Mort Cooper from the Chronology

Jun 28, 1947 - Walker Cooper of the Giants hits a HR in his 6th consecutive game to tie a record set by George Kelly in 1924. Cooper had 2 HRs in the first game of the streak‚ and his shot today helps his brother Mort win 14-6 over the Phils‚ his first win as a Giant. Al Jurisich goes all the way for the Phils‚ prompting a protest by Horace Stoneham. Phils manager Ben Chapman counters that he had no other pitchers available because of injuries and tomorrow's twinbill. It'll be Schoolboy Rowe's turn to take one for the team when the Phils vet gives up 14 hits in a 9-inning loss to Brooklyn on the 30th.

Jun 13, 1947 - Mort Cooper joins his brother on the Giants as the Braves trade the veteran pitcher to New York for former 20-game winner Bill Voiselle. The Braves will give Voiselle uniform #96 since the pitcher is from Ninety Six‚ NC.

May 18, 1947 - Ewell Blackwell outpitches Mort Cooper to give the Reds a 2-1 win over the Braves. Red Barrett then outpitches Johnny Vander Meer‚ 3-1‚ to give the Braves a split for the day. Only a game and a half separate the first-place Braves from the 5th-place Pirates.

Sep 29, 1946 - The Cardinals and the Dodgers end the season tied for the NL lead. Both are 96-58. The first-ever championship playoff series will start in 2 days. Former Cardinal P Mort Cooper pitches Boston to a 4-0 win over Brooklyn. The Cards can't capitalize on the Dodger loss‚ however‚ as Cubs' lefty Johnny Schmitz beats them‚ 8-3.

May 20, 1946 - Claude Passeau of the Chicago Cubs makes his first error since September 21‚ 1941‚ ending his streak with an all-time pitcher's fielding record of 273 consecutive errorless chances. Passeau set the mark using the small glove in the NL. He received permission from the commissioner to use a modified glove because the fingers on his left hand were affected by a gunshot wound incurred as a youngster. He wins the game‚ however‚ beating Boston's Mort Cooper‚ 6-4.

Apr 23, 1946 - Ed Head of the Brooklyn Dodgers tosses a no-hitter at the Braves‚ beating Boston's Mort Cooper‚ 5-0‚ before 30‚287 at Ebbets Field. It is Head's first ML appearance since his return from the military. He last pitched in the ML in July 9‚ 1944‚ when the Pirates knocked him out in 2 innings. Head was a left-handed pitcher until 1935 when he broke his pitching arm and he was forced to pitch right-handed.

May 23, 1945 - Mort Cooper is traded by the Cardinals to the Braves. The three-time 20-game winner has twice jumped the club in a salary hassle. Threatening to run out again unless his contract is increased from $12‚000 to $15‚000‚ Cooper is swapped by owner Sam Breadon to the newly affluent Braves for Red Barrett and $60‚000 cash. Cooper will develop arm trouble while Barrett‚ 9-16 in 1944‚ will win 21 games for the Cards this season.

May 16, 1945 - Mort Cooper goes AWOL from the Cardinals‚ returning to St. Louis. A 20-game winner for 3 previous seasons‚ Cooper‚ along with his brother‚ has had his salary frozen at $12‚000 for three years‚ and is in a salary dispute with owner Breadon. Without Cooper‚ the Cards drop a pair to the Braves‚ losing 5-4 in 14 innings‚ and 4-1.

Apr 27, 1945 - Behind Ed Heusser's 4-hit pitching‚ the Reds edge the visiting Cards‚ 2-1. In St. Louis‚ Mort Cooper announces he is willing to pitch tomorrow against the Reds‚ even though he and his brother Walker are in a pay dispute with the Cards. Walker is awaiting induction into the armed services. The Coopers quit the team two weeks ago after learning that SS Marty Marion had received a new contract for $13‚500. The brothers want $15‚000 each.

Oct 8, 1944 - Mort Cooper strikes out 12; Denny Galehouse‚ 10. But the Cards get the runs to win 3-0.

