Baseball player Lester Bell of the National League's St. Louis Cardinals, following through after swinging a baseball bat, standing on the field at Wrigley Field prior to game against the Chicago Cubs. 1926 Photo CREATED/PUBLISHED SUMMARY
Informal portrait of baseball player Les Bell of the National League's St. Louis Cardinals, following through after swinging a baseball bat, standing on the field at Wrigley Gum Field, located at 1060 West Addison Street and bounded by West Waveland Avenue, North Seminary Avenue, North Clark Street, and North Sheffield Avenue in the Lake View community area of Chicago, Illinois. Baseball players are standing in the background. NOTES: This photonegative taken by a Chicago Daily News photographer may have been published in the newspaper. SDN-065958, Chicago Daily News negatives collection, Chicago Historical Society.

Les Bell

A standout hitter during his nine major league seasons, Les Bell compiled a .290 lifetime batting average and lined 310 extra base hits. A contact hitter he struck out on average just once every 10 at bats. He broke into the majors at age 22 with the St Louis Cardinals as a shortstop but was shifted to the third base position in 1925.

In 1926 he helped the Cardinals win the NL pennant by hitting a career best .325 with 33 doubles, 14 triples and 17 homers, 85 runs, and had 100 RBI. In the 1926 World Series Cardinals win in seven games over the Yankees Les Bell had many key hits. He lined 7-hits in 27 at bats, scored 4 runs and led both teams with 6 RBIs. Note: the Yankees lineup included Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Tony Lazzeri and Earl Combs.

After an injury forced Les Bell to miss around 40 games and his batting average fell to .259 in 1927 he was traded on March 25 1928 to the Boston Braves for third baseman Andy High. For the Braves in 1928 and 1929 Lester Bell put up solid numbers the two years in Bean Town. Lester Bell played his last two years with the Chicago Cubs.