Athletes - Walker Cooper

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	Athletes - Walker Cooper

William Walker Cooper (January 8 1915 - April 11 1991) was an American catcher in Major League Baseball. From 1940 through 1957, Cooper played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1940-45, 1956-57), New York Giants (1946-49), Cincinnati Reds (1949-50), Boston & Milwaukee Braves (1950-53) and Chicago Cubs (1954-55). He batted and threw right-handed.

In an 18-season career, Cooper posted a .285 average with 173 home runs and 812 RBI in 1473 games.

A native of Atherton, Missouri, Cooper was a solid defensive catcher and a strong hitter, as he made the National League All-Star team every year from 1942 to 1950.

After three World Series with the Cardinals, and following a salary dispute with the team, Cooper was sold to the New York Giants in January 1946. Cooper was considered the best catcher in the game before his 1945 induction into the Navy, as the sale by the Cardinals for $175,000 was the highest cash deal ever. The transactions of Joe Cronin in 1934 and Dizzy Dean in 1938 were larger deals but also involved other players.

Cooper enjoyed his most productive season in 1947, when he hit .305 with 24 doubles and compiled career-highs in home runs (35), RBI (122), runs (79), hits (157) triples (8) and games (140). In the same season, Cooper homered in six consecutive games, to tie a record set by George Kelly in 1924.

In 1949 with the Reds, Walker became the only catcher in major league history, and one of only eleven players, to have hit 10 or more RBI in a single game. The same year he collected a 6-for-7 game, including three home runs, six RBI and five runs.

Walker later played with the Braves and Cubs, and returned to St. Louis to spend his last two season as a Cardinal.

During his career, Walker set the record for hitting a grand slam for five different teams (a mark subsequently tied by Dave Kingman and Dave Winfield).

Walker Cooper died in Scottsdale, Arizona at age 76.

Fact

From 1940-45 for St. Louis, Cooper formed a battery with his brother Mort, a right-handed pitcher. The Cooper brothers would be reunited again in 1947 with the New York Giants.

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