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James Thomas Bell
Pittsburgh Crawfords
Outfield
Born: May 17, 1903, Starkville, MS
Major League Teams: St. Louis Stars 1922-1929; Chicago American Giants 1930; St. Louis Stars 1930-1931; Detroit Wolves 1932; Pittsburgh Crawfords 1933-1937; Chicago American Giants 1942; Homestead Grays 1943-1946
World Series Appearances: Homestead Grays 1943-1945
Died: March 7, 1991, St. Louis, MO (87)
Hall of Fame Induction: 1974
Considered to be one of the fastest men to ever play the game of baseball, Cool Papa Bell was a star of the Negro Leagues for over two decades. Originally a pitcher, Bell earned his nickname after striking out league superstar Oscar Charleston during his first season with the St. Louis Stars in 1922. After moving full-time to the outfield, Bell learned to switch hit. A constant threat on the base paths, a walk or single usually meant the speedy Bell would ultimately arrive on third base following a pair of stolen bases. Frequently leading the league in stolen bases and runs scored, Bell led the Stars to league championship titles in 1928, 1930 and 1931. He'd move to the Crawfords in 1933, forming what was considered to be the best outfield in the Negro Leagues along with Ted Page and Jimmie Crutchfield. Bell and five of his Crawfords teammates from the 1936 season were ultimately inducted into the Hall of Fame. He'd play in Mexico in 1940 for the Algodoneros de Union Laguna, becoming the first player to win the Mexican League Triple Crown when he batted .437 with 12 home runs and 79 RBIs.
Building the Set
December 16, 2020 from Albion, NY
Within days of officially deciding to collect the Diamond Stars set, I found myself searching for the 1993 extension set consisting of 36 more "what if" cards this time issued by the Chicle Fantasy Company. Individual cards from this set are very prevalent on eBay, but I wanted to buy a complete set to save myself some time and money. Given this is a relatively modern set, I was somewhat surprised at the closing auction prices for previously sold complete sets and I was happy to win my set at a lower price. These cards are gorgeous, and I can tell a lot of hard work and love for the originals went into making this tribute set. What's more, the set's creators were smart enough to start the numbering with card #120, given the 1981 extension set had left off with #120. The final three cards in this set pay tribute to three Negro League greats, including Bell. There are also cards of his Crawfords teammates, Gibson and Satchel Paige.
As I slowly collect the originals from the 1930s, I'll also highlight each of the cards from these extension sets with their own posts.
Variations Available
1 - 1993 / blue back / no statistics / 1993 copyright
The Card / Crawfords Team Set
I'm grateful the makers of this set made the decision to include three wonderful cards of Negro League stars Bell, Gibson and Paige. If there's ever an additional extension series produced, I'd love to see more cards for these Negro League stars.
1936 Season
Baseball Reference has Bell playing in 41 games for the Crawfords in 1936, batting .291 as the team's primary center fielder. He played in three games for the Negro League All-Stars, batting .385 (5 for 13).
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Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1980-87 SSPC Hall of Fame #141
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (0): N/A
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2022 Panini Diamond Kings #62
First mainstream card is fairly subjective here, as Bell would have appeared on a Cooperstown Hall of Fame Plaque postcard beginning in 1974. He's also in a bunch of oddball sets, including the 1974 Laughlin Old-Time Black Stars and 1976 Shakey's Pizza sets.
115 - Bell non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 2/5/23.
Sources:
Previous Card: #153 Judge Kennesaw Landis
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