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The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues
The first full biography of the star Negro Leaguer and Hall of Famer
James “Cool Papa” Bell (1903-1991) was a legend in Black baseball, a lightning-fast switch hitter elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Bell’s speed was extraordinary; as Satchel Paige famously quipped, he was so fast he could flip a light switch and be in bed before the room got dark.
In The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, experienced baseball writer and historian Lonnie Wheeler recounts the life of this extraordinary player, a key member of some of the greatest Negro League teams in history.
Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Bell was part of the Great Migration, the movement of African Americans from the southern states to the northern states from 1910 through 1930. In St. Louis, baseball saved Bell from a life working in slaughterhouses. Wheeler charts Bell’s ups and downs in life and in baseball, in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, where he went to escape American racism and major league baseball’s color line.
Rich in context and suffused in myth, this is a treat for fans of baseball history.
James “Cool Papa” Bell (1903-1991) was a legend in Black baseball, a lightning-fast switch hitter elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. Bell’s speed was extraordinary; as Satchel Paige famously quipped, he was so fast he could flip a light switch and be in bed before the room got dark.
In The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, experienced baseball writer and historian Lonnie Wheeler recounts the life of this extraordinary player, a key member of some of the greatest Negro League teams in history.
Born to sharecroppers in Mississippi, Bell was part of the Great Migration, the movement of African Americans from the southern states to the northern states from 1910 through 1930. In St. Louis, baseball saved Bell from a life working in slaughterhouses. Wheeler charts Bell’s ups and downs in life and in baseball, in the United States, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, where he went to escape American racism and major league baseball’s color line.
Rich in context and suffused in myth, this is a treat for fans of baseball history.
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First published February 9, 2021
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About the author
Lonnie Wheeler
17 books1 followerLonnie Wheeler was an American sportswriter and author known for his work on baseball. He wrote for The Cincinnati Enquirer, The Cincinnati Post, and USA Today and was the author of twelve books. He co-wrote the autobiographies of Baseball Hall of Famers Henry Aaron (I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story) and Bob Gibson (Stranger to the Game: The Autobiography of Bob Gibson), as well as a biography of Negro league legend Cool Papa Bell. His work extended beyond baseball, including a co-written autobiography of Detroit Mayor Coleman Young and books on college sports.
Wheeler's books received multiple Casey Award nominations, and in 2022, he was posthumously inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Journalism Hall of Fame.
Wheeler's books received multiple Casey Award nominations, and in 2022, he was posthumously inducted into the Greater Cincinnati Journalism Hall of Fame.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
August 12, 2022
“Once he hit a line drive right past my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit his ass sliding into second." ~Satchel Paige
James “Cool Papa” Bell might have been the fastest man to have ever played the game of baseball. It was rumored that, in his prime, he could round the bases in less than 12 seconds. (Wow!)
And although record keeping in the Negro Leagues was intermittent and sketchy, what is known for sure is that Cool Papa hit .391 in over 40 exhibition games against all-white major league pitchers, including some of the best white pitchers to ever play the game. (Wow again!)
After reading this painstakingly researched biography, I find myself somewhat at a loss for the right words. Mostly I am struck by the enormity of what we missed. It’s not that the baseball legends of the American Negro Leagues (1920-1948), like Cool Papa Bell and Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, were born too early to compete in a baseball meritocracy of fairness and equality. The reality is that the doors of opportunity, the parapet of baseball’s racist segregation, swung open far too late.
James “Cool Papa” Bell might have been the fastest man to have ever played the game of baseball. It was rumored that, in his prime, he could round the bases in less than 12 seconds. (Wow!)
And although record keeping in the Negro Leagues was intermittent and sketchy, what is known for sure is that Cool Papa hit .391 in over 40 exhibition games against all-white major league pitchers, including some of the best white pitchers to ever play the game. (Wow again!)
After reading this painstakingly researched biography, I find myself somewhat at a loss for the right words. Mostly I am struck by the enormity of what we missed. It’s not that the baseball legends of the American Negro Leagues (1920-1948), like Cool Papa Bell and Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson, were born too early to compete in a baseball meritocracy of fairness and equality. The reality is that the doors of opportunity, the parapet of baseball’s racist segregation, swung open far too late.
February 10, 2021
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell is not only the life story of one of the greatest players in the Negro Leagues known as the fastest man in the game, but also about a man whose poise, grace, and determination made him one of the truly remarkable men in life.
Bell, originally born James Nichols, was born in Mississippi but moved to St. Louis as a young man where he was given the last name of Bell by a supervisor at the slaughterhouse he was hired to work at alongside his brothers and get an education (a promise made to his mother). However, his passion for baseball and his speed made him sought after by semiprofessional teams and eventually the Negro Leagues came calling and the rest as they say, is history.
Bell became a Hall of Fame centerfielder whose work ethic and ability to be a team player was widely respected in his 24 year career, both in the stats he put up (which were sketchy at best since there were no official record keeping) as well as in folklore. One of the most widely known stories about Bell is that he was so fast, he could turn out the light and be in bed before the light went out.
That story and many others about his greatness not only as a baseball player, but as a man are featured in these pages. It also talks about how segregation affected him and his fellow teammates, not only in baseball, but in life. How it made travel harder and they were paid far less than their white counterparts in Major League baseball, where they were banned from playing until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. However, they could play against those MLB stars in exhibition games, and more often than not, the Negro League teams came out victorious.
The late Lonnie Wheeler does an excellent job of mixing Bell's personal life with his baseball career without information dumping on either end. There are some truly great stories that will make you laugh, and also break your heart. If you're not a big baseball fan, Wheeler does explain some of the stats that he uses and how they're figured. I would definitely recommend this to baseball fans or anyone who appreciates history or wants to learn more about how segregation and racism affected men like the Negro League players.
My appreciation to Abrams Press, the late Lonnie Wheeler, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Bell, originally born James Nichols, was born in Mississippi but moved to St. Louis as a young man where he was given the last name of Bell by a supervisor at the slaughterhouse he was hired to work at alongside his brothers and get an education (a promise made to his mother). However, his passion for baseball and his speed made him sought after by semiprofessional teams and eventually the Negro Leagues came calling and the rest as they say, is history.
Bell became a Hall of Fame centerfielder whose work ethic and ability to be a team player was widely respected in his 24 year career, both in the stats he put up (which were sketchy at best since there were no official record keeping) as well as in folklore. One of the most widely known stories about Bell is that he was so fast, he could turn out the light and be in bed before the light went out.
That story and many others about his greatness not only as a baseball player, but as a man are featured in these pages. It also talks about how segregation affected him and his fellow teammates, not only in baseball, but in life. How it made travel harder and they were paid far less than their white counterparts in Major League baseball, where they were banned from playing until Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. However, they could play against those MLB stars in exhibition games, and more often than not, the Negro League teams came out victorious.
The late Lonnie Wheeler does an excellent job of mixing Bell's personal life with his baseball career without information dumping on either end. There are some truly great stories that will make you laugh, and also break your heart. If you're not a big baseball fan, Wheeler does explain some of the stats that he uses and how they're figured. I would definitely recommend this to baseball fans or anyone who appreciates history or wants to learn more about how segregation and racism affected men like the Negro League players.
