Former Atlanta Brave Gary Cooper needs our help

In the summer of 1980, a virtually unknown rookie outfielder named Gary Cooper was considered to be the fastest man in baseball. That summer, the 23-year-old native of Savannah, Georgia spent 42 days on the Atlanta Braves’ major-league roster as a pinch-runner and late-inning defensive specialist. 

But more than 40 years after a rainout on Sept. 28 that year — a game the Braves were not required to make up — Gary Cooper today remains just one day shy of the minimum of 43 days to qualify for a pension from Major League Baseball. 

Now his former team, the Atlanta Braves, has a chance to repeat history. 

In 1968, when legendary former Negro Leagues pitcher Satchel Paige needed just 158 days on an active major-league roster to reach the five-year minimum required to receive a pension, 19 teams turned him down. But the Atlanta Braves signed the 62-year-old former star as a part-time pitcher and adviser.

Although he never played a game that season, Satch eventually got his pension.

Today, Gary Cooper lives a spartan lifestyle in his hometown of Savannah. In recent years, he has struggled with homelessness, but today at age 67 he is a distinguished senior citizen. Last spring, Cooper was even inducted into the Greater Savannah Athletic Hall of Fame.

Still, Mr. Cooper has no car, no home to call his own, no savings, no pension, and struggles just to pay his phone bill every month. To help support himself, Mr. Cooper works part-time as a landscaper, but lately work has been scarce.

“I’ve known Gary for about 11 years now,” says his supervisor Robert Jonas. “It’s an amazing story. He’s so down to earth — you’d never know in a million years that he played for the Atlanta Braves.”

If Mr. Cooper were to serve just one more day on a Major League Baseball roster, he could be eligible to receive a small monthly pension today.  

To that end, we've also launched a petition urging the Atlanta Braves to add Gary Cooper to their coaching staff for just one game of the 2024 baseball season.

But Mr. Cooper still needs our help to support himself in his golden years. In his struggle to adjust to life after baseball, Gary Cooper urgently needs our support to help pay for his health care and to help support his family.

And if the stars align, Mr. Cooper just might need to rent himself a car and head down to Florida for spring training.

If you can, please donate to help support the cause. And please help us spread the word.

Mr. Cooper needs our help now more than ever. 

To learn more about Gary Cooper, check out the new feature story in ESPN’s Andscape.com.

Thank you!

Sincerely,

Robert Jonas

Gary Cooper's friend and work colleague

Savannah, Georgia

PLEASE NOTE: All donated funds are automatically transferred to an account managed by Mr. Cooper's niece, Emefa Purvis, of Savannah, Georgia, who has power of attorney for Mr. Cooper.