Former Blue Jays reliever, longtime White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper dies at 70

September 24, 2026

By Kevin Glew

Cooperstowners in Canada

Former Toronto Blue Jays reliever and longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper died in Brentwood, Tenn., on Tuesday at the age of 70.

His family made the announcement on Facebook yesterday.

“His fierce passion for baseball, and the coaches and players around him, brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments,” wrote his family in the Facebook post. “This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones . . . Thankfully, we believe Don passed away peacefully.”

Most remember Cooper as the World Series-winning pitching coach of the 2005 White Sox, but 22 years prior to that, he made four relief appearances for the Blue Jays in 1983. The 6-foot-1 right-hander also spent almost two seasons with the Blue Jays’ triple-A Syracuse Chiefs in 1984 and 1986.

Raised in NYC

Born on January 15, 1956 in New York City, Cooper was a standout baseball and basketball player at Monsignor McClancy Memorial High School in East Elmhurst, N.Y. He later attended the New York Institute of Technology where his play convinced the New York Yankees to select him in the 17th round of the 1978 MLB draft.

The 6-foot-1 right-hander split his first pro season between Low-A Oneonta and High-A Fort Lauderdale and combined to post a 2.63 ERA in 15 games.

In the next two seasons, he continued his ascent up the Yankees’ ranks. In 1980, between double-A Nashville and triple-A Columbus, he went 12-7 with a 1.93 ERA with eight saves in 44 games.

Selected by Twins in Rule 5

The Minnesota Twins took notice and chose the then 23-year-old righty in the Rule 5 draft in December 1980. This meant they had to keep him on their big league roster for the 1981 season and he’d finish 1-5 record with a 4.30 ERA in 27 appearances in his first taste of major league action.

His first – and only – MLB win came on September 2 of that season when he pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings in relief in a Twins’ 4-3 victory over the Yankees at Metropolitan Stadium. Cooper struck out Reggie Jackson for the last out of the game.

Cooper spent the bulk of the following campaign as a starting pitcher with the Twins’ triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. He completed that season with a 12-10 record and a 4.65 ERA in 28 starts.

Traded to Blue Jays

On December 10, 1982, Cooper was traded to the Blue Jays for third baseman Dave Baker.

After a strong Grapefruit League performance in 1983, the 25-year-old right-hander was one of the team’s final cuts at the end of camp. Assigned to triple-A Syracuse, Cooper thrived as the team’s closer, going 10-5 with a 3.21 ERA while registering 22 saves to earn a September call-up from the Blue Jays.

The back end of the Blue Jays’ bullpen had struggled mightily that season so it seemed like a good opportunity for Cooper.

And things looked good for him early on after he struck out the first – and only – batter (Detroit Tigers outfielder Larry Herndon) he faced in his Blue Jays’ debut, a game the Jays lost 7-4 to the Tigers.

“I was disappointed the team lost,” Cooper told the Toronto Star after the game, “but I was glad about two things. No. 1, I got into the game. No. 2, I got the guy out. That’s the bottom line.”

Few opportunities with Jays

But despite that early success and his fine triple-A season, Cooper had to wait 13 days to pitch again for the Blue Jays, who, even with a wonky bullpen, were battling for the division title.

After allowing two runs in an inning against the Twins in his second appearance on September 16, Cooper didn’t appear in another game until September 27.

He pitched he last game with the Blue Jays – hurling 1 2/3 innings in relief – in the club’s 9-3 loss to the Twins in their season finale on October 2.

Traded to Yankees

Cooper was in Blue Jays’ camp the following spring, hoping to secure a spot on the club’s big league roster when he was dealt back to the Yankees on March 13.

He’d toed the rubber with the Yankees’ triple-A Columbus Clippers for much of the next two seasons.

On December 5, 1985, he signed with the Oakland A’s and spent the ensuing spring with them before landing back with the Blue Jays’ triple-A Syracuse Chiefs in early April. He proceeded to go 5-5 with a 3.80 ERA in 32 games for the Chiefs that season.

He finished his pro career with the Baltimore Orioles’ triple-A Rochester Red Wings in 1987.

Transition to coaching

In 1988, the White Sox hired Cooper as a minor league pitching coach.

Over the next 15 years, he’d serve in various instructor roles in the organization prior to being elevated to the role of big league pitching coach in 2002.

Cooper stayed in that role for almost 19 seasons and mentored All-Star pitchers like Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras and Chris Sale.

Cooper was an old school pitching coach who could be gruff but he always wanted the best for his pitchers. In an interview with Billy Ripken for the MLB Network, Cooper said there were three ways for pitchers to learn: by listening, watching and doing.

Cooper’s most memorable season was the Sox 2005 World Series-winning campaign. En route to the Fall Classic, Cooper oversaw a starting rotation (Buehrle, Garland, Freddy Garcia and Contreras) that threw four consecutive complete games against the Los Angeles Angels in the American League Championship Series.

“The last out in 2005 [World Series} was the moment I will always cherish,” Cooper told author Bob Vorwald for his 2010 book, What It Means To Be A White Sox. “I can still see Bobby Jenks jumping to try and get the ground ball, and you couldn’t slide a slice of American cheese under his feet. Juan Uribe came out of nowhere and threw the batter out at first base.”

Cooper remained with the White Sox through the 2020 season, which made him the club’s last remaining link to the 2005 World Series-winning team.

“The White Sox send our condolences to the family, friends and fans of Don Cooper, who has passed away at 70,” the White Sox said in a statement on Wednesday. “Don Cooper spent 33 seasons as a coach in the White Sox organization from 1988-2020, including 18 full seasons as the major-league pitching coach. Cooper served as the pitching coach for the 2005 World Series champion club, which became the first team since the 1928 Yankees to toss four consecutive complete games in a single postseason. Forever in our thoughts.”

Cooper is survived by his wife, Ruby, and their three children, Jaime, Luke and Kate.