The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell

Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues

By: Lonnie Wheeler

Narrated by: David Sadzin

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.

©2021 Lonnie Wheeler. Published in 2021 by The Overlook Press, an imprint of ABRAMS, New York. All rights reserved. (P)2021 Blackstone Publishing

Incredible!

This book is absolutely an incredible bio of one of the greatest ball players to ever live. The narrator did a magnificent job. The story truly came to life. Books like this will be the historic the Negro Leagues alive.

Great book on the negro leagues

This book is not just about cool papa, although he is the central character in the book. If you are looking for an engaging and thorough read on the Negro leagues, this book is for you.

Pittsburgh Proud

What a compelling story about a true legend who gave so much to the baseball world.

Really Good Book

Good story and love the narration. David is a fantastic narrator! The content is excellent too.

Excellent

Excellent history of a fascinating athlete. Good history of the Negro Leagues and the shame of Jim Crow baseball as well.