Oct 4, 1944 - The first all-St. Louis WS opens with the Browns‚ as the visiting team‚ beating the Cardinals 2-1 on George McQuinn's HR. Denny Galehouse is the winning P and Mort Cooper loses despite allowing just 2 hits. It is the first Series in which all the games are played west of the Mississippi River. The Series is dubbed the Streetcar Series and is played with no days off. Red Hayworth is behind the plate for the Browns‚ with Frank Mancuso as his backup. In a family oddity‚ brothers Ray Hayworth and Gus Mancuso also catch in the big leagues.

Jul 31, 1944 - The last place Dodgers beat the Cards Mort Cooper‚ 5-1‚ for only their 5th win of the month. 'Da Bums' are 31 1/2 game out of 1st.

Jul 27, 1944 - The first-place Cards sweep a doubleheader from Philadelphia to push lead over Cincinnati to 14 1/2 games. Mort Cooper runs his record to 11-1 by winning 5-0 in the nitecap. Harry Brecheen opened with an 8-7 win in the first game.

Jul 9, 1944 - Cardinals Mort Cooper and Harry Brecheen each throw shutouts over the Braves‚ winning 1-0 and 9-0.

Jun 24, 1944 - The Cardinals beat the Pirates 16-0 as Cards hurler Mort Cooper tosses a 3-hitter while his teammates pound out 22 hits. Cooper won an 18-0 shutout two weeks ago and he will lead the NL with 7 this season.

Jun 10, 1944 - P Joe Nuxhall of the Cincinnati Reds is the youngest player in the 20th century to appear in a game. Nuxhall‚ only 15 years‚ 10 months old‚ pitches 2?3 of an inning in an 18-0 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals and Mort Cooper. He manages to give up 5 walks and 2 hits before Bill McKechnie takes him out. The Cards tie a league record by stranding 18 runners in the most lopsided shutout win in the NL in 10 years. The loser at the end of the day is Bill Lohrman. Only Jack Chapman‚ age 14‚ who appeared in one game on July 22‚ 1887‚ was younger than Nuxhall when he appeared in a ML game. Unlike Chapman‚ Nuxhall will return to the majors‚ in 1952‚ and win 135 games.

May 10, 1944 - Cardinal ace Mort Cooper picks up his first win of the season as the Cards beat the Dodgers 4-2.

Apr 18, 1944 - All 16 ML teams see action on Opening Day. But Bobby Doerr‚ Tex Hughson‚ and Mort Cooper are the only established stars still on the wartime rosters. A potential star among the new crop of rookies is George Kell‚ now Connie Mack's 3B‚ who last year with Lancaster (Inter-State League) led all minor league hitters with a .396 average.

Oct 11, 1943 - Bill Dickey's 2-run HR off Mort Cooper in the 6th gives the Yanks the championship. Spud Chandler gives up 10 hits but strands 11 in the 2-0 victory. Chandler won 2 games and compiled an 0.50 ERA. A full share is worth $6‚139 to the New York players; the Cards get $4‚321 each. The Series grosses $1.1 million at the gate‚ receives $100‚000 for broadcast rights‚ and donates $308‚000 to War Funds.

Oct 6, 1943 - Robert Cooper‚ father of P Mort Cooper and C Walker Cooper‚ dies at his home in Independence‚ MO‚ but both players decide to play in the WS. Mort is 1-for-3 and goes on to beat the New York Yankees 4-3‚ resurrecting memories of 1942 when the Yankees lost 4 straight after winning the opener. Marty Marion and Ray Sanders' two run homer. Mort leaves for home after the game: Walker will follow on October 11.

Sep 18, 1943 - The Cardinals clinch the NL pennant with a double win over the Cubs‚ 2-1 and 5-0. Max Lanier wins the opener‚ scattering 7 hits as Lou Klein drives home both runs. Klein will player every inning of every game this year. Howie Pollet‚ Max Lanier‚ and Mort Cooper will rank 1-2-3 in NL ERA‚ and Al Brazle at 1.53 and Harry Brecheen at 2.27 are near the same level. For hitting‚ Redbirds prime with George Kurowski‚ Walker Cooper‚ and Stan Musial‚ who in his 2nd season hits .357 and has 220 hits‚ 347 total bases‚ 48 doubles‚ 20 triples.

