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The fastest base runner of all time
The fastest base runner of all time Cool Papa Bell, c. 1922–31.

Cool Papa Bell

American baseball player
Also known as: James Thomas Bell
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Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Cool Papa Bell (born May 17, 1903, Starkville, Mississippi, U.S.—died March 7, 1991, St. Louis, Missouri) was an American professional baseball player, reputedly the fastest base runner of all time. Barred from Major League Baseball (MLB) because of the unwritten rule against Black athletes, Bell spent his career in the Negro leagues. Bell began as a pitcher for the St. Louis Stars in the Negro National League at the age of 19 and earned the...

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