You may remember that Patrick Rock found what we though might have been Cool Papa Bell’s first appearance in a box score, for the Compton Hill Cubs in a May 1921 game against the Union Electrics, a white St. Louis semipro team. Patrick has now found an earlier appearance for Cool Papa (though no box score), in an October 10, 1920, game for the Compton Hill Cubs vs. another black team, the East St. Louis Cubs.
(St. Louis Argus, October 15, 1920, p. 5)
“R. Bell” would be Cool Papa’s older brother Robert; more on him soon.
Bell would have been just 19 years old. Also I think the opposing team, East St. Louis Cubs, is the team Bell went to briefly after the Compton Hill team disbanded, and just before he joined the Stars in 1922.
Posted by: Kevin | March 15, 2009 at 06:41 PM