Jul 13, 1943 - The AL edges the NL 5-3 at Shibe Park in the first All-Star Game played under the lights. Bobby Doerr of the Red Sox is the hitting hero with a 3-run HR off Mort Cooper in the 2nd inning. Cooper loses his 2nd straight All Star game‚ the only pitcher to ever do so. Vince DiMaggio of the Pirates has a single‚ triple and HR in 3 trips. Doerr also handled 6 fielding chances. At the All-Star break he had handled 307 errorless chances‚ dating back to May 20th. His AL streak will end at 349 chances‚ a record he will break in 1948.

Jun 4, 1943 - Mort Cooper of the St. Louis Cardinals tosses the 2nd of back-to-back one-hitters‚ beating the Philadelphia Phillies‚ 5-0. Hits by Brooklyn's Billy Herman on May 31 and by the Phils Jimmy Wasdell today deprive him of no-hitters. Cooper has 6 wins and 3 shutouts on the way to his 2nd 20-win year.

May 31, 1943 - Mort Cooper gives up a 7th inning hit to Billy Jurges in stopping the Dodgers on a one-hitter 7-0. Jurges' ?y ball loops down the foul line.

Nov 3, 1942 - Ted Williams is the ML Triple Crown winner‚ but the writers select 2B Joe Gordon by 21 votes as AL MVP. Gordon of the New York Yankees leads the AL with 95 strikeouts‚ the most ground balls hit into double plays (22)‚ and the most errors at his position (28). P Mort Cooper gets the MVP honor in the NL with Cards teammate Enos Slaughter finishing 2nd.

Sep 27, 1942 - It is Tony Lupien Day at Fenway‚ and the Red Sox Tex Hughson wins his 22nd to tie Mort Cooper for the ML lead‚ as the Red Sox edge the Yankees‚ 7-6. A Fenway Park crowd of 26‚166-including 4‚293 youngsters who gained free admission by bringing 29‚000 pounds of scrap metal-watches Hughson scatter 11 hits in going all the way. Johnny Murphy‚ one of 4 Yank hurlers‚ takes the loss. Ted Williams has a single in three at bats to finish the season at .356 and wins his second straight batting title. Teammate Johnny Pesky is 2nd at .331. Williams also leads the ML in HRs (36)‚ RBI (137)‚ runs (141)‚ and walks (145). Williams‚ Pesky‚ and Dom D play their last games before entering the service. DiMaggio finishes the year with 439 PO and 19 Assists to lead the AL: His brother Vince leads the NL in the same categories with 383 and 20.

Sep 24, 1942 - Mort Cooper tosses his 10th shutout of the year to give the Cardinals a 6-0 two-hit victory over the Reds. Cooper's 22nd win of the year clinches at least a Cardinal tie for the pennant.

Sep 15, 1942 - The visiting Cards trips the cellar Phils‚ 3-2 in 14 innings when reliever Murry Dickson doubles and scores on Jimmy Brown's single off Si Johnson. Johnson goes the distance for the Phils in losing his 7th of the year to the Cards. St. Louis starter Mort Cooper gives up a tying homer to Nick Etten in the 8th. After coach Chuck Klein pinch hits and bounces out to end the game‚ manager Hans Lobert races to the second deck to confront a fan who had been heckling him throughout the game‚ especially after his decision to insert the little-used Klein. Lobert is restrained from punching the fan by Klein.

Sep 11, 1942 - At Ebbets Field‚ Mort Cooper‚ wearing Coaker Triplett's #20 uniform‚ scatters 3 hits to shut out the Dodgers 3-0‚ and become the year's first 20-game winner. The shutout is his 8th of the year. The Cardinals‚ now just a game in back of Brooklyn‚ order World Series tickets to be printed.

