Bill Cooper
Catcher · Career Stats, Bio & Records
Bill Cooper was a catcher who played in Major League Baseball for 4 teams, including the Atlanta Black Crackers. In 183 career games, he hit .277 with 159 hits, 6 home runs, and 76 RBI. His totals include Negro Leagues seasons, which MLB recognized as major league in 2020.
- AVG (Batting Average):
- Hits divided by at bats. .300 is the traditional mark of an excellent hitter.
- HR (Home Runs):
- Hits on which the batter circled the bases and scored, almost always by clearing the outfield fence.
- RBI (Runs Batted In):
- Runs that scored as a direct result of a batter's plate appearance.
- OPS (On-Base Plus Slugging):
- On-base percentage plus slugging percentage, the quickest single summary of offensive value. .900 or better is star-level.
Data updated
- Position
- Catcher
- Bats / Throws
- L / R
- Height / Weight
- 5'8" / 170 lb
- Died
- 3/10/1985 in Philadelphia, PA, USA
Full name: William J. Cooper
Negro Leagues (season totals). Additive Retrosheet-digitized totals for seasons not already in the logs above; they are not summed into the career line. No team/league breakdown is available, and coverage may be partial.
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 183 | 573 | 99 | 159 | 25 | 3 | 6 | 76 | 9 | 59 | 13 | .277 | .347 | .363 | .710 | -93 |
Career AVG .277 vs. league average .263 across their career seasons β +5.4% above league average.
Career OBP .347 vs. league average .333 across their career seasons β near league average.
Career SLG .363 vs. league average .371 across their career seasons β near league average.
Career OPS .710 vs. league average .704 across their career seasons β near league average.
Season-by-Season Batting
Click a stat to plot it across every season.
| 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 | BCA | NAL | 29 | 83 | 23 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 14 | 6 | .325 | .272 (+19%) | .341 (+25%) | .392 (-5%) | .734 (+9%) | 206.0 |
| 1939 | IAB | NAL | 3 | 9 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | .333 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1939 | PS | NN2 | 9 | 20 | 8 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | .350 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1940 | PS | NN2 | 53 | 166 | 32 | 44 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 24 | 1 | 17 | 2 | .265 | .267 (-1%) | .335 (-1%) | .387 (-2%) | .722 (-1%) | -34.4 |
| 1941 | PS | NN2 | 47 | 158 | 18 | 42 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 17 | 4 | 12 | 3 | .266 | .262 (+1%) | .332 (-4%) | .373 (-12%) | .705 (-8%) | -211.9 |
| 1941 | NBY | NN2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .333 | β | β | β | β | -211.9 |
| 1942 | PS | NN2 | 35 | 118 | 13 | 31 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 8 | 1 | .263 | .253 (+4%) | .323 (-4%) | .349 (-1%) | .672 (-2%) | -53.0 |
| 1943 | PS | NN2 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| 1946 | NBY | NN2 | 5 | 13 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | .308 | β | β | β | β | 0.0 |
| Career · 9 seasons | 183 | 573 | 99 | 159 | 25 | 3 | 6 | 76 | 9 | 59 | 13 | .277 | — | — | — | — | -305 | ||
Lg columns show the league average for that season, with the player's figure as a percentage above or below it. Career totals the seasons listed above.
Game Log & Splits
View full game log (170 games) →Per-game data from Retrosheet (regular season, through 2025).
Batting — Home / Away
| Split | G | AB | R | H | HR | RBI | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 119 | 353 | 66 | 85 | 6 | 48 | .241 |
| Away | 51 | 162 | 25 | 50 | 1 | 6 | .309 |
Last 10 Games — Batting
| Date | Tm | Opp | Res | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946-06-18 | NY5 | PH5 | L | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-18 | NY5 | PH5 | L | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-17 | NY5 | BLG | L | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 1946-06-16 | NY5 | NW2 | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1946-06-08 | NY5 | PH5 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1943-06-12 | PH5 | NY5 | L | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-09-07 | PH5 | BLG | L | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-09-05 | PH5 | BLG | L | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942-09-03 | PH5 | NY5 | L | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1942-08-23 | PH5 | HOM | L | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1B | 2 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 3B | 19 | 16 | 13 | 27 | 7 | 2 |
| C | 133 | 120 | 576 | 112 | 22 | 10 |
| OF | 20 | 14 | 23 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | BCA | 1B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | BCA | 2B | 3 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 1 | 2 |
| 1938 | BCA | 3B | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1938 | BCA | C | 19 | 17 | 89 | 14 | 3 | 0 |
| 1938 | BCA | OF | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1938 | BCA | SS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | IAB | 1B | 1 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1939 | IAB | 3B | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1939 | IAB | C | 1 | 1 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 1939 | PS | C | 4 | 2 | 14 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 1939 | PS | OF | 3 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1940 | PS | 3B | 10 | 9 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 1 |
| 1940 | PS | C | 36 | 32 | 143 | 26 | 7 | 3 |
| 1940 | PS | OF | 5 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1941 | PS | 3B | 5 | 4 | 1 | 10 | 4 | 1 |
| 1941 | PS | C | 34 | 33 | 136 | 32 | 4 | 4 |
| 1941 | PS | OF | 9 | 6 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | NBY | C | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1942 | PS | C | 34 | 31 | 165 | 31 | 5 | 2 |
| 1943 | PS | C | 1 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | NBY | C | 3 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | NBY | OF | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
Circle size = games played at each position.
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 133 |
| First Base | 2 |
| Second Base | 3 |
| Third Base | 19 |
| Shortstop | 1 |
| Left Field | 10 |
| Center Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 9 |
Frequently Asked Questions about Bill Cooper
- Was Bill Cooper a pitcher?
- No. Bill Cooper was a position player (Catcher).
- How many home runs did Bill Cooper hit?
- Bill Cooper hit 6 career home runs with 159 hits.
- What was Bill Cooper's career batting average?
- Bill Cooper batted .277 over his career, with 159 hits in 573 at bats.
- How many RBI did Bill Cooper have?
- Bill Cooper drove in 76 runs in his career.
- Is Bill Cooper in the Hall of Fame?
- No. Bill Cooper has not been inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
- What teams did Bill Cooper play for?
- Bill Cooper played for the Atlanta Black Crackers, the Indianapolis ABCs/Atlanta Black Crackers, the Philadelphia Stars, and the New York Black Yankees.