Downtown in St. Louis, Missouri — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

James Thomas Bell

"Cool Papa"

— Negro Leagues 1922-1950 —

James Thomas Bell Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Jason Voigt, September 18, 2019

1. James Thomas Bell Marker

Other side

Inscription. Combined speed, daring and battling skill to rank among best players in Negro Leagues. Contemporaries rated him fastest man on base paths. Hit over .300 regularly, topping .400 on occasion. Played 29 summers and 21 winters of professional baseball.

[Other side:]
Dedication postponed to May 18, 2002
due to the events of September 11, 2001

"Cool Papa" Bell
Unveiled September 16, 2001
Regarded as the fastest to ever put on a uniform, the St. Louis native played for the St. Louis Stars during a career that lasted from 1922-1950. Elected to the Hall of Fame in 1974. While some stories may be exaggerated, his speed was real. He was once clocked circling the bases in an astonishing twelve seconds. He stole 175 bases in just under 200 games. His skill with the bat established lifetime batting average of .341.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Sports. A significant historical date for this entry is May 18, 2002.

Location. 38° 37.429′ N, 90° 11.625′ W. Marker is in St. Louis, Missouri. It is in Downtown. Marker is at the intersection of South 8th Street and Clark Avenue, on the right when traveling north on South 8th Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 700 Clark Avenue, Saint Louis MO 63102, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other

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markers are within walking distance of this marker. Robert Gibson (here, next to this marker); Louis Clark Brock (here, next to this marker); George Harold Sisler (here, next to this marker); Stanley Frank Musial (a few steps from this marker); Rogers Hornsby (a few steps from this marker); Albert Fred Schoendienst (a few steps from this marker); Osborne "Ozzie" Smith (a few steps from this marker); Enos Bradsher Slaughter (a few steps from this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Louis.

Related markers. Click here for a list of markers that are related to this marker. Other markers about Cool Papa Bell

Also see . . . Cool Papa Bell (Baseball Hall of Fame). Bell's profile on the Cooperstown Baseball Hall of Fame website (Submitted on September 24, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Photographed By Jason Voigt, June 17, 2020

2. James Thomas Bell Marker

Front

Photographed By Jason Voigt, September 18, 2019

3. James Thomas Bell Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 3, 2019, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 165 times since then and 16 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on September 24, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. 2. submitted on January 29, 2021, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. 3. submitted on September 24, 2019, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.