Aug 25, 1942 - The largest night crowd in St. Louis history‚ watch two aces deal‚ the Dodger Whit Wyatt and the Cardinals Mort Cooper‚ go scoreless for 12 innings. Both teams score in the 13th‚ and the Cards win it in the 14th‚ 2-1‚ on Walker Cooper's solo shot. The win by Mort Cooper cuts the Dodgers lead over St. Louis to 5 1/2 games.

Aug 10, 1942 - In a playoff of a 16-inning tie on August 8‚ the Pirates again hammer Mort Cooper‚ and win‚ 6-4. Cooper won't lose the rest of the year.

Aug 2, 1942 - Carl Hubbell wins his 5th straight‚ topping the Cardinals 7-1. Mel Ott's 2 homers‚ one a grand slam‚ eases the way for the vet. In the nightcap‚ Dick Bartell's 9th inning error paved the way for Billy Southworth's squeeze bunt‚ and the Cards win‚ 3-2. Mort Cooper allows 4 hits in winning his 13th.

Jul 29, 1942 - Outhit by the Cards 9 to 6‚ the Dodgers win 4-3 behind Whit Wyatt at Ebbets Field. Mort Cooper is the loser‚ dropping the Cards eight games behind the Dodgers The game ends at 9:14‚ the first major league contest to be stopped because of the Army's dim-out rule. There is one out in the home half of the 7th when the game is stopped.

Jul 6, 1942 - First-inning HRs by Lou Boudreau and Rudy York off Mort Cooper lead the AL to a 3-1 triumph over the NL in the All-Star Game at the Polo Grounds. Mickey Owen's pinch HR is the NL's only score: he does not hit a single HR during the regular schedule. Johnny Vander Meer pitches 3 shutout innings for the NL‚ striking out 4. The game‚ scheduled to start at 6:30 P.M. and end promptly at 9:10‚ is delayed a half hour because of showers. The curfew is reset to 9:30‚ just minutes after the game ends‚ and the post-game press interviews are conducted in darkness.

May 20, 1942 - Brooklyn's Whit Wyatt loses 1-0 to the Cards Mort Cooper‚ the first loss for Wyatt after 8 straight wins. Cooper allows just 2 hits. The Cards score on Walker Cooper's triple and a fly ball in the 5th.

Sep 13, 1941 - The Dodgers Whit Wyatt beats the Cards Mort Cooper 1-0 in St. Louis before 33‚691‚ the largest paid attendance in St. Louis since June 18‚ 1927. Dixie Walker's double in the 8th is the first Dodger hit. Walker then relays a stolen sign to Billy Herman‚ who singles him home. The Dodgers again lead the NL by 2 games.

Aug 7, 1941 - The Cards retake 1st place over the idle Dodgers by edging the Reds‚ 3-2 in 11 innings. Mort Cooper retires the last 2 Reds with the bases loaded.

Jun 3, 1941 - Brooklyn tops the Cards 6-0 as Whitlow Wyatt tosses another shutout‚ beating Mort Cooper. Reiser homers in the 1st‚ and Dolf Camilli adds another roundtripper in the 4th.

Sep 25, 1940 - Walker Cooper‚ recently called up from Columbus (AA)‚ and Mort Cooper‚ pitching in relief‚ make up a brother battery in the Cards‚ 4-3 win over the Reds. In the 2nd game‚ Junior Thompson 2-hits the Cards to win‚ 5-0. Both hits are by Enos Slaughter.

Sep 22, 1940 - At Chicago‚ the Cards sweep two‚ winning the opener 8-1 behind Mort Cooper. Dizzy Dean is the loser. Max Lanier takes the nitecap‚ 2-1‚ over Larry French.

Aug 22, 1925 - Brooklyn and the Cubs split‚ each winning by a 9-2 score. Rube Ehrhardt beats Sheriff Blake in the opener‚ while Mort Cooper tops Jesse Petty in the nitecap.

Jun 18, 1917 - In a 4-0 win over the Cardinals‚ Pirate center fielder Max Carey triples in the 3rd inning and then steals home. Mort Cooper scatters six hits in the win for the last-place Pirates.