My appreciation to Abrams Press, the late Lonnie Wheeler, and NetGalley for gifting me a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 22, 2022
If you know who Cool Papa Bell was, then you know the legend that Satchel Paige would tell of him. As Satchel told it, Bell was so fast he could turn out the lights and be under the covers before it got dark. That story captures both the intrigue of the man and the challenge of writing about him. The Negro Leagues were notoriously lax on collecting and keeping records, so the majority of Bell’s long and storied career is related in legends rather than record books.
Lonnie Wheeler solved that challenge admirably. While he tells stories of Bell both on and off the field, he fills out his narrative by using Cool Papa as a focus to examine the entire history of the Negro Leagues. During his long career (1922-1946) Bell was consistently part of the premier teams of the leagues - The St. Louis Stars, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Homestead Gray - and played with and against the greatest players of the era, himself not least.
If you don’t know the story of Cool Papa Bell and the Negro Leagues, you can’t really claim to know baseball. Many of the greatest players in the game were kept from competing in Major League Baseball for no reason beyond the color of their skin. The extent to which this skewed records of that era, because the white men did not have to compete against the likes of Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and many other greats, can only be guessed at, but is certainly profound. So if you know Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Dizzy Dean, but not these guys, you are missing half the story.
James Cool Papa Bell was an extraordinary player and a truly gentleman. Lonnie Wheeler, in leaving us with this, his last book has left us a baseball masterpiece.
Lonnie Wheeler solved that challenge admirably. While he tells stories of Bell both on and off the field, he fills out his narrative by using Cool Papa as a focus to examine the entire history of the Negro Leagues. During his long career (1922-1946) Bell was consistently part of the premier teams of the leagues - The St. Louis Stars, Pittsburgh Crawfords, and Homestead Gray - and played with and against the greatest players of the era, himself not least.
If you don’t know the story of Cool Papa Bell and the Negro Leagues, you can’t really claim to know baseball. Many of the greatest players in the game were kept from competing in Major League Baseball for no reason beyond the color of their skin. The extent to which this skewed records of that era, because the white men did not have to compete against the likes of Bell, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Judy Johnson, and many other greats, can only be guessed at, but is certainly profound. So if you know Ty Cobb, Babe Ruth, and Dizzy Dean, but not these guys, you are missing half the story.
James Cool Papa Bell was an extraordinary player and a truly gentleman. Lonnie Wheeler, in leaving us with this, his last book has left us a baseball masterpiece.
October 16, 2020
Most baseball fans have heard of the story that James "Cool Papa" Bell was supposedly so fast that he could turn out the lights and be in bed before the room was dark. The actual story behind that myth is just one of the many wonderful passages about this Hall of Fame outfielder in this book by the late Lonnie Wheeler.
Baseball was Bell's ticket out of a working life in the slaughterhouses in St. Louis, where his family relocated from Mississippi when James was a boy. He started as a pitcher and was a good one, but his coaches wanted to utilize his speed more fully and, in the outfield, he became one of the most legendary figures in the Negro Leagues. Because of the nomadic nature of the Negro League teams and their usual travel to wherever they could find a decent paying audience to cover the bills and earn a little extra money, there are many teams for which Bell plied his trade.
On those teams, Bell became a teammate with some of the other great players in Negro League history such as Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Turkey Stearns. Whether it was the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Homestead Grays or even playing in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Bell always played hard and usually was one of the best players on the field. His legend only grew wherever he played.
"Legend" is a good word to use for much of the information known on Bell and the Negro Leagues because, as noted in the book, the recordkeeping was questionable at best. That would be whenever there were statistics kept or recorded. The black newspaper in Pittsburgh was the closest to anything official, but it could only publish what it was provided. Therefore, as noted by the author, much of the information on Bell was obtained through sources that were anecdotal and were not able to be verified. One humorous example is one season when it was decided to see just how many bases Bell had stolen. The official stats say 5, which seems awfully low given his legend. However, if we are to believe Cool Papa's own running tally, he amassed 312. This illustrates the challenge one can face when trying to gather cumulative statistics on the Negro Leagues.
Some of the best chapters are those in which Bell is playing outside the United States, as mentioned earlier. This is mainly due to Satchel Paige wandering to wherever he wanted to play, even when he was supposed to be part of another team. He also had the charm to convince other stars to join him, including Bell. How he was able to do that in the Dominican Republic and play for the campaign of a ruthless dictator was quite interesting, both in a chapter in this book and in more detail in a separate book on Paige's time in this country.
Through the stories of the players, it was also clear how they felt much more welcome and relaxed in foreign nations, especially Mexico, because of the segregation of not only the game but also the racism in the United States in general. What made this quite interesting is the interaction of the Negro League stars with their white Major League counterparts. Many of the latter felt that these men were just as good or better than their fellow MLB players. The eventual integration of baseball is covered in the book – sadly, too late for players like Bell to be able to play.
Even Bell's life after baseball is good reading, especially when he was giving baseball advice to up and coming players through the St. Louis Cardinals' system as Bell lived with his wife Clara in that city after his playing days were over. One of those players to whom he gave baserunning advice was a young Lou Brock.
Covering much more than just Cool Papa Bell's life, this book would be a wonderful addition to any reader who wants to learn more about the Negro Leagues and some of the legendary players who made the stories rich and entertaining.
I wish to thank Abrams Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
Baseball was Bell's ticket out of a working life in the slaughterhouses in St. Louis, where his family relocated from Mississippi when James was a boy. He started as a pitcher and was a good one, but his coaches wanted to utilize his speed more fully and, in the outfield, he became one of the most legendary figures in the Negro Leagues. Because of the nomadic nature of the Negro League teams and their usual travel to wherever they could find a decent paying audience to cover the bills and earn a little extra money, there are many teams for which Bell plied his trade.
On those teams, Bell became a teammate with some of the other great players in Negro League history such as Oscar Charleston, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson and Turkey Stearns. Whether it was the Pittsburgh Crawfords, the Homestead Grays or even playing in Mexico and the Dominican Republic, Bell always played hard and usually was one of the best players on the field. His legend only grew wherever he played.
"Legend" is a good word to use for much of the information known on Bell and the Negro Leagues because, as noted in the book, the recordkeeping was questionable at best. That would be whenever there were statistics kept or recorded. The black newspaper in Pittsburgh was the closest to anything official, but it could only publish what it was provided. Therefore, as noted by the author, much of the information on Bell was obtained through sources that were anecdotal and were not able to be verified. One humorous example is one season when it was decided to see just how many bases Bell had stolen. The official stats say 5, which seems awfully low given his legend. However, if we are to believe Cool Papa's own running tally, he amassed 312. This illustrates the challenge one can face when trying to gather cumulative statistics on the Negro Leagues.
Some of the best chapters are those in which Bell is playing outside the United States, as mentioned earlier. This is mainly due to Satchel Paige wandering to wherever he wanted to play, even when he was supposed to be part of another team. He also had the charm to convince other stars to join him, including Bell. How he was able to do that in the Dominican Republic and play for the campaign of a ruthless dictator was quite interesting, both in a chapter in this book and in more detail in a separate book on Paige's time in this country.
