William Bell (baseball)

William W. Bell, Sr.

Pitcher / Manager
Born: August 31, 1897
Galveston, Texas
Died: March 16, 1969
El Campo, Texas
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
1923, for the Kansas City Monarchs
Last appearance
1948, for the Newark Eagles
Career statistics
Win–Loss record 124-48
Winning percentage .721
Teams

As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards
.721 career winning percentage, highest in Negro League history

William W. Bell, Sr. (August 31, 1897 – March 16, 1969) was an American right-handed pitcher and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues.

Born in Galveston, Texas, Bell played for the Kansas City Monarchs for the first eight seasons of his career.[2] Often overshadowed by star teammates such as "Bullet" Joe Rogan and José Méndez, Bell was described as quiet and well-liked, known for pitching complete games. (Bell completed 74 percent of the games he started.) [2] Bell had a 10-2 record for the 1924 Kansas City Monarchs, compiling a 2.63 ERA. The following year, Bell went 9-3 in the regular season, pitching 2 games in the World Series to a 1.13 ERA.[3] Bell recorded a 16-3 record the next year, followed by a 13-6 record in 1927 and a 10-7 record in 1928. Bell spent the 1928-1929 winter with Havana in the Cuban League, where he was tied for the league lead in wins with nine. Bell then returned to the United States and pitched to a 14-4 record with the Monarchs, followed by a 9-3 record the next year.[3] Bell joined the Detroit Wolves in 1932 after the demise of the Negro National League. He then signed with the Pittsburgh Crawfords, where he compiled a 16-4 record for the 1932 season.[3] Bell then moved to the Newark Dodgers, and when the Dodgers were merged with the Brooklyn Eagles to form the Newark Eagles, he became the Eagles' manager in 1936-1937. Bell's last season in baseball was as Eagles manager in 1948.[3]

Baseball historian Dick Clark estimated that Bell would have averaged an 18-7 record had he played the 154-game schedule that was used in the Major Leagues at the time.[2] He died at age 71 in El Campo, Texas.

References

  1. ↑ "Champion Monarchs Open Season With Victory" The Kansas City Advocate, Kansas City, Kansas, Friday, May 29, 1925, Page 3, Columns 1 to 5
  2. 1 2 3 Harding, Thomas (2006). "Bell quietly tolls in Negro League lore". MLB.com. Major League Baseball. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Negro Leagues Baseball eMuseum: Personal Profiles: William Bell, Sr.". coe.ksu.edu. Retrieved August 16, 2011.
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