Andy Cooper

Andrew Lewis Cooper (April 24, 1898 - June 3, 1941), nicknamed "Lefty," was an American left-handed pitcher, who hit right-handed, in baseball's Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Cooper, who was born in Waco, Texas, played nine seasons for the Detroit Stars and ten seasons for the Kansas City Monarchs. He also managed the Monarchs from 1937 to 1940, winning the pennant three times. He holds the Negro League career record for saves (29).

The Texan was 6'2" tall and weighed 220 lbs.

Career

Cooper pitched for the Detroit Stars in 1920-27 before he was traded to the Kansas City Monarchs for five players in 1928. He posted a 116-57 record, good for a .671 winning percentage and went 72-30 over a six-year span. One of his best years was 1936, when he went 27-8 against all levels of competition. He often pitched three games in a five-game series, starting two and relieving another. Cooper's equivalent record per season is 16-8.

"Lefty" studied the hitters carefully and threw a variety of pitches at varying speeds. He sharpened sinkers, sliders, and screwballs. He had excellent control and could hit the corners of the plate.

Illness and death

According to news reports in the Chicago Defender, Cooper reportedly suffered a stroke early in the 1941 pre-season. He left for his home in Waco to rest and recover, leaving Newt Allen as interim manager, but suffered a fatal heart attack on June 3, having never returned to the Monarchs.

External links

• Andy Cooper at the Baseball Hall of Fame