Don Cooper

[Rooftop Shots]

There was a nice article on him in today's Times. I like the guys outlook and the way he tries to get the best out of others that were high potentials with other teams. He seems to have a way of not only getting their confidence back, but also in just being themslves with their natural talents and then slowly...just building upon that. One of his motivations....He said that he doesn't want to see their careers turn out like his. He wants them to succeed and be good! Anyway, Just had a quick question. How long is Coop signed up with us for. I know he signed a contract....I believe it was last year, but I forgot for how long. Thanks!

[Kalapse]

He signed a 3 year deal in 2006 that runs through the 2009 season.

[Whitewashed in '05]

One thing I'd like to note is that he's very loyal to the sox. I don't believe he'd leave for more money. He had nothing but loyal comments when the media started asking him about his contract before it expired last time he re-signed. If the sox want him back, which I don't see why they wouldn't, he'll re-sign.

[SoxFan1]

He should be a manager in the MLB one day, but for our sake, I hope he stays with the Sox for a long time.

[caulfield12]

Let's also hope his statement about Aardsma and Sisco essentially failing due to the lack of a secondary pitcher (and the ability to learn one or be taught one) doesn't also end up applying to Aaron Poreda.

 

Pretty strong comments about how pitchers failing in Chicago just don't have what it takes to pitch anywhere effectively...and some interesting comments on Van Benschoten.

 

 

[DBAHO]

Let's hope the Yankees pitchers do well this season otherwise we'll get the usual Coop to NY rumors happening again this season.

[southsider2k5]

Let's also hope his statement about Aardsma and Sisco essentially failing due to the lack of a secondary pitcher (and the ability to learn one or be taught one) doesn't also end up applying to Aaron Poreda.

 

Pretty strong comments about how pitchers failing in Chicago just don't have what it takes to pitch anywhere effectively...and some interesting comments on Van Benschoten.

 

I don't know about Aardsma, but Sisco couldn't learn a secondary pitch, because he didn't throw enough innings. Its my primary fear of Poreda getting moved up too quickly. Unless they fancy him as a closer, he needs to be throwing innings as a starter somewhere.

[southsider2k5]

Here is the full article FWIW

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/baseball/wh...T-sox25.article

 

Cooper focused on helping careers

WHITE SOX | When it comes down to resurrecting pitching careers, 'professor' Cooper gets job done

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February 25, 2009

BY JOE COWLEY [email protected]

 

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- The World Series ring, a few division titles, an unexpected 20-game winner a few years ago -- all nice.

 

The top five reclamation projects of White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper:

ESTEBAN LOAIZA

''It was nothing more than challenging him and getting him to pitch inside. He brought the cutter.''

 

JOSE CONTRERAS

''Tipping pitches was the smallest problem for him. The big thing was he didn't throw any of his pitches consistently over the plate. We got him to start throwing strikes over the plate early in the count, and he could do it from a few different angles.''

 

MATT THORNTON

''All we really did with Thornton was get him to load up and ride those big, strong legs to help that big, strong arm.''

 

GAVIN FLOYD

''We had to clear his head and get him to throw strikes. We had to unclog the jam, free him up physically.''

 

JOHN DANKS

''There was some delivery stuff, but it was also getting him a credo -- let's get ahead, let's challenge hitters and get first-pitch strikes.''

 

''You're in charge of a lot of people's careers in a lot of ways in this position,'' Cooper said Tuesday. ''I don't want them to have a career like I did -- I want them to actually be good.''

 

Welcome to the Ken Williams Home for Wayward Careers, where pitchers are snagged from the heap of other organizations' trash and given a second chance. A VH1 reality show in the making.

 

And while Williams plays the role of superintendent, Cooper is the professor.

 

The hits have been frequent, starting with Esteban Loaiza and ending with current star pupil Gavin Floyd. In between, Cliff Politte, Jon Garland, Jose Contreras, Matt Thornton and John Danks have strolled the hallways.

 

The misses are few: David Aardsma, Andrew Sisco and current flunking student Mike MacDougal.

 

''First of all, Aardsma and Sisco didn't have a secondary pitch,'' Cooper said, defending what the organization teaches. ''They weren't equipped enough to meet the challenges we had set for them.

 

''I'm really starting to believe that if you can't succeed with the Chicago White Sox and the atmosphere we provide to succeed, the legitimate care we take in coming up with an individual plan to succeed, I'm now believing that guy just doesn't [have] it.''

