Andy Cooper facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Andy Cooper |
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| Pitcher | |||
| Born: April 24, 1898 Waco, Texas |
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| Died: June 3, 1941 (aged 43) Waco, Texas |
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| debut | |||
| 1920, Detroit Stars | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1939, Kansas City Monarchs | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 118–64 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.58 | ||
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As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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 Baseball Hall of Fame |
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| Induction | 2006 | ||
| Election Method | Committee on African-American Baseball | ||
Andrew Lewis Cooper (born April 24, 1898 – died June 3, 1941), known as "Lefty", was an amazing left-handed pitcher in the Negro leagues. He was so good that he was chosen for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.
Cooper went to Paul Quinn College. He played baseball for nine seasons with the Detroit Stars and ten seasons with the Kansas City Monarchs. He also played a short time for the Chicago American Giants. This talented player from Texas was about 6 feet 2 inches tall and weighed around 220 pounds.
Andy Cooper was known for his strong pitching. He holds the Negro league record for the most saves in a career. In one game in 1937, he pitched for an incredible 17 innings! Cooper also managed the Monarchs team from 1937 to 1940. He led them to win the league championship three times during those four years.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Andy Cooper was born in Waco, Texas. He went to A. J. Moore High School there. After high school, he continued his education at Paul Quinn College, which was also in Waco at the time.
Baseball Career Highlights
Starting Out with the Detroit Stars
Cooper started his professional baseball career as a pitcher for the Detroit Stars in 1920. He played with them until 1927. The Stars played in a park called Mack Park. This park was known for having short fences, which made it easier for batters to hit home runs.
Even with the short fences, Cooper was a fantastic pitcher in Detroit. The Stars also had powerful hitters who scored many runs, which helped Cooper win games. Some experts even said he was the best pitcher in the Negro leagues in 1923.
In 1928, Cooper was traded to the Kansas City Monarchs. Five other players were traded to the Stars in exchange for him. He quickly became known for being a very strong pitcher who could play for a long time without getting tired. To start the 1928 season, he pitched a game where he only allowed two hits. The very next day, he won another game!
Playing and Managing for the Monarchs
Cooper returned to play for the Detroit Stars for one more season in 1930. During his nine years with the Stars, he had an impressive record of 92 wins and 47 losses. He then rejoined the Kansas City Monarchs in 1931.
One of his best years was 1936. That year, he won 27 games and only lost 8. He also made his only All-Star appearance that season. The Negro league All-Star games had only started three years before this.
In 1937, Cooper became the player-manager for the Monarchs. This meant he played on the team and also made decisions as the coach. The Monarchs joined the new Negro American League (NAL) that year. As manager, he led the Monarchs to win the league championship three times. This was more than any other manager in that league's history.
Near the end of his playing career, Cooper pitched an amazing 17 innings in a playoff game against the Chicago American Giants. He gave up two runs in the first inning but then pitched 16 innings without allowing any more runs! Even though he used many different types of pitches, he only walked one batter. The game ended in a tie after 17 innings. The Monarchs went on to win the playoff series.
Cooper was famous for being able to change the speed of his pitches. He threw a fastball, a curveball, and a screwball. He also had a very good pickoff move to catch runners off base. He finished his career with 116 wins and 57 losses. He often pitched three games in a five-game series, sometimes starting two games and coming in as a relief pitcher for another. He holds the Negro league record for career saves with 29. Many people, including baseball historians, consider Cooper one of the greatest pitchers to play for Detroit.
A famous Negro league player named Buck O'Neil said that Andy Cooper and the Monarchs' owner, J. L. Wilkinson, were the reasons he joined the Negro American League. In 1937, Cooper and Wilkinson were impressed by O'Neil. They encouraged him to sign with another team first, the Memphis Red Sox. The next year, the Monarchs traded their first baseman and bought O'Neil's contract from Memphis, bringing him to their team.
Playing in Winter Leagues and Touring Teams
Andy Cooper also played baseball during the winter months. He played in Cuba during the winters of 1923-24, 1924–25, and 1928–29.
In 1927, some players were not happy with their pay in the Negro National League (NNL). The leagues announced that any player who broke their contract and played for another team would be banned for five years. Cooper and three other Negro league players decided to challenge this rule. They joined a special touring team called the Philadelphia Royal Giants. They went on a four-month tour to Japan, traveling by ocean liner. They even played some games in Hawaii on their way back. The team won all 23 games they played on this tour! When Cooper returned, he received a 30-day suspension and a $200 fine.
Cooper went on another tour with the Royal Giants in 1932-33. This time, they played in the Philippines, China, Korea, and Japan. They had an amazing record of 47 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. Cooper also showed he could hit, with a batting average of .342 on that trip. The next year, he went on another four-month trip with the Royal Giants to Japan, China, the Philippines, and Hawaii.
Family Life
Andy Cooper had one son, named Andy Cooper Jr.
Later Years and Legacy
Sadly, Andy Cooper became ill in early 1941. He went home to Waco to rest. He passed away on June 3, 1941, from a heart attack. He was buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Waco.
In 2006, Andy Cooper was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. He was part of a special group of 17 black players and executives from the Negro league era who were chosen that year. The United States Congress even issued a special resolution to honor these inductees.
As of 2014, Cooper is one of only eleven Hall of Fame members whose plaques do not show them wearing a cap with a team logo. In 2014, Cooper was also considered for election to the Texas Sports Hall of Fame.
Images for kids
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Andy Cooper
