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Mort Cooper
Morton Cecil Cooper (March 2, 1913 – November 17, 1958) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, New York Giants, and Chicago Cubs. A four-time MLB All-Star, Cooper won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1942. His younger brother, Walker Cooper, also played in the major leagues.
Cooper was born on March 2, 1913, in Atherton, Missouri to Robert J. and Verna Cooper. He had four brothers and one sister. Cooper and his younger brother Walker, with whom he would come to play Major League Baseball on the St. Louis Cardinals, were raised playing baseball by their father, Robert J. Cooper, a rural mail carrier. Cooper attended William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri. At age 17, Cooper joined a closely scouted amateur league baseball team, the Ripley Merchants.
Cooper was a pitcher who could throw a fastball, screwball, forkball or curveball. He pitched in six Minor League Baseball seasons and 11 MLB seasons. From 1940 to 1945, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals with his brother Walker as his catcher.
Cooper was signed by the Class A Des Moines Demons of the Western League in 1933. That same year he played for the Western League's Wichita/Muskogee Oilers. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals that same season, and assigned to its Western League affiliate, the Springfield Cardinals.
In 1934, the St. Louis Cardinals assigned Cooper to the Class A Elmira Red Wings of the New York-Pennsylvania League. He pitched in 29 games, going 185 innings pitched, with a 10–12 win–loss record and 4.43 earned run average (ERA). He also pitched briefly for the Double-A Columbus Red Birds. In 1935, he played the full season with the Red Birds, going 6–7, with a 3.65 ERA in 101 innings pitched. At Columbus again in 1936, he was 5–7, with a 4.76 ERA in only 85 innings pitched. Still with Columbus in 1937, he was 13–13, with a 4.10 ERA in 178 innings pitched and 147 strikeouts.
In 1938, Cooper was 13–10, with a 2.32 ERA for the Houston Buffaloes. Cooper led the Class A-1 Texas League in strikeouts, with 201 in 202 innings pitched. His Houston teammates included his brother Walker, a backup catcher, and future Cardinal teammates, pitchers Harry Brecheen and Ted Wilks. Cooper was called up the by Cardinals in September 1938.
Cooper debuted with the Cardinals on September 14, 1938. He threw a complete game three-hitter, winning 3–2 over the Philadelphia Phillies. Overall in 1938, he started three of the four games in which he pitched, with a 2–1 record, one save and a 3.04 ERA. In his 1939 rookie season, Cooper was 12–6 with five saves, starting 26 of the 45 games in which he appeared. He had a 3.25 ERA in 210.2 innings pitched. In 1940, he was 11–12, with a 3.63 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched. Cooper had arm surgery in 1941 that kept him from playing between June 17 and July 27. It has been reported this was shoulder surgery. Still, he pitched 186.2 innings that year, with a 13–9 record and 3.91 ERA.
From 1942 to 1944 the Cardinals went to the World Series, winning in both 1942 (over the New York Yankees) and 1944 (over the St. Louis Browns), while losing to the Yankees in 1943. Cooper's three best winning seasons came during this three year stretch, when he was arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. During each of these seasons, Walker Cooper was his catcher and was an All-Star each of those years.
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Mort Cooper
Morton Cecil Cooper (March 2, 1913 – November 17, 1958) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played 11 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Braves, New York Giants, and Chicago Cubs. A four-time MLB All-Star, Cooper won the National League (NL) Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award in 1942. His younger brother, Walker Cooper, also played in the major leagues.
Cooper was born on March 2, 1913, in Atherton, Missouri to Robert J. and Verna Cooper. He had four brothers and one sister. Cooper and his younger brother Walker, with whom he would come to play Major League Baseball on the St. Louis Cardinals, were raised playing baseball by their father, Robert J. Cooper, a rural mail carrier. Cooper attended William Chrisman High School in Independence, Missouri. At age 17, Cooper joined a closely scouted amateur league baseball team, the Ripley Merchants.
Cooper was a pitcher who could throw a fastball, screwball, forkball or curveball. He pitched in six Minor League Baseball seasons and 11 MLB seasons. From 1940 to 1945, he pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals with his brother Walker as his catcher.
Cooper was signed by the Class A Des Moines Demons of the Western League in 1933. That same year he played for the Western League's Wichita/Muskogee Oilers. He was signed by the St. Louis Cardinals that same season, and assigned to its Western League affiliate, the Springfield Cardinals.
In 1934, the St. Louis Cardinals assigned Cooper to the Class A Elmira Red Wings of the New York-Pennsylvania League. He pitched in 29 games, going 185 innings pitched, with a 10–12 win–loss record and 4.43 earned run average (ERA). He also pitched briefly for the Double-A Columbus Red Birds. In 1935, he played the full season with the Red Birds, going 6–7, with a 3.65 ERA in 101 innings pitched. At Columbus again in 1936, he was 5–7, with a 4.76 ERA in only 85 innings pitched. Still with Columbus in 1937, he was 13–13, with a 4.10 ERA in 178 innings pitched and 147 strikeouts.
In 1938, Cooper was 13–10, with a 2.32 ERA for the Houston Buffaloes. Cooper led the Class A-1 Texas League in strikeouts, with 201 in 202 innings pitched. His Houston teammates included his brother Walker, a backup catcher, and future Cardinal teammates, pitchers Harry Brecheen and Ted Wilks. Cooper was called up the by Cardinals in September 1938.
Cooper debuted with the Cardinals on September 14, 1938. He threw a complete game three-hitter, winning 3–2 over the Philadelphia Phillies. Overall in 1938, he started three of the four games in which he pitched, with a 2–1 record, one save and a 3.04 ERA. In his 1939 rookie season, Cooper was 12–6 with five saves, starting 26 of the 45 games in which he appeared. He had a 3.25 ERA in 210.2 innings pitched. In 1940, he was 11–12, with a 3.63 ERA in 230.2 innings pitched. Cooper had arm surgery in 1941 that kept him from playing between June 17 and July 27. It has been reported this was shoulder surgery. Still, he pitched 186.2 innings that year, with a 13–9 record and 3.91 ERA.
From 1942 to 1944 the Cardinals went to the World Series, winning in both 1942 (over the New York Yankees) and 1944 (over the St. Louis Browns), while losing to the Yankees in 1943. Cooper's three best winning seasons came during this three year stretch, when he was arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball. During each of these seasons, Walker Cooper was his catcher and was an All-Star each of those years.
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