Bell, originally from Starkville, Miss., moved to St. Louis as a teenager, where he spent most of his time playing neighborhood baseball. In 1922, he got his start in the Negro National League as a pitcher for the St. Louis Stars, making $90 a month. This is where he earned his nickname “Cool Papa” for remaining cool on the mound during intense pitching situations. After leaving St. Louis, Bell went on to play for a variety of other Negro League clubs, most notably, the Kansas City Monarchs, the Homestead Grays, and the Pittsburgh Crawfords.
After an injury to his pitching arm, Bell shifted to center field and learned how to be an effective switch-hitter, making him a menace in the outfield, a threat at the plate, and a burner on the base paths. As a multifaceted player, Bell quickly learned to respect and master the strategic aspects of the game. This included perfecting what he called “tricky” or “unwritten” baseball. He explained, “That’s why we beat the major league teams. It’s not that we had the best men, but in a short series, we could outguess them.” It was typical for Bell and his teammates to run the bases hard to cause wild throws; bunt and run in the first inning; and hit away in bunt situations.