Don Cooper, the longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach who helped guide the team to its unforgettable 2005 World Series championship, has died at 70.
The White Sox confirmed Cooper’s death Wednesday, saying the franchise icon spent 33 seasons in the organization and became one of the most recognizable coaches in team history. His family said Cooper died peacefully on Sept. 22 at his home in Brentwood, Tennessee. A cause of death has not been made public.
For White Sox fans, Cooper will forever be tied to the dominant pitching staff that ended one of baseball’s longest championship droughts.
Chicago went 11-1 during the 2005 postseason and won its first World Series title since 1917. The pitching staff posted a 2.55 ERA during that run, while opponents hit just .202.
The most memorable stretch came in the American League Championship Series against the Angels.
After dropping Game 1, White Sox starters Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy García and José Contreras threw four consecutive complete games to close out the series.
It was the first time a team had accomplished that feat in the postseason since the 1928 New York Yankees — and no team has done it since.
Cooper’s impact stretched far beyond that championship season.
He joined the White Sox organization in 1988 as a minor-league pitching coach and eventually became the major-league pitching coach in July 2002.
He remained in that role through the 2020 season, making him one of the longest-tenured pitching coaches in Major League Baseball history.
During those years, Cooper worked with some of the most successful pitchers in franchise history.
He helped oversee Mark Buehrle’s prime years, including his 2007 no-hitter and 2009 perfect game.
He was also on staff as Chris Sale made five straight All-Star teams in a White Sox uniform and as Esteban Loaiza finished second in American League Cy Young voting in 2003.
Former White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen, who led the 2005 championship club, paid tribute to Cooper after news of his death broke.
“My career wouldn’t have been the same without Don Cooper,” Guillen wrote, calling him “one of a kind” and crediting him with teaching him about pitchers and their mindset.
Former first baseman Paul Konerko also remembered Cooper as a constant presence during his years in Chicago.
“I can’t think about anything of my time with the White Sox without him being involved in it,” Konerko said.
Before becoming a coach, Cooper had his own brief major-league career.
The New York native was drafted by the Yankees in 1978 and later pitched in parts of four MLB seasons with the Minnesota Twins, Toronto Blue Jays and Yankees.
He finished his playing career with a 1-6 record and a 5.27 ERA in 44 appearances before eventually moving into coaching.
His family said baseball gave Cooper a life filled with pride, stories and accomplishments, but that his devotion to the people close to him mattered even more.
They remembered him as someone who regularly checked in with friends and relatives and was always willing to offer advice or encouragement.
Cooper is survived by his wife, Ruby, and their children Jaime, Luke and Kate.
Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.