orig. James Thomas Bell
born May 17, 1903, Starkville, Miss., U.S.
died March 7, 1991, St. Louis, Mo.
U.S. baseball player.
Bell was a switch-hitting outfielder for most of his career. Playing primarily in the Negro leagues , he is said to have stolen 175 bases in a 200-game season and is reputed to have been the fastest base runner of all time. Also a fine hitter, he once batted .391 over a five-year period. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.