Former White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper, who led a World Series-winning rotation, dies at age 70
Don Cooper, the long-time pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, has passed away at age 70. He is remembered for his instrumental role in the team's 2005 World Series victory and his ability to develop elite pitching talent.
Why it matters
Cooper was a significant figure in Major League Baseball history, known for his unique ability to refine and maximize the performance of professional pitchers.
Former longtime White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper has died at the age of 70, the team confirmed.
Cooper pitched for four major-league seasons, and began his second career as a Single-A pitching coach in the White Sox organization in 1988. But a midyear promotion to the major-league job in 2002 kicked off one of the most productive coaching runs in White Sox history.
“I will always believe him to be one of the best pitching coaches the game has seen,” former White Sox executive Ken Williams said via text. “The 2005 playoff pitching performances he coached are evidence, and epic, and will never be matched.”
Forever associated with the dominant starting rotation of the 2005 Sox team that captured the franchise’s first World Series title since 1917, Cooper remained the club’s pitching coach until he was fired alongside manager Rick Renteria after the 2020 season.
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