In 1937, the sports editor of the Denver Post wrote,

All these years, I've been looking for a player who could steal first base.

I found my man.

His name is Cool Papa Bell. They say he was fast in life.

That's right. They said he could cut the light out and beat in the bed for it and

before he got down. Right. That's what you're saying. This is the life and legacy of Cool

Papa Bell, the man who was literally faster than a light switch.

James Thomas Cool Papa Bell.

Now, a lot of times when I say James Bell, people will say who.

But when you say Cool Papa, everybody knows who you're talking about. First and foremost, the greatest nickname in baseball history bar none. Cool Papa Bell is still believed to be the fastest man to

ever play this game, clocked him circling the bases in 12 seconds.

His speed was legendary, but as I remind people, his speed was very real.

James Cool Papa Bell, recorded with journalist Stephen Banker.

When you run the bases, in addition to speed, you have to be able to turn. That's what gets you got to know I try to turn.

They keep from making that red big circle around.

Before they get the first base, they cut it out so they can go.

But I never did that. I would hit the base with my left

foot and that threw me right back in stride. I wouldn't make that big circle. And the umpire

have called me out a lot of times and say, I didn't touch the base because they were looking for me

to hit the base with my right foot. He said, I see you step over that base, but they're looking at the right foot.

I said, you don't look at, I said, look at the base and see where my foot hit the base.

And then they began to look at the base.

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