Jackson Free Press

May 17 was the 101st birthday of one of the greatest baseball players many people have never heard of: James Thomas "Cool Papa" Bell. The Jackson Senators will honor and remember Bell and and his fellow players on Saturday on Negro League Appreciation Night.

Bell, born in Starkville on May 17, 1903, played for 29 seasons in the Negro Leagues, from 1922-50. Bell was a star during an era when black players were barred from playing in Major League Baseball. Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947 when he was called up by the Brooklyn Dodgers. Several former Negro League players, including pitcher Satchel Paige, a future Baseball Hall of Famer, went on to play in the majors. But others, like Bell, never got the chance.

Bell, called "The Black Ty Cobb" because of his prowess as a hitter and a base stealer, reportedly once circled the bases in 12 seconds; the major league record is 13.2 seconds. Paige used to claim that Bell was so fast that he could turn off the lights and be in bed before the room got dark. His lifetime average is believed to have been around .340, and he reputedly once stole 175 bases in a season. In 1940, his only season for which documented statistics are available, Bell hit .437 for Torreon of the Mexican League.

In 1974, Bell was recognized as one of the game's greatest when he was inducted into the Hall of Fame. He's been honored in Jackson, too: you drive to Smith-Wills off Lakeland Drive on Cool Papa Bell Drive.

Charlie Hayes, a former major leaguer from Hattiesburg, will join in the Senators' celebration. On Saturday, he and Jackson Senators players will be instructors at the Entergy Metro Youth Clinic at Grove Park from 10 a.m.-noon. (For more information, call 362-2294).

Hayes will also take part in pre-game ceremonies before the Senators play the Fort Worth Cats at 7:05 p.m. at Smith-Wills Stadium. It's Entergy Negro League Tribute Night. Both teams will wear replica Negro Leagues uniforms. Free general admission tickets are available at Jackson-area Sprint Marts.

Similar events are being held at major and minor league parks throughout the spring and summer. On Sunday, the Kansas City Royals, in conjunction with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, will hold their annual Salute To the Negro Leagues. For the KC-New York game, the Royals wear replica Kansas City Monarchs uniforms, while the Mets will play in New York Cubans gear.