Mort Cooper
Cooper's 1942 MVP season stands as one of the most dominant pitching performances in Cardinals history, anchoring a World Series championship with a microscopic 1.78 ERA that was more than twice as good as league average. That ERA+ of 201 means he was literally twice as effective as the typical pitcher that year — a mark of excellence that few hurlers ever reach.
The right-hander's career ERA+ of 131 over 12 seasons reveals consistent superiority, but 1942 was his masterpiece. Cooper went 22-7 while striking out 152 batters in an era when power pitching was less common. His 2.95 career ERA across 1,841 innings demonstrates the kind of durability and effectiveness that made him a four-time All-Star.
Cooper's peak coincided perfectly with St. Louis's wartime dynasty, though his career was cut short when he died at just 45 in 1958. Modern fans should remember him as the ace who delivered when the Cardinals needed it most.
Career · Hitting
11 seasons| Year | Team | G | AB | HR | RBI | AVG | OPS | OPS+ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | STL | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | .222 | — | — |
| 1939 | STL | 47 | 69 | 2 | 11 | .232 | — | — |
| 1940 | STL | 38 | 83 | 0 | 3 | .157 | — | — |
| 1941 | STL | 29 | 70 | 0 | 5 | .186 | — | — |
| 1942 | STL | 37 | 103 | 0 | 7 | .184 | — | — |
| 1943 | STL | 37 | 100 | 1 | 11 | .170 | — | — |
| 1944 | STL | 34 | 94 | 0 | 13 | .202 | — | — |
| 1945 | BSN | 24 | 32 | 1 | 8 | .250 | — | — |
| 1946 | BSN | 28 | 67 | 1 | 7 | .209 | — | — |
| 1947 | NY1 | 18 | 27 | 1 | 3 | .222 | — | — |
| 1949 | CHC | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — |
| Career | 297 | 654 | 6 | 68 | .194 | — | — | |
Career · Pitching
11 seasons| Year | Team | G | IP | W | L | ERA | ERA+ | SO | WHIP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1938 | STL | 4 | 23.7 | 2 | 1 | 3.04 | 143 | 11 | 1.225 |
| 1939 | STL | 45 | 210.7 | 12 | 6 | 3.25 | 132 | 130 | 1.448 |
| 1940 | STL | 38 | 230.7 | 11 | 12 | 3.63 | 116 | 95 | 1.348 |
| 1941 | STL | 29 | 186.7 | 13 | 9 | 3.91 | 101 | 118 | 1.307 |
| 1942 | STL | 37 | 278.7 | 22 | 7 | 1.78 | 201 | 152 | 0.987 |
| 1943 | STL | 37 | 274.0 | 21 | 8 | 2.30 | 153 | 141 | 1.120 |
| 1944 | STL | 34 | 252.3 | 22 | 7 | 2.46 | 145 | 97 | 1.137 |
| 1945 | BSN | 24 | 101.7 | 9 | 4 | 2.92 | 126 | 59 | 1.289 |
| 1946 | BSN | 28 | 199.0 | 13 | 11 | 3.12 | 115 | 83 | 1.106 |
| 1947 | BSN | 18 | 83.3 | 3 | 10 | 5.40 | 74 | 27 | 1.500 |
| 1949 | CHC | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | — |
| Career | 295 | 1840.8 | 128 | 75 | — | — | 913 | — | |
Matchups, projections, comps — grounded in Lahman, Retrosheet, and Statcast.