WASHINGTON, DC – AUGUST 28: A view of the New York Yankees logo on a baseball hat during the game against the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park on August 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. (Photo by G Fiume/Getty Images)
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The New York Yankees have a long history of former players who went on to make their mark as coaches and managers in the big leagues, most recently including Joe Girardi and Aaron Boone to Don Mattingly.
And that connection between playing in the Bronx and building a lasting career in baseball was also carried with a former Yankees pitcher whose influence ultimately extended far beyond his time on the mound, including a World Series championship. And fans will recall that connection on Wednesday, as his former team announced his death.
Former New York Yankees Draft Pick Turned World Series Pitching Coach Dies
Don Cooper, who was born in New York, drafted by the Yankees and pitched his final season in the Bronx before becoming a revered Chicago White Sox pitching coach, has died at 70.
“The White Sox send our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Don Cooper, who has passed away at 70,” the White Sox announced.
Cooper’s playing career was relatively short, but his baseball life became considerably more well known after he transitioned into coaching. He eventually became one of the longest-tenured pitching coaches in the majors and helped guide the White Sox to a historic title.
“Forever associated with the dominant starting rotation of the 2005 Sox team that captured the franchise’s only World Series title of the past 100 years, Cooper remained the club’s pitching coach until he was fired alongside manager Rick Renteria after the shortened 2020 campaign,” James Fegan reported for the Chicago Sun-Times.
But his big-league journey began with the Yankees.
“Over the course of four years in the big leagues, Cooper would win one, lose six, and put in 44 major-league appearances with the Twins, Toronto Blue Jays, and New York Yankees,” Phil Angelo noted for the Society For American Baseball Research. “The Yankees drafted him after his junior year, but he stayed in school for his senior season and signed with the Yankees in 1978.”
Cooper appeared in the majors with Minnesota in 1981 and 1982 and Toronto in 1983 before returning to the Yankees for his final major league season in 1985. In 44 games, including three starts, he finished with a 1-6 record and a 5.27 ERA.
Former New York Yankees Pitcher, World Series Champion Coach Don Cooper Dies At 70
Cooper joined the White Sox organization as a minor league pitching coach in 1988 and steadily moved through several coaching positions before becoming the team’s major league pitching coach in 2002.
He held that position for nearly two decades, becoming a central figure in the development of numerous White Sox pitchers. During his tenure, Mark Buehrle and Philip Humber each threw a perfect game, while Lucas Giolito added a no-hitter. Cooper was also the pitching coach when Chicago won the 2005 World Series, completing an 11-1 postseason run.
Cooper briefly served as Chicago’s interim manager for the final two games of the 2011 season, but pitching remained his defining role. He was ultimately part of the White Sox organization for 32 seasons before the club moved on from him after the 2020 season.
His major league playing statistics were modest compared with the accomplishments that followed. But Cooper’s decades spent teaching pitchers and contributing to a championship staff established a legacy that reached far beyond the 44 games he pitched in the majors.
For a former Yankees pitcher, his most lasting impact ultimately came not from what he accomplished on the mound, but from the pitchers and championship team he helped shape afterward.
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