Through the stories of the players, it was also clear how they felt much more welcome and relaxed in foreign nations, especially Mexico, because of the segregation of not only the game but also the racism in the United States in general. What made this quite interesting is the interaction of the Negro League stars with their white Major League counterparts. Many of the latter felt that these men were just as good or better than their fellow MLB players. The eventual integration of baseball is covered in the book – sadly, too late for players like Bell to be able to play.
Even Bell's life after baseball is good reading, especially when he was giving baseball advice to up and coming players through the St. Louis Cardinals' system as Bell lived with his wife Clara in that city after his playing days were over. One of those players to whom he gave baserunning advice was a young Lou Brock.
Covering much more than just Cool Papa Bell's life, this book would be a wonderful addition to any reader who wants to learn more about the Negro Leagues and some of the legendary players who made the stories rich and entertaining.
I wish to thank Abrams Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
https://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/20...
March 19, 2021
3.5 Stars
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, by Lonnie Wheeler, is an out of my typical wheelhouse read, but it was a labor of friendship! I read it with two dear friends…both lovers of baseball, and one an expert on the Negro League. I’m a huge baseball fan, but know very little about the Negro League and had never heard of Cool Papa Bell before this book. For a novice, this book was both good and bad. It seems Wheeler assumed the reader would already have a decent knowledge of Negro League baseball. He very casually and liberally threw around names of players and teams, and particularly nicknames so it was often difficult to keep them straight having no prior introduction to either. On the other hand, the book contained so many awesome anecdotes, between players, between James Bell and his wife, and with many family and friends. Wheeler also did a great job of placing the events of the book into their context of US and World history. So, for much of the book it read more like a story than a straight biography. A great peek into the struggles and triumphs of the Negro League, its players, and managers. And an awesome glimpse into the life of James Bell, who I learned was an outstanding athlete and an even better man.
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell, by Lonnie Wheeler, is an out of my typical wheelhouse read, but it was a labor of friendship! I read it with two dear friends…both lovers of baseball, and one an expert on the Negro League. I’m a huge baseball fan, but know very little about the Negro League and had never heard of Cool Papa Bell before this book. For a novice, this book was both good and bad. It seems Wheeler assumed the reader would already have a decent knowledge of Negro League baseball. He very casually and liberally threw around names of players and teams, and particularly nicknames so it was often difficult to keep them straight having no prior introduction to either. On the other hand, the book contained so many awesome anecdotes, between players, between James Bell and his wife, and with many family and friends. Wheeler also did a great job of placing the events of the book into their context of US and World history. So, for much of the book it read more like a story than a straight biography. A great peek into the struggles and triumphs of the Negro League, its players, and managers. And an awesome glimpse into the life of James Bell, who I learned was an outstanding athlete and an even better man.
March 14, 2021
What a marvelous book by the fabulous Lonnie Wheeler. He brought Bell to life. I'm just sorry that Lonnie is no longer around to tell him how great I found the book. Must read for any fan of baseball history, particular of the Negro Leagues.
April 21, 2021
It’s difficult for me to put into words what the subject matter of this book means to me. I learned about Cool Papa when I was looking at people who were born on the same day as me. I hadn’t heard of him, coming from a world away in another part of the planet and not having grown up surrounded by baseball, but soon devoured everything I could find about him. He felt so close to me; someone who shared my birthday and shared my passion for baseball. There was never a book about him though, just references to him in other books and sports articles. He deserved something and sometimes I even thought that perhaps I would write about him myself. I was so excited to see that finally a book was written about him and bought the book the first day it was released.
Baseball is not for everyone. I understand this and so don’t bore people with my passion. There is something very special about this game when it comes to story telling, however. It’s like no other sport I have encountered, apart from perhaps cricket, but it feels more special as the stories told reflect society in the US, as well as other countries where it is played. The Negro Leagues have always fascinated me. I could never quite get my head around the idea that black baseball players had to play in their own teams and were not allowed to play in the majors until the 40s. When they played by themselves, that’s when the magic happened. The stories are amazing. The struggles are real. The personalities are big. I love all the NL players, but of course, my baseball twin will always be my favourite. For this reason, I give this book 10 stars out of 5. No one will change my mind!
Baseball is not for everyone. I understand this and so don’t bore people with my passion. There is something very special about this game when it comes to story telling, however. It’s like no other sport I have encountered, apart from perhaps cricket, but it feels more special as the stories told reflect society in the US, as well as other countries where it is played. The Negro Leagues have always fascinated me. I could never quite get my head around the idea that black baseball players had to play in their own teams and were not allowed to play in the majors until the 40s. When they played by themselves, that’s when the magic happened. The stories are amazing. The struggles are real. The personalities are big. I love all the NL players, but of course, my baseball twin will always be my favourite. For this reason, I give this book 10 stars out of 5. No one will change my mind!
February 28, 2021
The late baseball author Lonnie Wheeler’s last book is one for the ages. Cool Papa Bell purported to be the fastest man ever to play baseball was a man who played unfortunately in an era where he was denied his recognition due to segregation. A product of the National Negro League, he played alongside many other great black ball players who endured a similar fate ( think Satchel Paige).
The challenge Wheeler faced in writing this book is that records of Negro League baseball are incomplete for many reasons which you will understand when you read this book. Nonetheless, he meticulously researched what was available and puts together a very interesting picture of what takes place in this era. The neat thing about his subject Cool Papa Bell was that despite all the slights he was burdened with throughout his career he handled them like a gentleman until his dying day.
The challenge Wheeler faced in writing this book is that records of Negro League baseball are incomplete for many reasons which you will understand when you read this book. Nonetheless, he meticulously researched what was available and puts together a very interesting picture of what takes place in this era. The neat thing about his subject Cool Papa Bell was that despite all the slights he was burdened with throughout his career he handled them like a gentleman until his dying day.
February 2, 2022
This was one of the most enjoyable baseball books I’ve ever read. The epic stories of Cool Papa and the fascinating life he lived, traveling the country with various teams and so many legendary ball players, were both interesting and educational. It is impossible to read Wheeler’s book (or any account of the sensational Negro Leaguers) without wishing he would have gotten the equal treatment and respect he deserved, including a shot to play in the major leagues. But Wheeler lifts Bell up and writes of his greatness not as one of the best Negro League players of all time, but as one of the best ballplayers of all time, period, a title fitting for James “Cool Papa” Bell.
March 26, 2021
Up there with Satchel by Larry Tye. This is an incredible look into the Negro Leagues with the focus being on Cool Papa Bell. The kind of book that inspires you to devour others of the subject as well as the author. RIP Lonnie Wheeler
August 2, 2021
A very well written biography of Negro League star James “Cool Papa” Bell. The interesting thing about this book is that a lot of the history of the Negro leagues is missing due to not being covered like major league baseball during that time frame. I thought Mr. Wheeler did a great job filling in the gaps as he could, but also letting the reader know that there are just some things we’ll never know for sure. Mr. Wheeler did an excellent job painting a picture of what life was like as a Negro League star before the integration of the majors.
