Fred Bell

Fred Bell
(Lefty)

• Bats Left, Throws Left

• Debut 1923
• Final Game 1927
• Born March 19, 1902 in Starkville, MS USA
• Died October 11, 1936 in Detroit, MI USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Fred Bell began his baseball career in the south then moved to the Toledo Tigers in 1923. Going 0-1 and walking 9 batters in 7 innings, he had a 6.43 ERA before Toledo before joining his half-brother Cool Papa Bell on the St. Louis Stars staff. With half-brother Cool Papa serving as the ace, Lefty was a decent #2 man, going 4-4 with a 4.38 ERA. The fastballer went 4-1 in 1924 with the Harrisburg Giants. He also lost one game with the Washington Potomacs that season, then in 1925 joined his fifth team in three years when he appeared with the Detroit Stars. He was 7-8 for the 1925 Detroit club, 7-6 in 1926 and 1-0 in 1927. Bell finished his career with the 1929 Memphis Red Sox. Overall he was 24-20 in the Negro National League and Eastern Colored League. He also played the outfield at times, hitting .299 in 1926, but never stopped pitching and never became a regular in the field.

Sources:

• The Biographical Encyclopedia of the Negro Baseball Leagues by James Riley
• The Complete Book of Baseball's Negro Leagues by John Holway