Teams

1911: Marion Diggers (Marion, Ohio), Ohio State League; Cooper went 17-11.

The Diggers finished in second place, 4 games back of Springfield, OH. They were 80-59 for the season. The manager was Jack Lewis. Teams in the league that year were: Chillicothe Infants, Hamilton Mechanics, Lancaster Lanks, Lima Cigarmakers, Marion Diggers, Newark Newks, Piqua Picks, Portsmouth Cobblers and the Springfield Reapers.


1911: Mansfield Brownies (Mansfield, Ohio), Ohio-Pennsylvania League; Cooper was 0-0, pitching in only 1 inning when he gave up 2 hits and 1 run. The Brownies were managed by Ed Hahn, and finished in 5th place with a record of 55-82, 37.5 games back of Akron. The teams in the league were: Akron Champs, Canton Deubers, East Liverpool Potters, Erie (PA) Sailors, Mansfield Brownies, New Castle (PA) Nocks/Sharon (PA) Travelers, Steubenville Stubs and Youngstown Steelmen.


1911: Columbus Senators (Columbus, Ohio), American Association; Cooper went 3-3 for the Senators that year, who finished in 3rd place with a record of 87-78. They were managed by Bill Friel. League teams were: Columbus Senators, Indianapolis Indians, Kansas City (MO) Blues, Louisville (KY) Colonels, Milwaukee Brewers, Minneapolis Millers, St. Paul (MN) Apostles and the Toledo (OH) Mud Hens.


1912: Columbus Senators (Columbus, Ohio), American Association; Cooper went 16-9.

The Senators finished in third place with a record of 98-68. They were managed by Bill Friel. League teams were: Columbus Senators, Indianapolis Indians, Kansas City (MO) Blues, Louisville (KY) Colonels, Milwaukee Brewers, Minneapolis Millers, St. Paul (MN) Apostles and the Toledo (OH) Mud Hens.


1912 - 1924: Pittsburgh Pirates; Pittsburgh paid $3000 and two players to be named for him. He went out and won three games for them in 1912, averaging just 1.67 runs per nine inning game. He went on to have a great career with the Pirates.

1912 Pirates

1917 Pirates

1922 Pirates

1913 Pirates

1918 Pirates

1923 Pirates

1914 Pirates

1919 Pirates

1924 Pirates

1915 Pirates

1920 Pirates


1916 Pirates

1921 Pirates



Cubs19261925: Chicago Cubs. On October 27, 1924, the Pirates traded Cooper, Charlie Grimm and Rabbit Maranville to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Vic Aldredge, George Grantham and Al Niehaus. Cooper went 12-14 for the Cubs in 1925, who finished in last place that year, 27.5 games behind Pittsburgh.


Cubs19261926: Chicago Cubs. Cooper pitched 55 innings in 8 games, finishing his career with the Cubs with a 1-2 record for 1926 before he was picked up on waivers by the Tigers on June 7.


1926: Detroit Tigers. Cooper's career with the Tigers was undistinguished. He only pitched 13.2 innings in 8 games for a record 0-4. By the end of July his major league career was over.


1926: Toledo Mud Hens (Toledo, Ohio), American Association. Cooper was 2-5 with Toledo. The Mud Hens finished in fourth place with a record of 87-77. They were managed that year by Casey Stengel. League teams were: Columbus Senators, Indianapolis Indians, Kansas City (MO) Blues, Louisville (KY) Colonels, Milwaukee Brewers, Minneapolis Millers, St. Paul (MN) Saints and the Toledo (OH) Mud Hens.


1927: Oakland Oaks (Oakland, California), Pacific Coast League. Both the 1927 and the 1928 teams were managed by Ivan Howard. League teams were: Hollywood Stars, Los Angeles Angels, Oakland Oaks, Portland (OR) Beavers, Sacramento Senators, San Francisco Seals and the Seattle Indians. Oakland finished in first place in 1927 and were league champions, with a record of 120-75.


1928: Oakland Oaks (Oakland, California), Pacific Coast League. In 1928 the Oaks dropped to fifth place with a record of 91-100. Cooper went 10-16.


1929: Shreveport Sports (Shreveport, Louisiana), Texas League. In 1929 the Sports finished second in the league with a record of 91-66. Thirty-seven-year-old Cooper went 17-9, pitching 232 innings in 30 games. In both 1929 and 1930 the Sports were managed by Art Phelan. League teams were all from Texas with the exception of the Sports: Beaumont Exporters, Dallas Steers, Ft. Worth Panthers, Houston Buffaloes, San Antonio Indians, Shreveport Sports, Waco Cubs and Wichita Falls Spudders.


1930: Shreveport Sports (Shreveport, Louisiant), Texas League. The Sports went 86-65 for a third place finish. Wilbur Cooper only played part of the year for the Sports in 1930.


1930: San Antonio Indians (San Antonio, Texas), Texas League. Cooper only played part of the season for San Antonio. They finished in seventh place with a record of 60-93. The Indians were managed that year by George Burns. Cooper went 3-11 in 24 games for the year, including both Shreveport and San Antonio.


Cooper managed minor league teams in the Pennsylvania State Association for three years in the 1930s:


1935: McKeesport Braves, a Class D affiliate of the Boston Braves. McKeesport finished in fifth place, 23.5 games back of first place Monessen. Their record was 44-62. One of the Braves pitchers, Ken Heintzelman, did lead the league in strikeouts, with 147. Teams that year were: Butler Indians, Charleroi Tigers, Greensburg Red Wings, McKeesport Braves, Monessen Reds and the Washington Generals.


1936: Jeannette Little Pirates, a Class D affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Little Pirates finished first in the league in 1936 with a record of 65-44. A couple of players were league leaders. Alfred DeRenne led in runs, with 106. He went on to become Wilbur Cooper's son-in-law. Ken Heintzelman, who had pitched for Cooper the year before, led in wins (20) and strikeouts (229). Teams that year were: Butler Yankees, Charleroi Tigers, Greensburg Red Wings, Jeannette Little Pirates, McKeesport Tubers and the Monessen Indians.


1937: Greensburg Green Sox, a Class D affiliate of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The Green Sox finished second, nine games back of Butler. Their record was 54-45. Pitcher Daniel Hawley was a bright spot, leading the league in wins (16), strikeouts (161) and ERA (2.72). Teams that year were: Beaver Falls Bees, Butler Yankees, Greensburg Green Sox, Jeannette Bisons, McKeesport Tubers and the Monessen Cardinals. Both the Jeannette Bisons and McKeesport Tubers disbanded on June 10 of 1937, leaving just four teams in the league.


Copyright 2007-2023 by Michael A. Grimm. Images may be copyrighted by other owners and are used here strictly for educational and research purposes.