Andrew Lewis Cooper nicknamed "Lefty," was an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 left-handed pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

, who hit right-handed, in baseball

Baseball

Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...

's Negro Leagues

Negro league baseball

The Negro leagues were United States professional baseball leagues comprising teams predominantly made up of African Americans. The term may be used broadly to include professional black teams outside the leagues and it may be used narrowly for the seven relatively successful leagues beginning in...

. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006

Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 2006

Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 2006 proceeded in keeping with rules enacted in 2001, augmented by a special election; the result was the largest class of inductees in the Hall's history, including the first woman elected. The Baseball Writers Association of America held an election to...

.

Cooper, who was born in Waco, Texas

Waco, Texas

Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....

, played nine seasons for the Detroit Stars

Detroit Stars

The Detroit Stars were a United States baseball team in the Negro leagues and played at historic Mack Park.- Founding :Founded in 1919 by Tenny Blount with the help of Rube Foster, owner and manager of the Chicago American Giants, the Detroit Stars immediately established themselves as one of the...

 and ten seasons for the Kansas City Monarchs

Kansas City Monarchs

The Kansas City Monarchs were the longest-running franchise in the history of baseball's Negro Leagues. Operating in Kansas City, Missouri and owned by J.L. Wilkinson, they were charter members of the Negro National League from 1920 to 1930. J.L. Wilkinson was the first Caucasian owner at the time...

. He also managed the Monarchs from 1937 to 1940, winning the pennant three times. He holds the Negro League career record for saves

Save (sport)

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...

 (29).

The Texan was 6'2" tall and weighed 220 lbs.

Career

Cooper pitched for the Detroit Stars in 1920-27 before he was traded to the Kansas City Monarchs for five players in 1928. He posted a 116-57 record, good for a .671 winning percentage and went 72-30 over a six-year span. One of his best years was 1936, when he went 27-8 against all levels of competition. He often pitched three games in a five-game series, starting two and relieving another. Cooper's equivalent record per season is 16-8.

"Lefty" studied the hitters carefully and threw a variety of pitches at varying speeds. He sharpened sinkers, sliders, and screwballs. He had excellent control and could hit the corners of the plate.

Illness and death

According to news reports in the Chicago Defender

Chicago Defender

The Chicago Defender is a Chicago based newspaper founded in 1905 by an African American for primarily African American readers.In just three years from 1919–1922 the Defender also attracted the writing talents of Langston Hughes and Gwendolyn Brooks....

, Cooper reportedly suffered a stroke

Stroke

A stroke, previously known medically as a cerebrovascular accident , is the rapidly developing loss of brain function due to disturbance in the blood supply to the brain. This can be due to ischemia caused by blockage , or a hemorrhage...

 early in the 1941 pre-season. He left for his home in Waco to rest and recover, leaving Newt Allen

Newt Allen

Newton Henry "Newt" Allen was an American second baseman and manager in baseball's Negro Leagues.Born in Austin, Texas, he began his Negro League career late in 1922 with the Kansas City Monarchs and, except for brief stints with other teams in 1931 and 1932, stayed with the Monarchs until his...

 as interim manager, but suffered a fatal heart attack on June 3, having never returned to the Monarchs.

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