Cool Papa was larger than life and held the title as fastest man in baseball. In fact Mr. Wheeler tells us the story behind the legend that Cool Papa was so fast, he could turn off the lights and be in bed before they went out. It was insights and stories like that that made the book very enjoyable.
Unfortunately by the time Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Cool Papa had missed his chance at show his skills in the majors. He was, like other stars of his day, able to show his skills versus major leaguers in winter barnstorming tours.
This book is a definite must read for all baseball fans. It is an interesting look at one of the great African-American stars when the Negro leagues were at their best.
Cool Papa was larger than life and held the title as fastest man in baseball. In fact Mr. Wheeler tells us the story behind the legend that Cool Papa was so fast, he could turn off the lights and be in bed before they went out. It was insights and stories like that that made the book very enjoyable.
Unfortunately by the time Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier, Cool Papa had missed his chance at show his skills in the majors. He was, like other stars of his day, able to show his skills versus major leaguers in winter barnstorming tours.
This book is a definite must read for all baseball fans. It is an interesting look at one of the great African-American stars when the Negro leagues were at their best.
August 14, 2023
Lonnie Wheeler's biography of James "Cool Papa" Bell is a solid read. The language never soars and the book seems to drag out at the end - a very bizarre epilogue with Wheeler comparing Billy Hamilton to Bell while admitting Hamilton had speed and not much else, certainly not an all-around talented player of Bell's stature.
Wheel at various times calls his subject Cool or Papa or Bell. A consistent name would have been nice.
Anyone wanting to learn more about Bell or about the Negro Leagues would do well to read this book.
Wheel at various times calls his subject Cool or Papa or Bell. A consistent name would have been nice.
Anyone wanting to learn more about Bell or about the Negro Leagues would do well to read this book.
March 1, 2025
Baseball fans all over should read this book. I was shocked by how little I know about the Negro Leagues. Especially since I had never even heard of Cool Papa, who I’ve since learned is one of the GOATs.
The subject is captivating and intriguing. The structure of flow of Bell’s life is fine. However, I really struggled with some of the sentence structure in the book. I will now try to write a sentence as he did through the book…
The author Wheeler, whom I know very little about other than that he died in 2020 and that he won a 2016 SABR Baseball Research Award, would often interject fun facts right in the middle of already long sentences.
The subject is captivating and intriguing. The structure of flow of Bell’s life is fine. However, I really struggled with some of the sentence structure in the book. I will now try to write a sentence as he did through the book…
The author Wheeler, whom I know very little about other than that he died in 2020 and that he won a 2016 SABR Baseball Research Award, would often interject fun facts right in the middle of already long sentences.
July 28, 2022
An outstanding portrait of a little known legend. His talent, grace, endurance and dignified spirit shine through in a tale well told by a talented writer. Unfortunately so much of his history is lost to time, yet the author managed to take what is in the public record as well as the anecdotes told by his contemporaries and stitch together a compelling story of an important figure whose greatness was not as widely known in his own time as it should have been.
January 10, 2023
Excellent biography and baseball book! In addition to exploring the life of All-Star baseball icon "Cool" Pap Bell, the book addresses the daily challenges faced by, incredible athleticism of and numerous personalities among the ballplayers in th Negro (Baseball) Leagues, including their frequent triumphs when playing White ballplayers, the strong support off the African American community and many in the White press.
December 22, 2020
A very well-deserving biography on the extraordinary James Bell aka Cool Papa Bell. I am very honored to have gotten a glimpse of the respectable, talented and humbling star athlete, son, brother, a devoted husband and a friend to many. The late Lonnie Wheeler, a notable baseball writer and historian provided a voice to this legend and painted such phenomenal and honest portrait of Cool Papa. One of the first fully-written biography dedicated to Cool Papa Bell, it also recounts key members that played alongside with Cool Papa in the Negro League teams.
Lonnie Wheeler did not hesitate to note the recordkeeping on the statistics in the Negro League to be questionable. Negro Leagues between the 1930's to 1940's were not organized especially with their recordkeeping. Majority of the statistics were obtained through anecdotes and unable to be verified. Even with limited information, Lonnie Wheeler does the impossible. He delved into the basic outline of Cool Papa Bell's life and its era. The animated way the author describes about the Negro League and the key players of the league including Satchel Paige, Judy Johnson, Josh Gibson and many more leapt off the pages of history. I couldn't help admire the Negro League infused with their passion and their fearless games they played. Witnessing the changes over time in Cool Papa Bell's life and career and in baseball was engrossing in itself. The integration in the major league happens however, the downfall part of this book was this happens in later part of Cool Papa Bell's life. By this time, it was too late for him to play in the major leagues. As a notable athlete, due to the color line it was even difficult for him to find a respectable job after his retirement from his baseball career.
James Bell, he knew even then, was an invisible man who played in an invisible time. Cool Papa Bell and other key players were denied the opportunity to compete against the world best games but their persistent and the belief in not limiting their possibilities was inspirational and admirable. Lonnie Wheeler's open-minded and empathetic approach truly reflected the voice of Cool Papa Bell. It is through his keen eye for details, accuracy and its nuance where his high quality work is clearly evidenced. His compassionate nature is reflected in the way he captures the essence of his subject and baseball. Filled with compelling account on Cool Papa Bell and other key players' noteworthy achievements and its captivating era of the Negro League, this book is a testament to all baseball fans. A reminder of how baseball is closely interwoven to our history and the impact it made in our country and lives. Lonnie Wheeler's wondrous storytelling evokes the love and respect in baseball and The Bone Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell is a reflection of an American story that connects all generations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Press providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Lonnie Wheeler did not hesitate to note the recordkeeping on the statistics in the Negro League to be questionable. Negro Leagues between the 1930's to 1940's were not organized especially with their recordkeeping. Majority of the statistics were obtained through anecdotes and unable to be verified. Even with limited information, Lonnie Wheeler does the impossible. He delved into the basic outline of Cool Papa Bell's life and its era. The animated way the author describes about the Negro League and the key players of the league including Satchel Paige, Judy Johnson, Josh Gibson and many more leapt off the pages of history. I couldn't help admire the Negro League infused with their passion and their fearless games they played. Witnessing the changes over time in Cool Papa Bell's life and career and in baseball was engrossing in itself. The integration in the major league happens however, the downfall part of this book was this happens in later part of Cool Papa Bell's life. By this time, it was too late for him to play in the major leagues. As a notable athlete, due to the color line it was even difficult for him to find a respectable job after his retirement from his baseball career.
James Bell, he knew even then, was an invisible man who played in an invisible time. Cool Papa Bell and other key players were denied the opportunity to compete against the world best games but their persistent and the belief in not limiting their possibilities was inspirational and admirable. Lonnie Wheeler's open-minded and empathetic approach truly reflected the voice of Cool Papa Bell. It is through his keen eye for details, accuracy and its nuance where his high quality work is clearly evidenced. His compassionate nature is reflected in the way he captures the essence of his subject and baseball. Filled with compelling account on Cool Papa Bell and other key players' noteworthy achievements and its captivating era of the Negro League, this book is a testament to all baseball fans. A reminder of how baseball is closely interwoven to our history and the impact it made in our country and lives. Lonnie Wheeler's wondrous storytelling evokes the love and respect in baseball and The Bone Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell is a reflection of an American story that connects all generations.
