A revered major league pitching coach died this week.
Longtime White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper died, his family said in a Facebook post.
He was 70.
Cooper spent 33 years with the White Sox organization, including 18 years as the team’s major league pitching coach and as part of the staff of the 2005 World Series-winning team.
The post by his family on his Facebook page indicated that Cooper died on Tuesday in Brentwood, Tenn., and stated that he was believed to have “passed away peacefully.”
“His fierce passion for baseball, and the coaches and players around him, brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments,” the post from the Cooper family read. “This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones.
“He lived a life blessed by God, which he talked about whenever he had the chance. He was very thankful for his blessings and success both in and out of baseball. He checked in with his friends and family constantly, and was always a call away, willing to lend an ear and give his sincere advice and encouragement.”
Cooper was born in New York and grew up in Woodside, according to a Hall of Fame page on the Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School website. He attended McClancy and then went to New York Institute of Technology, where he played baseball and basketball.
Cooper was selected by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 1978 draft and made his MLB debut with the Twins three years later. He spent time with the Twins, Blue Jays and Yankees in the big leagues.
He went on to coach after his playing career and was with the White Sox organization going all the way back to 1987.
Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen memorialized Cooper in a post on X.
Guillen managed the Chicago American League team for eight seasons.
“My career wouldn’t have been the same without Don Cooper,” he wrote. “Coop was one of a kind and taught me so much about pitchers, pitching, and their mindset. Always a close friend to my kids and family. Thank you for everything, Coop. My deepest condolences to his family. Rest in peace.”
Cooper was the pitching coach during the 2005 season when the White Sox won the World Series with a pitching staff that threw four consecutive complete-game victories in the ALCS, marking the first time a team had done so during a postseason since the 1928 Yankees.
Cooper was eventually relieved of his role in 2020.