 

The club has a blueprint for rescuing pitchers from a subpar career, and in some cases, rescuing them from themselves.

 

''First of all, Kenny gets the guys,'' Cooper said. ''There are plenty of times that, yes, we talk about the guys, whether it's before we get them or after. But credit Kenny for getting these guys in here. Then I get the video and look at the guys' numbers.''

 

Cooper takes great interest in four categories.

 

''I look at hits and walks, I look at strikeouts and innings,'' he said. ''What we're really doing more than anything is giving them legit care, legit opportunity and freedom to, 'Hey, show us what you can do.'''

 

Asked why the pitchers' previous organizations didn't address these problems, especially considering they were the original investors, Cooper had no idea.

 

''I don't know what happens anywhere else,'' he said. ''I've been 23 years with the White Sox. I've never coached anywhere else, so I really don't know what other organizations, teams, pitching coaches do -- and to tell you the truth, I don't care. That's their thing. Our thing here is we're going to give them the best we got, and we're going to see if we can revive their careers.''

 

The latest body to undergo a Cooper autopsy this spring is right-hander John Van Benschoten, the eighth overall pick in the 2001 draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

 

In 26 major-league games, Van Benschoten is 2-13 with a 9.20 ERA. Williams grabbed him as a free agent in December -- a perfect career to try to resurrect.

 

''A common denominator of guys like Gavin, Van Benschoten [as well as Danks and Thornton], they're former first-round picks where there is some physical stuff there, but for whatever reason, it just isn't happening,'' Cooper said. ''With Gavin, he was overloaded. If the fan in the 10th row would yell him advice, he would try it. [Van Benschoten] is the other way around. He needs something to grab on to.''

 

So for the first 10 days of camp, as he has with all of his pitchers, Cooper has sat back and observed. For Van Benschoten, lab work starts this morning, when Cooper gets him in a one-on-one sideline session to introduce a new philosophy.

 

''The stuff is common sense, but our job is to get it through,'' Cooper said. ''As an organization, let's see what we can do. Because the alternative at this point ... well, like I said, I don't want any of these guys having my career.''

[DBAHO]

Will be interested to see Van Beschoten's numbers down at Charlotte this season.

 

Would be nice if they could get him to turn his career around.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

Wow, I thought Van Benschoten was just minor league roster filler. If the Sox actually believe they can turn him around and his arm isn't too broken down then I'm very intrigued.

[ThunderBolt]

It starting to look like our AAA rotation will be just as interesting to watch as the MLB one. I wonder if they'll even hire a special instructor to work with Van Bendenschoten while Coop's with the big club.

[almagest]

Wow, I thought Van Benschoten was just minor league roster filler. If the Sox actually believe they can turn him around and his arm isn't too broken down then I'm very intrigued.

I'm guessing he's primarily roster filler, but with Pittsburgh's inability to develop pitching from so many high draft picks, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox start grabbing some of these players to see what can be fixed.

[Balta1701]

I'm guessing he's primarily roster filler, but with Pittsburgh's inability to develop pitching from so many high draft picks, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Sox start grabbing some of these players to see what can be fixed.

I still wouldn't be surprised at all if they tried to make him in to a successful relief pitcher and we saw him in the bigs at some point this year.

[caulfield12]

I guess Bryan Bullington and JJ House are next.

 

The Pirates and Royals have just had some really, really crappy drafts. The funny thing is that both teams also went with the drafting athletes theory.

 

I worked for the Pirates in 94 and 95 and Jason Kendall was about the only high draft pick that panned out. During that time, there was Charles Peterson (QB scholarship to Auburn), Mark Farris (QB, ended up at A&M after blowing out his knee), Shon Walker, Chad Hermansen, Jermaine Allensworth...none of those guys ever made it, except for Allensworth for a brief time.

 

I didn't pay as much attention over the last 10 years, but I'm sure it is just as bad or worse during that time period. A number of bad GM's, too.

[Kenny Hates Prospects]

I guess Bryan Bullington and JJ House are next.

 

The Pirates and Royals have just had some really, really crappy drafts. The funny thing is that both teams also went with the drafting athletes theory.

 

I worked for the Pirates in 94 and 95 and Jason Kendall was about the only high draft pick that panned out. During that time, there was Charles Peterson (QB scholarship to Auburn), Mark Farris (QB, ended up at A&M after blowing out his knee), Shon Walker, Chad Hermansen, Jermaine Allensworth...none of those guys ever made it, except for Allensworth for a brief time.