Thank you to NetGalley and Abrams Press providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 26, 2023
I got almost halfway through the book hoping for something other than dry recaps of baseball seasons with the occasional fun anecdote thrown in. Alas. When the author said in the prologue that there was a lack of source material, he wasn’t kidding. The writing itself is stilted and full of interjections, which didn’t help the slow pacing.
February 12, 2021
Subtitled: Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I decided to request this book because I’ve had an interest in Bell since I was a teenager. Also, author Lonnie Wheeler has also written biographies of two of my all-time favorite players – Hank Aaron (I Had a Hammer) and Bob Gibson (Stranger to the Game).
The first time I heard about Cool Papa Bell was in 1974 when he was elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame. “He was so fast, he could turn off the light switch and get under the covers before it got dark.” Although he was born in Mississippi, Bell started his Negro League career in St. Louis, and returned there after his playing days were done.
Statistical records for the Negro Leagues are hit and miss because teams did not always assign or pay someone as official scorer, and some teams only kept statistics for official league games while other kept them for league and exhibition games. Wheeler did a thorough job of collecting historical accounts of Bell’s exploits as well as interviewing still-living players and friends with first hand stories to tell.
I gave The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell five stars. I came away from it with genuine appreciation for the ballplayer and the man.
I received an advance reader copy of this book from the publisher through Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.
I decided to request this book because I’ve had an interest in Bell since I was a teenager. Also, author Lonnie Wheeler has also written biographies of two of my all-time favorite players – Hank Aaron (I Had a Hammer) and Bob Gibson (Stranger to the Game).
The first time I heard about Cool Papa Bell was in 1974 when he was elected into baseball’s Hall of Fame. “He was so fast, he could turn off the light switch and get under the covers before it got dark.” Although he was born in Mississippi, Bell started his Negro League career in St. Louis, and returned there after his playing days were done.
Statistical records for the Negro Leagues are hit and miss because teams did not always assign or pay someone as official scorer, and some teams only kept statistics for official league games while other kept them for league and exhibition games. Wheeler did a thorough job of collecting historical accounts of Bell’s exploits as well as interviewing still-living players and friends with first hand stories to tell.
I gave The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell five stars. I came away from it with genuine appreciation for the ballplayer and the man.
April 26, 2022
It absolutely kills me to give this book a one star rating! This book has wonderful information in it, but it is so piss poor written, that it’s almost impossible to read. Please somebody else take this information and put it in a readable format!
June 1, 2022
The author starts out saying there's not much known about Bell. Then spends the rest of the book proving that.
March 31, 2025
A fantastically well-researched history of the life and career of James “Cool Papa” Bell, the fastest baseball player of the Negro Leagues, and one who lived in obscurity for decades due to the racism of segregated baseball in 30s, 40s, and beyond, as well as lack of consistent record-keeping and reporting about games featuring black ballplayers. The author is clear to note that although he did his best to sort through all the oral and written accounts of Bell’s history, both from his memory and from contemporaries, in some places we can only speculate about what exactly he did and didn’t do.
What is clear, though, is Bell was not only a great ballplayer, he was a great person. As the author notes, “The accurate recording of Cool Papa's life is a proposition nearly as futile, although its essence, much as the legend paints his baseball persona, comes through in a portfolio of kindness, sensitivity, selfless-ness, humility, merit, morality, conscience, devotion, and unflagging grace.”
In addition to a history of Cool Papa, this book also catalogues the history and issues of the Negro Leagues and its best players, as they worked, played, and struggled to make a living in a world that kept insisting they “just weren’t good enough” to play with white major leaguers, despite the fact that they played and beat many of those same players during exhibition and winter league games, and despite the clear evidence that it was only racial intolerance that kept the leagues segregated. Cool Papa was delighted when the majors finally integrated, but it came too late to do him and his contemporaries any good - they were too old by that point. "A lot of people tell me I was born too soon," Bell replied. "I wasn't born too soon. They just opened the door too late for the black ballplayer.” Though Satchel Paige did end up playing some in the majors towards the end of his career, the focus was on helping the new young talent break through and succeed, and succeed they did.
“Given the surpassing performances of black superstars at the earliest opportunity, there was simply no enduring logic in presuming that Willie Wells could not be credibly likened to Honus Wagner, Buck Leonard to Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige to Walter Johnson, Mule Suttles to Jimmie Foxx, Willie Foster to Warren Spahn, Boojum Wilson to Rogers Hornsby, Wild Bill Wright to Mickey Mantle, Biz Mackey to Bill Dickey, or Turkey Stearnes to Ted Williams. And who in mainstream baseball could even approximate the singular talents of Josh Gibson, Martín Dihigo, Bullet Joe Rogan, or Cool Papa Bell? In spectacular, incontrovertible terms, the Negro Leagues had been validated. And yet, the more celebrity the black ballplayers acquired in the present, the deeper Cool Papa slipped into obscurity.”
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of baseball and racial politics. A lot of things in baseball have changed over the last 100 years, but some things remain the same: the joy of the game for those who love to play and watch it, and the frustration at times for both fans and players when vibes don’t equal wins, lol. “It should be noted, how-ever, that perfect harmony, while generally beating the alternative, does not always beat the baseball team in the opposite dugout, which the American Giants demonstrated at a convincing rate.” (Just had to throw that in there as a lifelong Mariners fan.)
What is clear, though, is Bell was not only a great ballplayer, he was a great person. As the author notes, “The accurate recording of Cool Papa's life is a proposition nearly as futile, although its essence, much as the legend paints his baseball persona, comes through in a portfolio of kindness, sensitivity, selfless-ness, humility, merit, morality, conscience, devotion, and unflagging grace.”
In addition to a history of Cool Papa, this book also catalogues the history and issues of the Negro Leagues and its best players, as they worked, played, and struggled to make a living in a world that kept insisting they “just weren’t good enough” to play with white major leaguers, despite the fact that they played and beat many of those same players during exhibition and winter league games, and despite the clear evidence that it was only racial intolerance that kept the leagues segregated. Cool Papa was delighted when the majors finally integrated, but it came too late to do him and his contemporaries any good - they were too old by that point. "A lot of people tell me I was born too soon," Bell replied. "I wasn't born too soon. They just opened the door too late for the black ballplayer.” Though Satchel Paige did end up playing some in the majors towards the end of his career, the focus was on helping the new young talent break through and succeed, and succeed they did.
“Given the surpassing performances of black superstars at the earliest opportunity, there was simply no enduring logic in presuming that Willie Wells could not be credibly likened to Honus Wagner, Buck Leonard to Lou Gehrig, Satchel Paige to Walter Johnson, Mule Suttles to Jimmie Foxx, Willie Foster to Warren Spahn, Boojum Wilson to Rogers Hornsby, Wild Bill Wright to Mickey Mantle, Biz Mackey to Bill Dickey, or Turkey Stearnes to Ted Williams. And who in mainstream baseball could even approximate the singular talents of Josh Gibson, Martín Dihigo, Bullet Joe Rogan, or Cool Papa Bell? In spectacular, incontrovertible terms, the Negro Leagues had been validated. And yet, the more celebrity the black ballplayers acquired in the present, the deeper Cool Papa slipped into obscurity.”
