St. Vincent Park in Velda City in St. Louis County, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Legendary "Cool Papa" Bell
1901-1991
— A Universal Legend —
Photographed By Jason Voigt, March 2, 2023
1. Legendary "Cool Papa" Bell Marker
This is the back of Bell's grave marker.
dignity, humility & generosity
Dearly loved & respected
Scholar & philosopher of baseball
1974 National Baseball Hall of Fame
Professional baseball career
1922-1950 in the Negro Major League
Began career with St. Louis Stars
before the integration of baseball
Endured overwhelming injustices
Played, managed, coached, scouted
Paved the way for black baseball
players to compete in today's game
Discovered, developed & helped many
players to go into the white league
Greatest center-fielder in baseball
A speedster & champion base-stealer
Switch-hitter & bunting-specialist
Lifetime batting average .419
Clocked circling the bases 11 seconds
His record still unbroken when he died
Traveled continuously captivating
millions, playing professional
baseball 29 summers & 21 winters
U.S.A., Canada & Latin America
"Cool Papa" a genuine treasure
Honored world-wide
Refused to let racism or segregation
discourage him
He became a universal legend
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports.
this page online
Location. 38° 41.237′ N, 90° 17.649′ W. Marker is in Velda City, Missouri, in St. Louis County. It is in St. Vincent Park. Marker can be reached from the intersection of Lucas and Hunt Road (Missouri Route U) and St. Louis Avenue. Marker is Bell's gravestone at St. Peter's Cemetery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2101 Lucas and Hunt Rd, Saint Louis MO 63121, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 2 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Harriet Robinson Scott (approx. ¼ mile away); Lloyd Lionel Gaines (approx. half a mile away); St. Vincent Greenway - University of Missouri - St. Louis (approx. 1.6 miles away); Combat Wounded Veterans (approx. 1.7 miles away); UMSL Commons (approx. 1.8 miles away); History of the West End (approx. 1.8 miles away); Ackert Walkway and a Path to Urban Renewal (approx. 1.9 miles away); Marguerite Ross Barnette (approx. 1.9 miles away).
Also see . . .
1. Cool Papa Bell on Wikipedia. He reportedly earned his nickname "Cool" because of his ability to handle pressure with tough ball players while he was a pitcher. "Papa" was added to his nickname because Bell liked
Photographed By Jason Voigt, March 2, 2023
2. Legendary "Cool Papa" Bell Marker
Front of Bell's grave. Contains a few of the historical lines from the back.
2. Cool Papa Bell (National Baseball Hall of Fame). He was known as one of the fastest to ever play baseball; unfortunately some of his Negro League stats were lost because they were poorly recorded during those days. (Submitted on March 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)
Photographed By Jason Voigt, March 2, 2023
3. Legendary "Cool Papa" Bell Marker
Marker/grave is located at St. Peter's Cemetery (section 16).
Credits. This page was last revised on March 31, 2023. It was originally submitted on March 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 89 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on March 2, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.
