Walker Cooper
Born: 1/8/1915 in Atherton, MO, USA
Died: 4/11/1991 in Scottsdale, AZ, USA
MLB Debut: 1940-09-25 | Final Game: 1957-09-20
Bats: R | Throws: R | Height: 6'3" | Weight: 210 lbs
Full name: William Walker Cooper
Biography
Walker Cooper, born in 1915, was a prominent Major League Baseball player who enjoyed a successful career from 1940 until his retirement in 1957. Primarily recognized as a position player, Cooper played in 1,473 games, where he showcased his exceptional batting skills, accumulating 1,341 hits and achieving a notable batting average of .285. His offensive prowess included 173 home runs and 812 RBIs, making him a key contributor to his teams' lineups during his time in the league. Additionally, Cooper demonstrated speed on the bases with 18 stolen bases, reflecting a well-rounded athletic ability.
A celebrated player during the post-war era of baseball, Cooper was selected as an All-Star eight times, underscoring his status as one of the elite players of his generation. His career unfolded during a transformative period in baseball history, marked by the integration of the sport and the evolution of playing styles. Walker Cooper's legacy is defined not only by his impressive statistics but also by the impact he had on the game, solidifying his place in the annals of baseball history.
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 | 1.0 | 0 | .000 | 0.167 | .000 | 0.167 |
Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting
| Season | PA | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | SB | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 5.0 | 4.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | 0.200 | .000 | 0.200 |
| 1941 | 1.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1473 | 4702 | 573 | 1341 | 240 | 40 | 173 | 812 | 18 | 309 | 357 | 0.285 | 0.332 | 0.464 | 0.796 | 9934.1 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | STL | NL | 6 | 19 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0.316 | 0.0 |
| 1941 | STL | NL | 68 | 200 | 19 | 49 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 20 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 0.245 | -541.1 |
| 1942 | STL | NL | 125 | 438 | 58 | 123 | 32 | 7 | 7 | 65 | 4 | 29 | 29 | 0.281 | 836.5 |
| 1943 | STL | NL | 122 | 449 | 52 | 143 | 30 | 4 | 9 | 81 | 1 | 19 | 19 | 0.318 | 1552.1 |
| 1944 | STL | NL | 112 | 397 | 56 | 126 | 25 | 5 | 13 | 72 | 4 | 20 | 19 | 0.317 | 1630.9 |
| 1945 | STL | NL | 4 | 18 | 3 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.389 | 0.0 |
| 1946 | NY1 | NL | 87 | 280 | 29 | 75 | 10 | 1 | 8 | 46 | 0 | 17 | 12 | 0.268 | 51.6 |
| 1947 | NY1 | NL | 140 | 515 | 79 | 157 | 24 | 8 | 35 | 122 | 2 | 24 | 43 | 0.305 | 2665.6 |
| 1948 | NY1 | NL | 91 | 290 | 40 | 77 | 12 | 0 | 16 | 54 | 1 | 28 | 29 | 0.266 | 541.5 |
| 1949 | CIN | NL | 82 | 307 | 34 | 86 | 9 | 2 | 16 | 62 | 0 | 21 | 24 | 0.280 | 523.4 |
| 1949 | NY1 | NL | 42 | 147 | 14 | 31 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 21 | 0 | 7 | 8 | 0.211 | 523.4 |
| 1950 | BSN | NL | 102 | 337 | 52 | 111 | 19 | 3 | 14 | 60 | 1 | 30 | 26 | 0.329 | 1450.8 |
| 1950 | CIN | NL | 15 | 47 | 3 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0.191 | 1450.8 |
| 1951 | BSN | NL | 109 | 342 | 42 | 107 | 14 | 1 | 18 | 59 | 1 | 28 | 18 | 0.313 | 1401.2 |
| 1952 | BSN | NL | 102 | 349 | 33 | 82 | 12 | 1 | 10 | 55 | 1 | 22 | 32 | 0.235 | -584.6 |
| 1953 | ATL | NL | 53 | 137 | 12 | 30 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 16 | 1 | 12 | 15 | 0.219 | -400.4 |
| 1954 | CHC | NL | 57 | 158 | 21 | 49 | 10 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 0 | 21 | 23 | 0.310 | 827.6 |
| 1954 | PIT | NL | 14 | 15 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0.200 | 827.6 |
| 1955 | CHC | NL | 54 | 111 | 11 | 31 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 19 | 0.279 | 356.7 |
| 1956 | STL | NL | 40 | 68 | 5 | 18 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 14 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0.265 | 4.4 |
| 1957 | STL | NL | 48 | 78 | 7 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 10 | 0.269 | 91.0 |
Postseason Statistics
Playoff Career Batting
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 | 60 | 5 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 0.300 |
Playoff Batting by Year
| Year | Round | Team | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1944 | WS | SLN | 6 | 22 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 0.318 |
| 1943 | WS | SLN | 5 | 17 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0.294 |
| 1942 | WS | SLN | 5 | 21 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0.286 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| C | 1223 | 89 | 5166 | 589 | 138 | 80 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1940 | SLN | C | 6 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 1941 | SLN | C | 63 | 0 | 247 | 39 | 10 | 11 |
| 1942 | SLN | C | 115 | 0 | 519 | 62 | 17 | 6 |
| 1943 | SLN | C | 112 | 0 | 504 | 49 | 14 | 5 |
| 1944 | SLN | C | 97 | 0 | 442 | 40 | 10 | 7 |
| 1945 | SLN | C | 4 | 0 | 27 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 1946 | NY1 | C | 73 | 0 | 277 | 38 | 9 | 3 |
| 1947 | NY1 | C | 132 | 0 | 561 | 51 | 13 | 8 |
| 1948 | NY1 | C | 79 | 0 | 307 | 21 | 7 | 3 |
| 1949 | CIN | C | 77 | 0 | 316 | 43 | 8 | 3 |
| 1949 | NY1 | C | 40 | 0 | 148 | 18 | 3 | 2 |
| 1950 | BSN | C | 88 | 0 | 386 | 47 | 12 | 9 |
| 1950 | CIN | C | 13 | 0 | 62 | 7 | 2 | 0 |
| 1951 | BSN | C | 90 | 0 | 367 | 57 | 8 | 9 |
| 1952 | BSN | C | 89 | 0 | 417 | 55 | 8 | 8 |
| 1953 | ML1 | C | 35 | 0 | 165 | 6 | 3 | 1 |
| 1954 | CHN | C | 48 | 43 | 190 | 31 | 5 | 4 |
| 1954 | PIT | C | 2 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1955 | CHN | C | 31 | 21 | 88 | 11 | 4 | 1 |
| 1956 | SLN | C | 16 | 12 | 56 | 4 | 1 | 0 |
| 1957 | SLN | C | 13 | 12 | 62 | 5 | 3 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Catcher | 1223 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1947 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1944 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1944 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1944 | TSN All-Star | C |
| 1943 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | C |
| 1943 | TSN All-Star | C |
Award Voting History
| Year | Award | League | Finish | Points Won | Points Max | Votes First |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1952 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 40th | 1.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1947 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 18th | 19.0 | 336 | 0 |
| 1944 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 8th | 72.0 | 336 | 1 |
| 1943 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 2nd | 192.0 | 336 | 5 |
| 1942 | Most Valuable Player | NL | 11th | 28.0 | 336 | 0 |