Major League Pitching Coach Passes Away

This week, the baseball community mourns the loss of a respected figure in the sport.

Don Cooper, longtime pitching coach for the White Sox, has died, as confirmed by his family in a Facebook post.

He was 70 years old.

Cooper dedicated 33 years to the White Sox organization, serving as the major league pitching coach for 18 of those years and contributing to the team that won the World Series in 2005.

According to his family’s post on Facebook, he passed away on Tuesday in Brentwood, Tennessee, and it was noted that he “passed away peacefully.”

The message from the Cooper family reflected on his deep passion for baseball, highlighting the pride and joy he found in his work with coaches and players. “His fierce passion for baseball and the coaches and players around him brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments,” they wrote. “This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones.”

They also shared that Cooper often spoke about his faith and gratitude, frequently reaching out to his friends and family, ready to listen, and offering sincere advice when needed.

Born in New York and raised in Woodside, Cooper attended Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School and later the New York Institute of Technology, where he was active in baseball and basketball.

He was drafted by the Yankees in the 17th round of the 1978 draft, making his MLB debut with the Twins three years later. Throughout his playing career, he also made stops with the Blue Jays and Yankees.

After hanging up his cleats, Cooper turned to coaching, joining the White Sox organization back in 1987.

Ozzie Guillen, a former White Sox manager, fondly remembered Cooper in a post on X. Guillen, who managed the team for eight seasons, expressed his gratitude, saying, “My career wouldn’t have been the same without Don Cooper. 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 served as the pitching coach during the illustrious 2005 season, when the White Sox clinched the World Series title with a pitching performance that included four consecutive complete games in the ALCS—a feat not seen in postseason play since the 1928 Yankees.

He was relieved of his duties in 2020, leaving behind a legacy marked by his dedication to the sport.