WHY I THINK WALKER COOPER SHOULD BE IN COOPERSTOWN
By- Damien
Walker Cooper was one of the most important members of the Cardinals dynasty of the 1940’s. Every good ball club is anchored by their catcher, in this case Cooper. Cooper was a good defensive catcher, known for his powerful throwing arm, which occasionally earned him some notoriety. He was also a strong hitter, topping .300 in five full seasons. Walker Cooper started his career with the Cardinals in 1940, batting .316 in six games. By 1942, he was the team’s starting catcher, batting .281 in 125 games. The Cardinals won three straight pennants in 1942-44, and Cooper came through for them in the World Series, batting a combined .300 and leading the team to two World Championships. Cooper missed almost all of the 1945 season in service with the Navy, and he was sold to the New York Giants before the 1946 season began. He proceeded to make the next five NL all-star teams, including in 1947, the best season of his career. That season Cooper batted .305 with 35 home runs and 122 RBI’s, helping the Giants break the single season home run record with 221. While he never reached those power figures again, Cooper remained remarkably consistent, and he batted exactly .313 with a .367 on base percentage in two consecutive seasons (1950 and 1951). Like most good hitting catchers nearing the end of their careers, Cooper hung around for a few years as a backup and a pinch hitter, and did very well in his limited role for the rest of his career. He finished out his career in 1957 at the age of 42. Walker Cooper was a wonderful hitter, a solid defensive catcher, and a winning ballplayer. Not all catchers can play 18 seasons in the big leagues and last until they’re 42 years old. For his longevity, batting skills, and hand in the great St. Louis teams he was a part of, I feel confident in advocating his case.
LIFETIME STATISTICS
Games career: 1,473 season high: 140 in 1947
At Bats career: 4,702 season high: 515 in 1947
Hits career: 1,341 season high: 157 in 1947
Doubles career: 240 season high: 32 in 1942
Triples career: 40 season high: 8 in 1947
Home Runs career: 173 season high: 35 in 1947
Runs career: 573 season high: 79 in 1947
Runs Batted In career: 812 season high: 122 in 1947
Stolen Bases career: 18 season high: 4 in 1942 and 1944
Walks career: 309 season high: 30 in 1950
Strikeouts career: 357 season high: 43 in 1947
Batting Average career: .285 season high: .318 in 1943
On Base Percentage career: .332 season high: .367 in 1950 and 1951
Slugging Percentage career: .464 season high: .586 in 1947
Total Bases career: 2,180 season high: 302 in 1947
Sacrifice Hits career: 44 season high: 8 in 1944
Fielding Percentage career: .977 season high: .979 in 1947 and 1949
Double Plays career: 80 season high: 11 in 1941
Putouts career: 5,166 season high: 561 in 1947
Assists career: 589 season high: 62 in 1942 led NL C: 61 in 1949
Caught Stealing Percentage career: .450 season high: .577 in 1942
Pickoffs career: 24 season high: 6 in 1943
DID YOU KNOW?
-brother of Mort Cooper, who I advocated for in October of 2020
-nicknamed “Walk”
-finished second in the NL MVP Award voting in 1943, eighth in 1944, 11th in 1942, 18th in 1947, and 40th in 1952
-batted .333 in eight all-star games
-drove in the winning run in Game 4 of the 1942 and scored the winning run in Game 5
-picked Hall of Famer Joe Gordon off second base in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 5 of the 1942 World Series
-went 6-for-7 with three home runs, two doubles, and 10 RBI’s in one game on July 6, 1949, tying the single game record for extra-base hits
-homered in six consecutive games in 1947
-set a record by hitting grand slams with five different teams
-went 1-for-2 on his MLB debut with an RBI
-went 1-for-1 in his last game with an RBI
-caught two career no-hitters
-led the NL in games caught in 1947 (132)
-was the oldest player in the NL in 1955 and 1957
-also played two games as a pinch runner
.285, 173 homers, meh defense- I don't see a lot to love. I mean, he was a very good player, but far from a hall of famer. Ray Schalk may have been better, and he was a terrible pick.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, I was just looking at Ray Schalk's page at baseball reference, and I can't see how he is better than Cooper. Cooper's offensive advantage, in my opinion, far outweighs Schalk's defensive advantage. Anyway, I think Schalk was picked because he spoke out so much against the Black Sox scandal, resisting the threats of the gamblers. As for Cooper, he was produtive pretty much forever, and had a couple of monster seasons. He was also a huge part of the Cardinals' dynasty in the 1940's.
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