Walker Cooper

Position: Catcher
Bats: Right  •  Throws: Right
6-3, 210lb (190cm, 95kg)
Born: January 8, 1915 in Atherton, MO us
Died: April 11, 1991  in Scottsdale, AZ
Buried: Paradise Memorial Gardens, Scottsdale, AZ
High School: William Chrisman HS (Independence, MO)
Debut: September 25, 1940 (8,958th in major league history)
vs. CIN 2 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Last Game: September 20, 1957
vs. CIN 1 AB, 1 H, 0 HR, 1 RBI, 0 SB
Full Name: William Walker Cooper
Nicknames: Walk
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
Relatives: Brother of Mort Cooper; Father-In-Law of Don Blasingame

Nine Other Players Who Debuted in 1940

Pee Wee Reese
Elmer Valo
Marty Marion
Walker Cooper
Dom DiMaggio
Pete Reiser
Harry Brecheen
Harry Walker
Stan Spence

All-Time Teammate Team

Coming Soon

Notable Events and Chronology

SearchSearch Events, Dates and More Date (Newest)Title (A - Z)

May 7, 1941

Dolph Camilli and manager Leo Durocher argue a close play at the plate. That’s Pee Wee Reese on the left, Paul Waner on the right, and Cardinals’ catcher Walker Cooper listening in.

July 6, 1942

American League All-Stars defeats the National League at the Polo Grounds, 3 – 1 in the 1942 All Star Game

October 1, 1942

Cardinals even series on Musial clutch hit

October 3, 1942

Ernie White fires a six-hit shutout against Yankees in game 3 of Series

October 5, 1942

Whitey Kurowski hits a two-run home run in the 9th inning of Game 5, giving the St. Louis Cardinals a 4 – 2 victory to capture the World Series over the Yankees

September 18, 1943

The Cardinals clinch the National League pennant

January 5, 1946

St. Louis Cardinals sell star catcher Walker Cooper to the New York Giants for a record $175,000

June 28, 1947

Walker Cooper homers in his brothers win and ties a record by connecting in his 6th straight game

December 5, 1955

The Red Sox sell 41-year-old pitcher Ellis Kinder to the Cardinals

August 22, 1984

Dwight Gooden strikes out Garry Templeton in the eighth inning of the Mets’ 5-2 victory at Jack Murphy Stadium to become the 11th pitcher to strike out 200 batters in his rookie season. The 19 year-old freshman becomes only the third teenager to accomplish the feat, joining Bob Feller (1938 Indians) and Gary Nolan (1967 Reds).

February 6, 2022

Nine Major League Baseball Players who debuted in 1940

Biography

“He was just about the strongest man I’ve ever known,” said Ewell Blackwell. Enos Slaughter called him “one of the best behind the plate,” adding, “He was a great guy…very good-natured.” Walker Cooper was a 6’3″ 210-lb heavy hitter and practical joker who was named to every NL All-Star squad 1942-50 (there was no game in 1945). After three World Series with St. Louis (where he was older brother Mort’s batterymate), Walker was sold to the Giants in 1945. The Giants paid the then-princely sum of $175,000 while Cooper was still in the Navy. His best year was with the 1947 Giants, batting .305 with 122 RBI and contributing 35 of the club’s 221 homers, a NL record

Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts

Played For
St. Louis Cardinals (1940-1945)
New York Giants (1946-1949)
Cincinnati Reds (1949-1950)
Boston Braves (1950-1952)
Milwaukee Braves (1953)
Pittsburgh Pirates (1954)
Chicago Cubs (1954-1955)
St. Louis Cardinals (1956-1957)

Post-Season Appearances
1942 World Series
1943 World Series
1944 World Series

Batting Feats

Injuries and Explanation for Missed Playing Time
Cooper suffered many injuries in 1946, and was eventually shut down in mid-September and sent to a medical clinic with blood poisoning in his left leg.

All-Star Selections
1942 NL
1943 NL
1944 NL
1946 NL
1947 NL
1948 NL
1949 NL
1950 NL

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