29%) | 1429.9 |
| 1944 | HG | NN2 | 52 | 213 | 43 | 66 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 4 | 30 | 0 | .310 | .261 (+19%) | .325 (+22%) | .357 (+10%) | .683 (+16%) | 666.4 |
| 1945 | HG | NN2 | 48 | 179 | 38 | 50 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 10 | 35 | 1 | .279 | .260 (+7%) | .328 (+22%) | .354 (-4%) | .683 (+8%) | 417.9 |
| 1946 | HG | NN2 | 39 | 121 | 23 | 48 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 16 | 0 | .397 | .256 (+54%) | .328 (+42%) | .358 (+31%) | .687 (+36%) | 786.1 |
| Career · 25 seasons | 1,237 | 4,893 | 1,188 | 1,592 | 270 | 82 | 60 | 606 | 302 | 559 | 21 | .325 | — | — | — | — | 15,266 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Season-by-Season Pitching
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Lg ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | NNL | 7 | 7 | 16 | 12 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 113.0 | 118 | 63 | 40 | 63 | 5.02 | 4.18 (-20%) | 697.5 |
| 1923 | SLS | NNL | 11 | 7 | 25 | 14 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 153.2 | 180 | 77 | 34 | 66 | 4.51 | 4.03 (-12%) | 1175.2 |
| 1924 | SLS | NNL | 2 | 1 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 40.0 | 37 | 17 | 19 | 17 | 3.83 | 4.13 (+7%) | -454.0 |
| 1929 | SLS | NNL | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2.0 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 9.00 | — | 0.0 |
| Career · 4 seasons | 20 | 15 | 49 | 30 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 308.2 | 338 | 159 | 94 | 146 | 4.64 | — | 1,419 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 43 | 175 | 26 | 48 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 16 | 16 | 3 | .274 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1945 | NWS | HG | 4 | 14 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .214 |
| 1944 | NWS | HG | 5 | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | .250 |
| 1943 | NWS | HG | 7 | 34 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 4 | 0 | .294 |
| 1935 | NLC | PC | 7 | 23 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .130 |
| 1930 | NNC | SLS | 6 | 24 | 5 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | .292 |
| 1928 | NNC | SLS | 7 | 27 | 7 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 1 | .407 |
| 1925 | NNC | SLS | 7 | 29 | 5 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .276 |
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (282 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 155 | 546 | 134 | 195 | 3 | 49 | .357 |
| Away | 126 | 483 | 110 | 146 | 3 | 20 | .302 |
Pitching — Home / Away
| Split | G | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-09-15 | HOM | NY6 | W | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-09-01 | HOM | BLG | L | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-09-01 | HOM | BLG | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-31 | HOM | PH5 | L | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-30 | HOM | PH5 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-25 | HOM | NW2 | L | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-08-11 | HOM | NW2 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-28 | HOM | NW2 | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946-07-28 | HOM | NW2 | W | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-07-27 | HOM | BLG | W | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 33 | 21 | 224 | 7 | 8 | 8 |
| 2B | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| OF | 1164 | 1051 | 2080 | 117 | 65 | 12 |
| P | 49 | 30 | 14 | 138 | 5 | 5 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1922 | SLS | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1922 | SLS | P | 16 | 12 | 1 | 56 | 1 | 3 |
| 1923 | SLS | 1B | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1923 | SLS | 2B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1923 | SLS | OF | 15 | 13 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1923 | SLS | P | 25 | 14 | 12 | 69 | 2 | 1 |
| 1924 | SLS | 1B | 1 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1924 | SLS | OF | 61 | 58 | 131 | 6 | 2 | 0 |
| 1924 | SLS | P | 6 | 4 | 1 | 11 | 2 | 0 |
| 1925 | SLS | 1B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1925 | SLS | OF | 87 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1926 | SLS | OF | 91 | 91 | 206 | 15 | 5 | 1 |
| 1927 | SLS | 1B | 5 | 2 | 38 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| 1927 | SLS | OF | 95 | 95 | 186 | 12 | 8 | 3 |
| 1928 | SLS | OF | 79 | 79 | 201 | 14 | 8 | 3 |
| 1929 | SLS | 1B | 2 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1929 | SLS | OF | 93 | 92 | 204 | 17 | 5 | 0 |
| 1929 | SLS | P | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1929 | CAG | OF | 4 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1930 | SLS | OF | 80 | 80 | 175 | 17 | 6 | 2 |