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone interested in the history of baseball and racial politics. A lot of things in baseball have changed over the last 100 years, but some things remain the same: the joy of the game for those who love to play and watch it, and the frustration at times for both fans and players when vibes don’t equal wins, lol. “It should be noted, how-ever, that perfect harmony, while generally beating the alternative, does not always beat the baseball team in the opposite dugout, which the American Giants demonstrated at a convincing rate.” (Just had to throw that in there as a lifelong Mariners fan.)
August 16, 2020
There are few better summer reads than a good baseball book. But far more than this, The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell offers readers a thoughtful and though-provoking perspective on a lost age of baseball. It is a tonic for these troubled times without r4sorting to simplistic historical judgments. It offers the life of this fascinating man for review, consideration, reflection. It may be safe to save that most baseball fans recognize the name of Cool Papa Bell, but it is equally clear to say that they doubtlessly know very little about the man. And this is not surprising. Baseball book typically rely on a vast amount of statistical and descriptive records that facilitate the recreation of key moments and emotional events. Furthermore, most authors can count on the reader’s familiarity with the teams, the competitions, the major players that form the background for almost story. For me it is this sense of familiarity that is one of the more compelling features of books about baseball. I expected to find these features in this book. Fairly early in the reading experience, however, it became clear that this book would not have these familiar, safe features. The detailed box scores that exist and that form the heart of so many baseball books are nonexistent here. Even newspaper accounts were sketchy at best. Even the most basic statistics are lost to time: did he steal 27 or 12 bases? Was his batting average .366 of .317? Did he play in 128, 200 or more games? This ambiguity is compounded by the fact that Mr Bell and his Negro League contemporaries are not easily associated with this team or that team. Teams, affiliations, even leagues appear a secondary thought (if that). Players move back and forth among teams, sometimes in the course of a few days or a single doubleheader. Indeed, there is even little sense of an actual ‘season’. A championship series (played in a number of different cities, some of which had no obvious connection to either team) would end and the teams would play again the next day. Hard work for a historian indeed. Yet this is where Mr Wheeler shines. The facts and details are fuzzy, but Cool Papa Bell shines through; his skills, his qualities, his character. And for me it is here, where the reader is offered a glimpse into the character of a man that this book stands out. The world as a whole and the baseball world in a smaller change changed dramatically over the course of Cool Papa Bell’s career and life. Mr. Wheeler has captured this world and these changes through his writing on authentic life of this man. As I began to write these words I was saddened to learn of the passing of Mr. Wheeler. This book will stand as a tribute to one of our great chroniclers of our beloved sport of baseball. It is with deep appreciation to Netgalley that I offer this review in exchange for receiving an advance copy of this book.
October 14, 2025
In the spring of 2026, I will play the title role in a one man play about the life of Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal. To help contextualize my performance, I have been reading up on the Holocaust. I must admit to a certain unease when reading about the Holocaust. First--I already know how things turned out. No non-fiction can change the ending, and no fiction can equal the horror of the reality. Second, I squirm to know how willingly one group of people inflicted so much suffering on another. I don't want to believe people can be that cruel. Regardless, much of my reading reflects a common theme. Simon Wiesenthal wants those who were not present, as well as future generations, to never forget how Jews were herded into camps, tortured, starved and worked or gassed to death. Never forget.
I came away from reading about Cool Papa Bell with a similar feeling.
Blessed with blazing speed, Cool Papa Bell became a mythical figure in his own time. Ballplayers marveled at his ease in stealing bases, stretching singles into doubles and triples, and making impossible plays in the outfield look routine. Sadly, his talents went unnoticed because he was Black, and his athletic heroics were limited to what was known as the Negro Leagues. Further, he did not possess the flair of Satchel Paige, the hulking power of Josh Gibson or Mule Suttles, or the forthrightness of Jackie Robinson. His humility, while an asset to his universally admired character, left him largely overlooked by all but his peers. Major League Baseball, in a sheepish attempt at a Mea Culpa, announced just a few years ago that Negro League statistics would now be an official part of baseball history. Okay, fine, but one factor that makes the task truly Herculean is that Negro League stats were so haphazardly kept. Plus, when attempting to piece together the life of Cool Papa, one's effort would be thwarted by how little he said about himself. Apparently, he contributed very few words to the chapter of his life that dealt with playing baseball. To a man, his teammates, opponents, and sportswriters concurred on how gracious and self-effacing he was. With a bemused and thoughtful tone, Lonnie Wheeler creates a clearer picture of a truly great man by connecting the few faint dots that comprise his long-ago life.
A thought: since so little documentation exists of Cool Papa's life and career, readers and fans alike must rely on stories told about him by others. Current and future generations will have to rely on these stories to create their own a vision of the man. This bears a striking resemblance to how legends are created, so maybe Cool Papa will be remembered after all.
I came away from reading about Cool Papa Bell with a similar feeling.
Blessed with blazing speed, Cool Papa Bell became a mythical figure in his own time. Ballplayers marveled at his ease in stealing bases, stretching singles into doubles and triples, and making impossible plays in the outfield look routine. Sadly, his talents went unnoticed because he was Black, and his athletic heroics were limited to what was known as the Negro Leagues. Further, he did not possess the flair of Satchel Paige, the hulking power of Josh Gibson or Mule Suttles, or the forthrightness of Jackie Robinson. His humility, while an asset to his universally admired character, left him largely overlooked by all but his peers. Major League Baseball, in a sheepish attempt at a Mea Culpa, announced just a few years ago that Negro League statistics would now be an official part of baseball history. Okay, fine, but one factor that makes the task truly Herculean is that Negro League stats were so haphazardly kept. Plus, when attempting to piece together the life of Cool Papa, one's effort would be thwarted by how little he said about himself. Apparently, he contributed very few words to the chapter of his life that dealt with playing baseball. To a man, his teammates, opponents, and sportswriters concurred on how gracious and self-effacing he was. With a bemused and thoughtful tone, Lonnie Wheeler creates a clearer picture of a truly great man by connecting the few faint dots that comprise his long-ago life.
A thought: since so little documentation exists of Cool Papa's life and career, readers and fans alike must rely on stories told about him by others. Current and future generations will have to rely on these stories to create their own a vision of the man. This bears a striking resemblance to how legends are created, so maybe Cool Papa will be remembered after all.
February 10, 2021
Growing up in St Louis in a family of baseball fans, I never heard about Cool Papa Bell until I was an adult. He is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, and was known as the fastest man who ever played the game. This book seeks to remedy some of that oversight. It comes out at a time when MLB has just declared the Negro Leagues to be Major Leagues and debate is flying about how records should be addressed. Who really has the home run record or the stolen base record? This book addresses those questions, despite being written before the passing of the author last summer, well before the news broke. As always, the debate has been around long before MLB made a decision.
