Wilbur Cooper
Born: 2/24/1892 in Bearsville, WV, USA
Died: 8/7/1973 in Encino, CA, USA
MLB Debut: 1912-08-29 | Final Game: 1926-07-21
Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 5'11" | Weight: 175 lbs
Full name: Arley Wilbur Cooper
Biography
Wilbur Cooper was a prominent pitcher in Major League Baseball, whose career spanned from 1912 to 1926. Born in 1892, Cooper made a significant impact on the game during an era marked by the transition from the deadball era to a more offense-driven style of play. He played the majority of his career with the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he developed a reputation for his durability and consistency on the mound.
Cooper finished his career with a record of 216 wins and 178 losses, showcasing his effectiveness as a starting pitcher. His earned run average (ERA) of 2.89 reflected his ability to limit scoring, while he accumulated 1,252 strikeouts over his career, highlighting his skill in overpowering hitters. Additionally, he recorded 14 saves, demonstrating versatility in his pitching role. Wilbur Cooper’s contributions to the game have solidified his legacy as one of the notable pitchers of his time, making him a respected figure in baseball history.
Career Pitching Statistics
| W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | HR | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 216 | 178 | 517 | 408 | 279 | 35 | 14 | 3480.0 | 3415 | 1119 | 103 | 853 | 1252 | 2.89 | 0 |
Season-by-Season Pitching
| Year | Team | Lg | W | L | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | ER | BB | SO | ERA | Pitcher PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | PIT | NL | 3 | 0 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 38.0 | 32 | 7 | 15 | 30 | 1.66 | 546.1 |
| 1913 | PIT | NL | 5 | 3 | 30 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 93.0 | 98 | 34 | 45 | 39 | 3.29 | -402.4 |
| 1914 | PIT | NL | 16 | 15 | 40 | 34 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 266.7 | 246 | 63 | 79 | 102 | 2.13 | 680.3 |
| 1915 | PIT | NL | 5 | 16 | 38 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 185.7 | 180 | 68 | 52 | 71 | 3.30 | -41.1 |
| 1916 | PIT | NL | 12 | 11 | 42 | 23 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 246.0 | 189 | 51 | 74 | 111 | 1.87 | 932.2 |
| 1917 | PIT | NL | 17 | 11 | 40 | 34 | 23 | 7 | 1 | 297.7 | 276 | 78 | 54 | 99 | 2.36 | 2601.1 |
| 1918 | PIT | NL | 19 | 14 | 38 | 29 | 26 | 2 | 3 | 273.3 | 219 | 64 | 65 | 117 | 2.11 | 3442.9 |
| 1919 | PIT | NL | 19 | 13 | 35 | 32 | 27 | 4 | 1 | 286.7 | 229 | 85 | 74 | 106 | 2.67 | -532.3 |
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 24 | 15 | 44 | 37 | 28 | 3 | 2 | 327.0 | 307 | 87 | 52 | 114 | 2.39 | 5849.5 |
| 1921 | PIT | NL | 22 | 14 | 38 | 38 | 29 | 2 | 0 | 327.0 | 341 | 118 | 80 | 134 | 3.25 | 4940.0 |
| 1922 | PIT | NL | 23 | 14 | 41 | 37 | 27 | 4 | 0 | 294.7 | 330 | 104 | 61 | 129 | 3.18 | 5206.4 |
| 1923 | PIT | NL | 17 | 19 | 39 | 38 | 26 | 1 | 0 | 294.7 | 331 | 117 | 71 | 77 | 3.57 | 2018.5 |
| 1924 | PIT | NL | 20 | 14 | 38 | 35 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 268.7 | 296 | 98 | 40 | 62 | 3.28 | 2391.6 |
| 1925 | CHC | NL | 12 | 14 | 32 | 26 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 212.3 | 249 | 101 | 61 | 41 | 4.28 | - |
| 1926 | CHC | NL | 2 | 1 | 8 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 55.0 | 65 | 27 | 21 | 18 | 4.42 | - |
| 1926 | DET | AL | 0 | 4 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13.7 | 27 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 11.20 | -457.5 |
Career Batting Statistics
| G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | OBP | SLG | OPS | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 521 | 1227 | 111 | 293 | 34 | 17 | 6 | 106 | 12 | 47 | 140 | 0.239 | 0.269 | 0.309 | 0.578 | -3481.7 |
