Les Bell

Born: 12/14/1901 in Harrisburg, PA, USA

Died: 12/26/1985 in Hershey, PA, USA

MLB Debut: 1923-09-17 | Final Game: 1931-09-27

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 165 lbs

Full name: Lester Rowland Bell

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Biography

Les Bell was a professional baseball player born in 1901 who played primarily as an outfielder during his career from 1923 to 1931. Over the course of 896 games, he established himself as a reliable hitter, accumulating 938 hits and achieving a batting average of .290. Known for his power at the plate, Bell hit 66 home runs and drove in 509 runs, making significant contributions to his teams' offenses. His ability to steal bases added another dimension to his game, as he successfully swiped 25 bags throughout his career. Bell played during a transformative era in baseball, characterized by the transition from the lively ball era to a more competitive landscape with the integration of players and evolving playing styles. His performance in the late 1920s and early 1930s placed him among the notable players of his time, showcasing the skill and determination that defined his approach to the game. With an impressive blend of hitting prowess and base-running ability, Les Bell left a lasting impact on the teams he played for and remains a respected figure in baseball history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
30.0	27.0	4.0	9.0	0	0	1.0	3.0	3.0	1.0	0	0.333	0.400	0.444	0.844

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1931	17.0	14.0	2.0	6.0	0	0	1.0	3.0	3.0	0	0	0.429	0.529	0.643	1.172
1932	13.0	13.0	2.0	3.0	0	0	0	0	0	1.0	0	0.231	0.231	0.231	0.462

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
896	3239	404	938	184	49	66	509	25	276	322	0.290	0.346	0.438	0.784	2666.8

Career AVG .290 vs. league average .284 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .346 vs. league average .347 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .438 vs. league average .400 across their career seasons — +9.5% above league average.

Career OPS 0.784 vs. league average 0.746 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1923	STL	NL	15	51	5	19	2	1	0	9	1	9	7	0.373	.282 (+32%)	.344 (+35%)	.390 (+16%)	.734 (+25%)	254.3
1924	STL	NL	17	57	5	14	3	2	1	5	0	3	7	0.246	.283 (-13%)	.345 (-15%)	.389 (+8%)	.734 (-3%)	-50.0
1925	STL	NL	153	586	80	167	29	9	11	88	4	43	47	0.285	.288 (-1%)	.349 (-5%)	.407 (+4%)	.756 (avg)	-140.9
1926	STL	NL	155	581	85	189	33	14	17	100	9	54	62	0.325	.279 (+16%)	.345 (+11%)	.390 (+33%)	.735 (+22%)	2582.0
1927	STL	NL	115	390	48	101	26	6	9	65	5	34	63	0.259	.282 (-8%)	.344 (-7%)	.392 (+8%)	.736 (+1%)	-21.5
1928	BSN	NL	153	591	58	164	36	7	10	91	1	40	45	0.277	.280 (-1%)	.342 (-6%)	.395 (+4%)	.737 (avg)	-177.5
1929	BSN	NL	139	483	58	144	23	5	9	72	4	50	42	0.298	.289 (+3%)	.353 (+3%)	.415 (+2%)	.769 (+2%)	270.9
1930	CHC	NL	74	248	35	69	15	4	5	47	1	24	27	0.278	.293 (-5%)	.354 (-4%)	.429 (avg)	.784 (-1%)	-89.3
1931	CHC	NL	75	252	30	71	17	1	4	32	0	19	22	0.282	.276 (+2%)	.338 (-2%)	.388 (+4%)	.726 (+1%)	38.6

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
7	27	4	7	1	0	1	6	2	5	0.259

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1926	WS	SLN	7	27	4	7	1	0	1	6	2	5	0.259

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	PO	A	E	DP
1B	2	18	3	0	1
2B	1	0	2	0	0
3B	828	814	1412	144	161
SS	44	99	138	25	25

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	PO	A	E	DP
1923	SLN	SS	15	35	53	8	9
1924	SLN	SS	17	44	42	9	8
1925	SLN	3B	153	151	284	36	39
1925	SLN	SS	1	0	1	0	0
1926	SLN	3B	155	165	254	22	25
1927	SLN	3B	100	85	142	24	13
1927	SLN	SS	10	16	41	6	8
1928	BSN	3B	153	177	314	27	37
1929	BSN	2B	1	0	2	0	0
1929	BSN	3B	127	107	198	15	15
1929	BSN	SS	1	4	1	2	0
1930	CHN	1B	2	18	3	0	1
1930	CHN	3B	70	63	102	9	14
1931	CHN	3B	70	66	118	11	18