But the meat here, as it should be, is with the legend himself. From living with his mother in Jim Crow Mississippi to living and working with brothers during their piece of the great migration, to growing old with his wife in 1980s St. Louis, Cool Papa stays central to the story. For those that remember the original Vacation movie, Cool Papa lived his last years not far from where Chevy Chase and crew got lost when they got off the interstate in St. Louis. Of course there is baseball, but his story also tells the story of baseball and society during his life and how baseball could, and couldn't, shape his life.
The story of Cool Papa as himself and Cool Papa as a lens for viewing America and its sports is what makes this book better than many counterparts. Yes, there are descriptions of many baseball games. But they are told in an engaging manner and broken up stories about people, relationships, and daily life for this unique group of people - Negro League stars. It never loses sight of the people themselves, individual concerns and decisions, or the relationships among everyone involved. Players, teammates, owners, managers, relatives, organized baseball, and dictators all have their place.
You dont have to be a baseball fan to like this book. I couldn't name many players today myself and tend to bring a book to games the few times I go. For baseball fans, it would be up another notch. You'll either learn something or enjoy how all the legendary stories that you have heard have been woven together so well. (True baseball fans, skip the last three pages or so. You'll know what I mean when you get there.)
Thank you to the late Lonnie Wheeler, Abrams Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.
But the meat here, as it should be, is with the legend himself. From living with his mother in Jim Crow Mississippi to living and working with brothers during their piece of the great migration, to growing old with his wife in 1980s St. Louis, Cool Papa stays central to the story. For those that remember the original Vacation movie, Cool Papa lived his last years not far from where Chevy Chase and crew got lost when they got off the interstate in St. Louis. Of course there is baseball, but his story also tells the story of baseball and society during his life and how baseball could, and couldn't, shape his life.
The story of Cool Papa as himself and Cool Papa as a lens for viewing America and its sports is what makes this book better than many counterparts. Yes, there are descriptions of many baseball games. But they are told in an engaging manner and broken up stories about people, relationships, and daily life for this unique group of people - Negro League stars. It never loses sight of the people themselves, individual concerns and decisions, or the relationships among everyone involved. Players, teammates, owners, managers, relatives, organized baseball, and dictators all have their place.
You dont have to be a baseball fan to like this book. I couldn't name many players today myself and tend to bring a book to games the few times I go. For baseball fans, it would be up another notch. You'll either learn something or enjoy how all the legendary stories that you have heard have been woven together so well. (True baseball fans, skip the last three pages or so. You'll know what I mean when you get there.)
Thank you to the late Lonnie Wheeler, Abrams Press, and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this ebook in exchange for an honest opinion.
February 8, 2021
Lonnie Wheeler’s “The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell” was the first book that I’ve read about the Negro Leagues and I found it fascinating.
In writing this biography, Wheeler confronted the challenge of writing about these baseball leagues - where statistics were often not kept or were estimated or incomplete - head on by sticking to reported facts and providing context and conjecture where necessary to give a fuller picture to the dominance of Cool Papa Bell and many of his contemporaries. While the book follow’s Bell’s life and career, readers get a heavy dose of his teammates like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
A major theme in Wheeler’s biography is the simultaneous existence of the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues which were still fighting to keep black athletes out. Several exhibition games that Wheeler writes about were clearly wildly popular with fans and also underscored how far the Major Leagues would go to obscure any appearance that a real Major League team were playing an official game against Negro League players… for fear that they would lose.
Beyond being a story about one man’s life and athletic career, it highlights a critical time in our country as we approached the end of a long period of exclusion for Blacks in the Major Leagues. At times the gaps in history are particularly frustrating for the reader because so much is unknown, but I appreciated Wheeler’s decision not to dramatize Cool Papa Bell’s life or fill in gaps with guesswork.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Negro Leagues, issues of race & racism in America, Black history, American history, and professional baseball (MLB & Negro Leagues).
In writing this biography, Wheeler confronted the challenge of writing about these baseball leagues - where statistics were often not kept or were estimated or incomplete - head on by sticking to reported facts and providing context and conjecture where necessary to give a fuller picture to the dominance of Cool Papa Bell and many of his contemporaries. While the book follow’s Bell’s life and career, readers get a heavy dose of his teammates like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson.
A major theme in Wheeler’s biography is the simultaneous existence of the Negro Leagues and the Major Leagues which were still fighting to keep black athletes out. Several exhibition games that Wheeler writes about were clearly wildly popular with fans and also underscored how far the Major Leagues would go to obscure any appearance that a real Major League team were playing an official game against Negro League players… for fear that they would lose.
Beyond being a story about one man’s life and athletic career, it highlights a critical time in our country as we approached the end of a long period of exclusion for Blacks in the Major Leagues. At times the gaps in history are particularly frustrating for the reader because so much is unknown, but I appreciated Wheeler’s decision not to dramatize Cool Papa Bell’s life or fill in gaps with guesswork.
I would recommend this book to anyone interested in the Negro Leagues, issues of race & racism in America, Black history, American history, and professional baseball (MLB & Negro Leagues).
September 21, 2022
Cool Papa Bell is a mythological figure bursting forth from the pages of the epic history of Negro League baseball. But unlike Achilles or Hector, most of what has been written about the “fastest man to ever play” is true. Or at least it should be.
Often cited as the most gentlemanly man in the game, Cool Papa Bell burst onto the scene after moving from Mississippi to St Louis, and was a fixture on some of the greatest teams ever assembled in Negro League history.
Wheeler does an excellent job identifying source material and filling in the blank spaces to write a clear and intriguing narrative of one of the game’s greats. While not composed as a specific treatise or commentary on race, it is impossible to write a good and serious work about a Negro League player, especially a Hall of Fame talent, with addressing the blatant racism at play in the early 20th century. Wheeler does not shy from this as Cool Papa himself did not sit in silence about the limitations placed on the black stars.
A good biography paints a multi-dimensional portrait that compels the reader by tying together the facts that comprise a life into an arc that has some type of meaning. Wheeler has accomplished this in one of the better baseball biographies I’ve read. The more one can learn about the greats of the game, all the greats, the better.
Often cited as the most gentlemanly man in the game, Cool Papa Bell burst onto the scene after moving from Mississippi to St Louis, and was a fixture on some of the greatest teams ever assembled in Negro League history.
Wheeler does an excellent job identifying source material and filling in the blank spaces to write a clear and intriguing narrative of one of the game’s greats. While not composed as a specific treatise or commentary on race, it is impossible to write a good and serious work about a Negro League player, especially a Hall of Fame talent, with addressing the blatant racism at play in the early 20th century. Wheeler does not shy from this as Cool Papa himself did not sit in silence about the limitations placed on the black stars.
A good biography paints a multi-dimensional portrait that compels the reader by tying together the facts that comprise a life into an arc that has some type of meaning. Wheeler has accomplished this in one of the better baseball biographies I’ve read. The more one can learn about the greats of the game, all the greats, the better.
April 1, 2021
An important figure in baseball and a hell of a nice man. First rate baseball and black history book.