Season-by-Season Batting
| Year | Team | Lg | G | AB | R | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | SB | BB | SO | AVG | PIV |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | PIT | NL | 6 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0.154 | 0.0 |
| 1913 | PIT | NL | 30 | 26 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 9 | 0.077 | 0.0 |
| 1914 | PIT | NL | 40 | 92 | 5 | 19 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 0.207 | -456.9 |
| 1915 | PIT | NL | 38 | 60 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0.117 | -566.5 |
| 1916 | PIT | NL | 44 | 79 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 0.215 | -372.1 |
| 1917 | PIT | NL | 41 | 103 | 8 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 6 | 20 | 0.204 | -313.3 |
| 1918 | PIT | NL | 38 | 95 | 8 | 23 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 0.242 | -198.6 |
| 1919 | PIT | NL | 36 | 101 | 9 | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 0.287 | -19.4 |
| 1920 | PIT | NL | 44 | 113 | 11 | 25 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 0.221 | -482.6 |
| 1921 | PIT | NL | 38 | 122 | 11 | 31 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0.254 | -417.6 |
| 1922 | PIT | NL | 41 | 108 | 18 | 29 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 0 | 6 | 6 | 0.269 | -28.4 |
| 1923 | PIT | NL | 39 | 107 | 9 | 28 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0.262 | -350.9 |
| 1924 | PIT | NL | 38 | 104 | 11 | 36 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 15 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 0.346 | 148.1 |
| 1925 | CHC | NL | 32 | 82 | 12 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0.207 | -423.6 |
| 1926 | CHC | NL | 8 | 18 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0.389 | 0.0 |
| 1926 | DET | AL | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.000 | 0.0 |
Fielding Statistics
Career Fielding Totals by Position
| Position | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| OF | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| P | 517 | 0 | 102 | 785 | 41 | 27 |
Season-by-Season Fielding
| Year | Team | Pos | G | GS | PO | A | E | DP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1912 | PIT | P | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 1913 | PIT | P | 30 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 2 | 1 |
| 1914 | PIT | P | 40 | 0 | 12 | 72 | 8 | 2 |
| 1915 | PIT | P | 38 | 0 | 6 | 58 | 6 | 0 |
| 1916 | PIT | P | 42 | 0 | 15 | 58 | 5 | 2 |
| 1916 | PIT | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 1917 | PIT | P | 40 | 0 | 11 | 71 | 3 | 4 |
| 1917 | PIT | OF | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 1918 | PIT | P | 38 | 0 | 4 | 68 | 0 | 0 |
| 1919 | PIT | P | 35 | 0 | 4 | 63 | 5 | 0 |
| 1920 | PIT | P | 44 | 0 | 11 | 75 | 1 | 2 |
| 1921 | PIT | P | 38 | 0 | 10 | 68 | 3 | 4 |
| 1922 | PIT | P | 41 | 0 | 7 | 55 | 0 | 5 |
| 1923 | PIT | P | 39 | 0 | 11 | 63 | 2 | 2 |
| 1924 | PIT | P | 38 | 0 | 6 | 51 | 4 | 4 |
| 1925 | CHN | P | 32 | 0 | 4 | 42 | 1 | 1 |
| 1926 | CHN | P | 8 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 1926 | DET | P | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
Career Games by Position
| Position | Games |
|---|---|
| Pitcher | 517 |
| Left Field | 1 |
| Right Field | 1 |
Awards & Honors
| Year | Award | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1924 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1922 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P1 |
| 1921 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1920 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P3 |
| 1917 | Baseball Magazine All-Star | P2 |