The Bona Fide Legend of Cool Papa Bell: Speed, Grace, and the Negro Leagues

by Lonnie Wheeler, David Sadzin (Read by)

Overview

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 fl ip 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, and 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 MLB’s color line. Rich in context and suffused in myth, this is a treat for fans of baseball history.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781665040297
Publisher:	Blackstone Publishing
Publication date:	05/11/2021
Product dimensions:	5.80(w) x 5.60(h) x 1.00(d)

About the Author

Lonnie Wheeler (1952–2020) was the author of numerous books including collaborations on the autobiographies of Hank Aaron (I Had A Hammer) and Bob Gibson (Stranger to the Game), and a baseball dialogue between Gibson and Reggie Jackson (Sixty Feet, Six Inches).

When he was seven, David Sadzin’s first grade teacher gave him a paragraph to read out loud. She interrupted him halfway to proclaim him the “Ringmaster” in his class’s musical extravaganza about the circus. He’s been using his voice to get out of trouble ever since. After a few intense years on New York’s stages, performing traditional and experimental theater, improv, and sketch comedy, he’s now settled comfortably in front of the mic in his home studio in Brooklyn.

Editorial Reviews

For those who appreciate the history of baseball, the Negro Leagues are a rich trove of anecdotes on what players achieved on the field and endured off of it. The late Lonnie Wheeler’s biography captures one of the greats, James “Cool Papa” Bell, known for his speed around the bases and his gentility off the field. David Sadzin narrates with an interested tone and an emotional emphasis that fits the subject—actually, subjects. That’s because this audiobook is as much a history of the Negro Leagues as it is a biography of one man. Sadzin’s delivery gives dignity to Bell and never overshadows the amazing Hall of Famer. Without trying to imitate anyone, Sadzin helps paint a picture of a great ballplayer decades ago. M.B. © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine

APRIL 2021 - AudioFile

This book, written for adults but appropriate for upper middle grade readers, is a terrific biography about James “Cool Papa” Bell (1903–1991), a legend in Black baseball.

BookRiot

Lonnie Wheeler's bio of Cool Papa Bell reads like fiction. That's a tribute to Bell's achievements, which are worthy of legend, and to Wheeler's spellbinding writing and extraordinary ability to sift fact from myth. The only tragedy is that Lonnie isn't here to enjoy the stream of accolades this book is sure to generate.

Larry Tye - author of Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend

To white baseball fans in his day, Cool Papa Bell was an invisible man at an invisible time. The virtual embodiment of the Negro Leagues, he is honored by Lonnie Wheeler’s last, great biography—the portrait of a man and an age only now beginning to be seen by us all.

John Thorn - official historian of Major League Baseball

"​A book for baseball history buffs receives a stellar, 4.5 out of 5 from Papa Clicker."

New York Post - Andrew Marchand

This is a fantastic story for all baseball fans and contains legends and lore you won’t want to miss. – The 25 Best Sports Books of All Time!

SPY.com

Illuminating . . . a richly detailed account of possibly the speediest player in history, and, along the way, a fascinating picture of Black baseball in the Jim Crow era.

The Washington Post

Lonnie Wheeler's bio of Cool Papa Bell reads like fiction. That's a tribute to Bell's achievements, which are worthy of legend, and to Wheeler's spellbinding writing and extraordinary ability to sift fact from myth. The only tragedy is that Lonnie isn't here to enjoy the stream of accolades this book is sure to generate.”—author of Satchel: The Life and Times of an American Legend, Larry Tye

“To white baseball fans in his day, Cool Papa Bell was an invisible man at an invisible time. The virtual embodiment of the Negro Leagues, he is honored by Lonnie Wheeler’s last, great biography—the portrait of a man and an age only now beginning to be seen by us all.”—official historian of Major League Baseball, John Thorn

"​A book for baseball history buffs receives a stellar, 4.5 out of 5 from Papa Clicker."—Andrew Marchand, New York Post

“This is a fantastic story for all baseball fans and contains legends and lore you won’t want to miss. – The 25 Best Sports Books of All Time!”—SPY.com

“This book, written for adults but appropriate for upper middle grade readers, is a terrific biography about James “Cool Papa” Bell (1903–1991), a legend in Black baseball.”—BookRiot

“Illuminating . . . a richly detailed account of possibly the speediest player in history, and, along the way, a fascinating picture of Black baseball in the Jim Crow era.”—The Washington Post

From the Publisher