James "Cool Papa" Bell never made it to the major leagues. His 24 year career eventually did land him in the Hall of Fame and he's widely considered by baseball historians to be one of the all-time great centerfielders and arguably the fastest man who ever played. On multiple occasions he scored from first to home on single plays, sometimes infield hits. The anecdotes that followed the switch-hitting world class speedster could fill volumes. But that's not what this book is entirely about. It's about Bell's place among the fraternity of black men that pushed the game forward at a time when the racial inequities were never more hypocritical. It's the story of Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Willie Welles, Judy Johnson, Turkey Stearnes, Bullet Joe Rogan, and Rube Foster. It's also the stories of the guys they mentored in the proceeding generation like Ernie Banks, Jackie Robinson, Lou Brock, and Larry Doby.
This story is steeped in so much history that's lost on mainstream baseball fans, myself prior to this book included. I never knew that the final remark of Ted Williams' Hall of Fame acceptance speech was aimed at getting Negro League players included in the Hall of Fame. "I hope that some day the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in some way could be added as a symbol of the great Negro players that are not here only because they were not given the chance," he said in 1966.
This book is the story of baseball in the early to mid twentieth century told through one of it's most genteel, well dressed, professionals whose career accomplishments and colorful stories provide a steady center to a volatile baseball and cultural backdrop. Cool Papa was so well traveled that the journey cuts a wide swath of atmospheres and scenarios ranging from Mississippi to Pennsylvania to Mexico and to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Entertaining all the way around and an impressive final work from longtime St. Louis sportswriter, Lonnie Wheeler, who passed away in 2020.
James "Cool Papa" Bell never made it to the major leagues. His 24 year career eventually did land him in the Hall of Fame and he's widely considered by baseball historians to be one of the all-time great centerfielders and arguably the fastest man who ever played. On multiple occasions he scored from first to home on single plays, sometimes infield hits. The anecdotes that followed the switch-hitting world class speedster could fill volumes. But that's not what this book is entirely about. It's about Bell's place among the fraternity of black men that pushed the game forward at a time when the racial inequities were never more hypocritical. It's the story of Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, Willie Welles, Judy Johnson, Turkey Stearnes, Bullet Joe Rogan, and Rube Foster. It's also the stories of the guys they mentored in the proceeding generation like Ernie Banks, Jackie Robinson, Lou Brock, and Larry Doby.
This story is steeped in so much history that's lost on mainstream baseball fans, myself prior to this book included. I never knew that the final remark of Ted Williams' Hall of Fame acceptance speech was aimed at getting Negro League players included in the Hall of Fame. "I hope that some day the names of Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson in some way could be added as a symbol of the great Negro players that are not here only because they were not given the chance," he said in 1966.
This book is the story of baseball in the early to mid twentieth century told through one of it's most genteel, well dressed, professionals whose career accomplishments and colorful stories provide a steady center to a volatile baseball and cultural backdrop. Cool Papa was so well traveled that the journey cuts a wide swath of atmospheres and scenarios ranging from Mississippi to Pennsylvania to Mexico and to Cuba and the Dominican Republic.
Entertaining all the way around and an impressive final work from longtime St. Louis sportswriter, Lonnie Wheeler, who passed away in 2020.
August 30, 2020
Cool PaPa Bell “Reserved, Unworldly, Mindful of his Mom and Serious about his craft”. This is The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell.
Lonnie Wheeler was given the great opportunity to interview Cool Papa, his memories were said to be remarkably accurate and detailed. Cool Papa was so fast he, once stole three bases including home on three straight pitches. As a outfielder he nabbed everything hit in his direction, and kept runners “honest” with his accurate throws.
This very interesting read is full of life, baseball stories and stats that will keep ALL Baseball enthusiasts turning the pages. There are many great photos of the NNL players throughout the book which gives us the faces to go with the names.
Referring to his time playing Baseball , A lot of people tell, me I was born too soon” I (Bell) replied I wasn’t born too soon, they just opened the door too late for the Blacks.”.
This is a very interesting read that is loaded with stories of life and BASEBALL.
Susan W/ Booklover/ BASEBALL Lover
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading this AMAZING book.
Lonnie Wheeler was given the great opportunity to interview Cool Papa, his memories were said to be remarkably accurate and detailed. Cool Papa was so fast he, once stole three bases including home on three straight pitches. As a outfielder he nabbed everything hit in his direction, and kept runners “honest” with his accurate throws.
This very interesting read is full of life, baseball stories and stats that will keep ALL Baseball enthusiasts turning the pages. There are many great photos of the NNL players throughout the book which gives us the faces to go with the names.
Referring to his time playing Baseball , A lot of people tell, me I was born too soon” I (Bell) replied I wasn’t born too soon, they just opened the door too late for the Blacks.”.
This is a very interesting read that is loaded with stories of life and BASEBALL.
Susan W/ Booklover/ BASEBALL Lover
Thank you for allowing me the privilege of reading this AMAZING book.
February 10, 2021
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell is the biography of the legendary Negro Leagues baseball star James “Cool Papa” Bell. Bell was known as the “fastest man to ever play baseball.”
This thought provoking work by the late Lonnie Wheeler explores the life of Bell, from his upbringing in Mississippi as the son of sharecroppers, to his years in the Negro Leagues, to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, through to his death and legacy.
Wheeler deep dives into the subject and provides a remarkable amount of facts and statistics. Remarkable, only because Negro League record keeping was spotty at best. However, Wheeler does a wonderful job piecing everything together in a clear way so that it’s easily digestible.
If you’re a die hard baseball fan, then yes this totally worth the read. If you are at all interested in sports history, then this book is also for you. However, if none of the above apply to you then you should probably just skip this one.
Overall, this book provides an excellent glimpse into the passion of all Negro League players, not just Cool Papa.
This thought provoking work by the late Lonnie Wheeler explores the life of Bell, from his upbringing in Mississippi as the son of sharecroppers, to his years in the Negro Leagues, to his induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame, through to his death and legacy.
Wheeler deep dives into the subject and provides a remarkable amount of facts and statistics. Remarkable, only because Negro League record keeping was spotty at best. However, Wheeler does a wonderful job piecing everything together in a clear way so that it’s easily digestible.
If you’re a die hard baseball fan, then yes this totally worth the read. If you are at all interested in sports history, then this book is also for you. However, if none of the above apply to you then you should probably just skip this one.
Overall, this book provides an excellent glimpse into the passion of all Negro League players, not just Cool Papa.
February 15, 2021
The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues by Lonnie Wheeler is a well researched and written biography that tells the story of base balling legend James ‘Cool Papa’ Bell. I would go further to say that the books was a biography for the sport of baseball as I felt I learnt more about the sport of baseball than I did about a Black man living in this period in (African) American history - the Great Migration - against the backdrop of segregation and racism.
The book is perfect for the baseball fan, but for me someone who likes to learn about people and their journeys in (auto) biographies I feel it was lacking the human story re Cool Papa Bell. I say this because I don’t think the book paid as much attention as it could have done regarding him as the man. I learnt about Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson etc as well as baseball terms I would not have come across otherwise.
***Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
The book is perfect for the baseball fan, but for me someone who likes to learn about people and their journeys in (auto) biographies I feel it was lacking the human story re Cool Papa Bell. I say this because I don’t think the book paid as much attention as it could have done regarding him as the man. I learnt about Babe Ruth, Jackie Robinson etc as well as baseball terms I would not have come across otherwise.
***Thank you to Netgalley and Abrams Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.***
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