Mort Cooper, baseball player, 1938-1949

Mort Cooper

Born: 3/2/1913 in Atherton, MO, USA

Died: 11/17/1958 in Little Rock, AR, USA

MLB Debut: 1938-09-14 | Final Game: 1949-05-07

Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'2" | Weight: 210 lbs

Full name: Morton Cecil Cooper

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Biography

Mort Cooper was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball whose career spanned from 1938 to 1949. Born in 1913, he made a significant mark in the National League, earning a reputation for his impressive skill on the mound. Cooper finished his career with a record of 128 wins and 75 losses, showcasing his competitiveness and consistency in an era that included the challenges of World War II, which impacted many players' careers. His earned run average (ERA) of 2.97 reflected his effectiveness as a pitcher, while his total of 913 strikeouts highlighted his ability to overpower batters. A four-time All-Star, Cooper was recognized for his excellence during his playing days, and he received the TSN Guide MVP award, underscoring his significance in the league. Additionally, he contributed to games by securing 14 saves, demonstrating versatility in his role. Cooper's career remains notable not only for his personal achievements but also for his contributions to the game during a transformative period in baseball history, bridging the gap between the pre-war and post-war eras. His legacy as a skilled pitcher continues to be remembered by baseball historians and enthusiasts alike.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
6.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.167 .000 0.167

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 12.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1934 2.0 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 .000 .000 .000
1935 4.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.0 0 0 .000 0.250 .000 0.250

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1934 1.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 9.0 5.0 0 0 0 0 0.00
1935 2.0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Pitching Statistics

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER HR BB SO ERA Pitcher PIV
128 75 295 239 128 33 14 1840.7 1666 607 85 571 913 2.97 0

Career ERA 2.97 vs. league average 3.88 across their career seasons — 23.6% better than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year Team Lg W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H ER BB SO ERA Lg ERA Pitcher PIV
1938 STL NL 2 1 4 3 1 0 1 23.7 17 8 12 11 3.04 4.35 (+30%) -
1939 STL NL 12 6 45 26 7 2 4 210.7 208 76 97 130 3.25 4.28 (+24%) -
1940 STL NL 11 12 38 29 16 3 3 230.7 225 93 86 95 3.63 4.21 (+14%) -
1941 STL NL 13 9 29 25 12 0 0 186.7 175 81 69 118 3.91 3.94 (+1%) -
1942 STL NL 22 7 37 35 22 10 0 278.7 207 55 68 152 1.78 3.57 (+50%) -
1943 STL NL 21 8 37 32 24 6 3 274.0 228 70 79 141 2.30 3.50 (+34%) -
1944 STL NL 22 7 34 33 22 7 1 252.3 227 69 60 97 2.46 3.57 (+31%) -
1945 STL NL 2 0 4 3 1 0 0 23.7 20 4 7 14 1.52 3.67 (+59%) -
1945 BSN NL 7 4 20 11 4 1 1 78.0 77 29 27 45 3.35 3.67 (+9%) 713.8
1946 BSN NL 13 11 28 27 15 4 1 199.0 181 69 39 83 3.12 3.59 (+13%) 1066.5
1947 BSN NL 2 5 10 7 2 0 0 46.7 48 21 13 15 4.05 3.97 (-2%) 467.9
1947 NY1 NL 1 5 8 8 2 0 0 36.7 51 29 13 12 7.12 3.97 (-79%) -1492.5
1949 CHC NL 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0.0 2 3 1 0 0.00 — -

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
297 654 50 127 16 0 6 68 0 23 118 0.194 0.223 0.246 0.469 -3494.1

Career AVG .194 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons — 26.1% below league average.

Career OBP .223 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons — 33.1% below league average.

Career SLG .246 vs. league average .370 across their career seasons — 33.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.469 vs. league average 0.703 across their career seasons — 33.3% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1938 STL NL 4 9 0 2 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.222 — — — — 0.0
1939 STL NL 47 69 4 16 3 0 2 11 0 1 13 0.232 .274 (-15%) .342 (-29%) .393 (-8%) .735 (-18%) -240.0
1940 STL NL 38 83 5 13 2 0 0 3 0 1 22 0.157 .267 (-41%) .335 (-50%) .387 (-53%) .722 (-52%) -746.0
1941 STL NL 29 70 4 13 0 0 0 5 0 4 10 0.186 .262 (-29%) .332 (-31%) .373 (-50%) .705 (-41%) -469.5
1942 STL NL 37 103 6 19 1 0 0 7 0 3 21 0.184 .253 (-27%) .323 (-36%) .349 (-44%) .672 (-40%) -673.6
1943 STL NL 37 100 7 17 3 0 1 11 0 2 14 0.170 .255 (-34%) .324 (-43%) .346 (-34%) .671 (-38%) -635.0
1944 STL NL 34 94 9 19 3 0 0 13 0 7 12 0.202 .261 (-23%) .325 (-21%) .357 (-35%) .683 (-28%) -423.9
1945 STL NL 4 6 2 2 0 0 0 1 0 2 1 0.333 — — — — 0.0
1945 BSN NL 20 26 5 6 0 0 1 7 0 0 3 0.231 — — — — 0.0
1946 BSN NL 28 67 5 14 1 0 1 7 0 2 14 0.209 .256 (-19%) .328 (-30%) .358 (-25%) .687 (-27%) -306.2
1947 BSN NL 10 13 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 3 0.000 — — — — 0.0
1947 NY1 NL 8 14 3 6 2 0 1 3 0 0 2 0.429 — — — — 0.0
1949 CHC NL 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 .000 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
6 14 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 6 0.071

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1944 WS SLN 2 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 0.000
1943 WS SLN 2 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0.000
1942 WS SLN 2 5 1 1 0 0 0 2 0 1 0.200

Playoff Career Pitching

W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
2 3 6 6 0 45.0 37 15 12 35 3.00

Playoff Pitching by Year

Year Round Team W L G GS SV IP H ER BB SO ERA
1944 WS SLN 1 1 2 2 0 16.0 9 2 5 16 1.12
1943 WS SLN 1 1 2 2 0 16.0 11 5 3 10 2.81
1942 WS SLN 0 1 2 2 0 13.0 17 8 4 9 5.54

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
P 295 0 50 270 16 20

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1938 SLN P 4 0 2 8 1 0
1939 SLN P 45 0 7 25 3 3
1940 SLN P 38 0 4 38 2 1
1941 SLN P 29 0 6 32 1 3
1942 SLN P 37 0 6 44 2 3
1943 SLN P 37 0 7 46 3 3
1944 SLN P 34 0 4 28 0 1
1945 SLN P 4 0 0 3 1 0
1945 BSN P 20 0 3 14 1 3
1946 BSN P 28 0 6 25 2 3
1947 BSN P 10 0 2 5 0 0
1947 NY1 P 8 0 3 2 0 0
1949 CHN P 1 0 0 0 0 0

Career Games by Position

Position Games
Pitcher 295

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1944 Baseball Magazine All-Star P3
1944 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1944 TSN All-Star P
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star P2
1943 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1943 TSN All-Star P
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1942 Baseball Magazine All-Star P1
1942 Most Valuable Player
1942 TSN All-Star P
1942 TSN Guide MVP

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1944 Most Valuable Player NL 9th 63.0 336 0
1943 Most Valuable Player NL 5th 130.0 336 0
1942 Most Valuable Player NL 1st 263.0 336 13
1941 Most Valuable Player NL 24th 8.0 336 0