| 1931 | SLS | OF | 33 | 32 | 54 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1932 | DW | OF | 29 | 29 | 57 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 1932 | HG | OF | 10 | 10 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | PC | OF | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1932 | KCM | OF | 16 | 16 | 28 | 2 | 2 | 0 |
| 1933 | PC | OF | 74 | 74 | 109 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 1934 | PC | 1B | 2 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 1934 | PC | OF | 67 | 67 | 120 | 2 | 4 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | 1B | 3 | 3 | 25 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1935 | PC | 3B | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1935 | PC | OF | 44 | 44 | 111 | 6 | 5 | 1 |
| 1936 | PC | 1B | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1936 | PC | OF | 40 | 40 | 74 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| 1937 | PC | OF | 8 | 8 | 16 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942 | CAG | 1B | 10 | 10 | 86 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
| 1942 | CAG | OF | 28 | 28 | 64 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1943 | HG | OF | 64 | 63 | 96 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
| 1944 | HG | OF | 57 | 51 | 74 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | HG | 2B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1945 | HG | OF | 52 | 46 | 69 | 4 | 6 | 0 |
| 1946 | HG | 1B | 5 | 2 | 24 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| 1946 | HG | OF | 34 | 27 | 43 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 49 |
| First Base | 33 |
| Second Base | 2 |
| Third Base | 1 |
| Left Field | 180 |
| Center Field | 979 |
| Right Field | 5 |
Compare Cool Papa Bell
Cool Papa Bell: the record in brief
Cool Papa Bell's record on this page is drawn from the season tables, which run from 1922 to 1946. Bell played for the St. Louis Stars (1922 through 1931), the Chicago American Giants (1929 through 1942), the Detroit Wolves (1932), the Homestead Grays (1932 to 1946), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932 through 1937), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1932). Born on May 17, 1903, in Starkville, MS, USA, Bell is listed as a center fielder and switch-hit and threw left-handed. Size on record: 6'0" and 155 pounds. Bell's death is recorded on March 7, 1991, in St. Louis, MO, USA. Bell's full given name, per the bio, is James Thomas Bell.
Bell finished with 1,592 hits from 4,893 at bats in 1,237 games, which works out to .325, adding 60 home runs, 606 RBI, and 302 stolen bases. On-base and slugging figures of .397 and .451 give Bell a career OPS of .847. Set against a .276 league average for the same years, Bell's .325 average sits 17.7% above it.
Frequently Asked Questions about Cool Papa Bell
- Was Cool Papa Bell a pitcher?
- Both. Cool Papa Bell pitched in 49 games, going 20-15 with a 4.64 ERA, but spent most of his career as a Center Fielder.
- How many home runs did Cool Papa Bell hit?
- Cool Papa Bell hit 60 career home runs with 1,592 hits.
- Is Cool Papa Bell in the Hall of Fame?
- Yes. Cool Papa Bell was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.
- What teams did Cool Papa Bell play for?
- Cool Papa Bell played for 6 teams: the St. Louis Stars (1922–1931), the Chicago American Giants (1929, 1942), the Detroit Wolves (1932), the Homestead Grays (1932, 1943–1946), the Pittsburgh Crawfords (1932–1937), and the Kansas City Monarchs (1932).
- Did Cool Papa Bell win an MVP award?
- No. Cool Papa Bell did not win the MVP award.
- What awards did Cool Papa Bell win?
- Cool Papa Bell was selected to 8 All-Star Games.
- What were Cool Papa Bell's career stats?
- In 1,237 games, Cool Papa Bell had 1,592 hits, 60 home runs, 606 RBI, 1,188 runs, and 302 stolen bases, with a .325 batting average. As a pitcher, in 49 games, he went 20-15 with a 4.64 ERA, 146 strikeouts, and 308.2 innings pitched.
- What position did Cool Papa Bell play?
- Cool Papa Bell played primarily as a center fielder, the position where he appeared in the most games.
- How tall was Cool Papa Bell and how much did he weigh?
- Cool Papa Bell was listed at 6 feet and 155 pounds.
- How many home runs did Cool Papa Bell hit each season?
- Cool Papa Bell's home runs by season: 1 in 1922, 2 in 1923, 1 in 1924, 10 in 1925, 12 in 1926, 5 in 1927, 6 in 1928, 3 in 1929, 9 in 1930, 1 in 1931, 0 in 1932, 2 in 1933, 1 in 1934, 2 in 1935, 1 in 1936, 2 in 1937, 0 in 1942, 0 in 1943, 1 in 1944, 1 in 1945, and 0 in 1946. His most in one season was 12, in 1926.
- What was Cool Papa Bell's career batting average?
- Cool Papa Bell batted .325 over his career, with 1,592 hits in 4,893 at bats.
- How many RBI did Cool Papa Bell have?
- Cool Papa Bell drove in 606 runs in his career.
- What was Cool Papa Bell's career ERA?
- Cool Papa Bell finished with a 4.64 career ERA, going 20-15 with 146 strikeouts.
- How many All-Star Games did Cool Papa Bell make?
- Cool Papa Bell was selected to 8 All-Star Games.