The understated enameled plate beneath Bell’s portrait says it all: the guy was fast. The stories about Bell were legendary. One of the most popular and humorous was that Bell could turn off the light and get into bed before the room was dark. But his speed was real. He was once clocked rounding the bases in just 12 seconds, and one season he stole 175 bases in under 200 games. This speed combined with sure hands and a great bat made Bell one of the greatest all-around players. It was said that when Satchel Paige had Bell on his team and a two-out fly ball was hit to center field, Paige would simply walk off the mound to the dugout without turning around. And at the plate catcher Ted “Double Duty” Radcliffe remarked, “If he bunts and it bounces twice, put it in your pocket.”
Bell’s playing career continued after integration but he refused offers from the Major Leagues. In 1946, at age 43, he “gave” the league batting title to Monte Irvin to better his chance of making the Majors.