 

I didn't pay as much attention over the last 10 years, but I'm sure it is just as bad or worse during that time period. A number of bad GM's, too.

What did you use to do with the Pirates?

[southsider2k5]

The really interesting thing about the article is the breakdown of his most famous rescue projects. The amazing part is that it isn't like Cooper is using a one size fits all approach to fixing these guys. In each of them he identified something completely different, and focused in on that. For some guys it was a physical change, for others it was mental. It tells me that Coop isn't looking at a Walt Hriniak type of style where it is one size fits all and this is how you should pitch. He is smart enough to be able to recognize flaws in all types of deliveries, mindsets, and approaches and is able to taylor an individual approach for each pitcher. That really goes to explain a lot of his relative success rate. It also goes to show you that someone in the Sox system is a great evaluator of pitching potential at the minor league level and above, because someone is finding these guys and getting them to Coop to review before they get here.

 

It makes me feel even better about the guys in our system.

[GoodAsGould]

I dont really think Danks belongs on that list. He was just another played that had his struggles his first season up in the bigs and progressed from it. If you kept track of him in the minors he always struggled when he reached a new level and than righted the ship later on.

[southsider2k5]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/baseb...?obref=outbrain

 

Chicago White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper likes the way staff is shaping up

With Contreras, Colon close to ready, battles will be waged for bullpen roles

 

By Mark Gonzales | Tribune reporter

8:40 PM CST, February 26, 2009

 

TUCSON, Ariz. — Mark Buehrle is leaving camp next week to be with his expectant wife, and Jose Contreras and Bartolo Colon are recovering gradually from their injuries.

 

So why is White Sox pitching coach Don Cooper smiling?

 

Because with five weeks left in spring training and plenty of candidates, Cooper has many options for what likely will be a 12-man pitching staff.

 

There's bountiful optimism that Contreras and Colon, who will complete their throwing programs Friday, will be ready to make their first regular-season starts April 10-11 against Minnesota.

 

In fact, manager Ozzie Guillen said Contreras and Colon would have no restrictions once they join the rotation. Cooper also has ruled out opting for a six-man rotation to start the season, even though the Sox preserved Buehrle's left arm last year by giving him extra rest in April.

 

"We're looking to leave [spring training] with the guys we feel can win ballgames, and they have a track record, they have an edge," Cooper said Thursday. "Heck, one (Colon) is a Cy Young Award winner, and the other (Contreras) is a World Series playoff hero. If they're throwing well, they're going to be in there. If not, we have some other guys to turn to."

 

A six-man rotation would leave Gavin Floyd and John Danks with too much rest because the Sox have a day off April 7.

 

"We need five guys to start from the get-go," Cooper said. "Whoever is in our bullpen, other than the four guys at the end, are going to be multiple-inning guys."

 

Cooper cleared up a mixup in which Jeff Marquez, who originally was scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Los Angeles Angels, instead threw a bullpen session and will start Saturday against the Cubs and then Thursday.

 

"I just wanted to have a work day with him," Cooper said without raising the likely scenario that Marquez could start the regular season in the bullpen if Contreras and Colon are healthy.

 

Friday's developments could give Cooper a better idea of what roles pitchers are capable of filling.

 

Non-roster invitee John Van Benschoten will follow Danks in the regularly scheduled game against Arizona, and left-hander Aaron Poreda will start a B game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Camelback Ranch.

 

Van Benschoten has been a starter for most of his professional career. Poreda, the Sox's No. 1 pick in 2007, needs to master a slider and changeup and might be suited better to a relief role.

 

Buehrle will pitch Sunday against the Dodgers in the Sox's inaugural home game at Camelback Ranch before leaving for Missouri to be with expectant wife Jamie.

 

Cooper also altered his schedule so reliever Mike MacDougal will pitch Wednesday against Oakland in Phoenix.

 

"The big knock on Mike is he might not be able to maintain focus and stay under control, and then he gets wild from time to time," Cooper said. "But when he does throw it over, he does get good results.

 

"He will be getting some extended outings."

 

[email protected]

[caulfield12]

An interesting case in this analysis has to be Damaso Marte.

 

He was a castoff from the Pirates (I think he'd also been with the Yankees and M's) and he was really the Matt Thorton of the AL before Matt Thornton became Matt...at different points in 2003 and 2004, he was arguably the best LH set-up reliever in baseball. I think Cooper had a lot to do with that, but I also think Ozzie really got in his head in 2005 (like Vazquez this year) and he lost his edge mentally and got scared to throw strikes.