gold star for USAHOF

19. Mort Cooper

19. Mort Cooper
  1. General
  2. Awards
  3. Career Stats
  • Born: March 2, 1913 in Atherton, MO USA
  • Weight: 210 lbs.
  • Height: 6'2"
  • Bats: R
  • Throws: R
  • Debut: September 14, 1938
  • Final Game: May 07, 1949
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1942
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1942
  • Most Valuable Player - 1942
  • TSN All-Star - 1942
  • TSN Guide MVP - 1942
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1943
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1943
  • TSN All-Star - 1943
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1944
  • Baseball Magazine All-Star - 1944
  • TSN All-Star - 1944
  • MVP - 1941
  • MVP - 1942
  • MVP - 1943
  • MVP - 1944
 
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Mort Cooper was a pretty good Pitcher but like many who played between 1942 and 1945 you have to wonder just how much of his success had to do with how much of the competition was serving their country during World War II.

Honestly, for Mort Cooper it is quite a bit.

Cooper was signed as an Amateur Free Agent in 1933 but he did not make his Major League debut until 1938 when he was 25 and he would be a mid-level Starting Pitcher until 1942 when there were a lot less talent in the Majors and he would put forth a 22 Win season with a league leading 1.78 ERA and 0.987 WHIP.  Cooper would win the National League MVP and more importantly helped the Cardinals win the World Series.  He would have 20 Win seasons in both 1943 and 1944 and would again win the World Series in ’44. 

It should be mentioned that while Cooper was traded to the Boston Braves before the 1946 season he would be named an All Star in that year, which is notable because that is when the players came back from the War.

While it needs to be acknowledged that Cooper’s best years came in a depleted era, he was a huge part of the Redbirds’ two World Series Titles and he earned his place here on this list.

St. Louis inducted Cooper into their Hall of Fame in 2019.

The Bullet Points

  • Position: Pitcher
  • Acquired: Signed as an Amateur Free Agent in 1933.
  • Departed: Traded to the Boston Braves for Red Barrett and $60,000 5/23/45.
  • Games Played: 228
  • Notable Statistics: 105 Wins
    50 Losses
    2.77 ERA
    186 Games Started
    105 Complete Games
    28 Shutouts
    48 Games Finished
    13 Saves
    1,480.1 Innings Pitched
    758 Strikeouts
    3.10 FIP
    1.206 WHIP
    1.59 SO/BB
    39.6 bWAR

    6 Playoff Games
    2 Wins
    3 Losses
    3.00 ERA
    6 Games Started
    2 Complete Games
    1 Shutout
    45 Innings Pitched
    35 Strikeouts
    1.09 WHIP
    2.92 SO/BB
  • Major Accolades and Awards:

    World Series Champion (1942 & 1944)
    MVP (1942)
    All-Star (1942 & 1943)
    Highest bWAR for Pitchers (1942 & 1943)
    Lowest ERA (1942)
    Most Wins (1942 & 1943)
    Lowest WHIP (1942)
    Lowest H/9 (1942)
    Highest SO/9 (1939)
    Most Shutouts (1942 & 1944)
    Highest ERA+ (1942)
    Highest Win Probability Added (1942 & 1943)
    Highest Championship Win Probability Added (1942)
    Highest Fielding Percentage by a Pitcher (1944)

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