Andy Cooper
| Andy Cooper | |||
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: April 24, 1898 Waco, Texas |
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Died: June 3, 1941 (aged 43) Waco, Texas |
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| Negro leagues debut | |||
| 1920, Detroit Stars | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| 1939, Kansas City Monarchs | |||
| Career statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 116–57 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.24 | ||
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As Player
As Manager
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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| Member of the National | |||
 Baseball Hall of Fame
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| Inducted | 2006 | ||
| Election Method | Committee on African-American Baseball | ||
As Player
As Manager
Andrew Lewis Cooper (April 24, 1898 – June 3, 1941), nicknamed "Lefty", was an American left-handed pitcher in baseball's Negro Leagues. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006. An alumnus of Paul Quinn College in Waco, Cooper played nine seasons for the Detroit Stars and ten seasons for the Kansas City Monarchs. The Texan was 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) tall and weighed 220 pounds (100 kg; 16 st).
In defiance of a threatened five-year Negro league ban for contract jumping, Cooper joined a 1927 barnstorming team that toured Hawaii and Japan. He spent most of his later career with the Monarchs. Cooper is the Negro league record holder for career saves. In a 1937 playoff game, he pitched 17 innings. Cooper served as manager or player-manager for the Monarchs from 1937 to 1940, leading the team to the pennant three times during those four seasons.
Cooper was born in Waco, Texas, and he attended A. J. Moore High School in Waco. He continued his education locally at Paul Quinn College.
Cooper pitched for the Detroit Stars from 1920 to 1927. The Stars played in Mack Park, which was noted for its short fences. Despite the hitter-friendly dimensions of the park, Cooper excelled as a pitcher in Detroit. The short fences often allowed Detroit's powerful hitters to provide good run support for Cooper. In The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract, James characterized Cooper as the best Negro league pitcher of 1923.
Cooper was traded to the Kansas City Monarchs for five players in 1928. He became known for his durability as a pitcher. To open the 1928 season, the left-hander pitched a two-hit shutout against the Cleveland Tigers, which he followed with a 4-3 win over the Tigers the next day.
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