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John Cooper

 

Date and Place of Birth: May 10, 1890 Fairport, OH
Date and Place of Death:    September 2, 1918 France
Baseball Experience: Minor League
Position: Catcher
Rank: Private
Military Unit: 11th Infantry Regiment, 5th Division US Army
Area Served: France

John Cooper, the son of Jacob and Anna Kupari, was born on May 10, 1890 at Fairport (now Fairport Harbor), Ohio. A catcher, his professional baseball career began with the Duluth White Sox of the Class D Minnesota-Wisconsin League in 1909, also playing for the Superior Blues of the same league that year. In 1910, Cooper was with the Brandon Angels of the Class D Western Canada League, batting .225 in 99 games.
 
Cooper was drafted by the White Sox at the end of the season and joined the Dubuque Hustlers of the Class B Three-I League in 1911. He was still with Dubuque at the start of 1912, but was sold to Peoria of the same league in May. He left organized baseball for the rest of the season and played for Calumet in the (Iron-Copper League). Reports claim he was resigned by the White Sox but it appers he chose to stay with Calumet for the 1913 season. In 1914 he was back in organized baseball with the Erie Yankees of the Class B Canadian League, batting .301 in 45 games. Remaining with Erie in 1915, but this time in the Class B Central League, Cooper played 51 games and batted .195.
 
Cooper entered military service on October 2, 1917 and served as a private with the 11th Infantry Regiment of the 5th Division. He was accidently killed while serving in France on September 2, 1918.

In 1936, Cooper's body was returned to the United States and now rests at Evergreen Cemetery in Painesville, Ohio.

Sources
Sporting Life Feb 8, 1913
Fort Wayne Journal Gazette Oct 13, 1918
Oakland Tribune Oct 19, 1918
www.find-a-grave.com

Date Added: July 14, 2012 Updated July 8, 2013

 

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