Don Cooper, 2005 White Sox World Series champion pitching coach, dies at age 70

Don Cooper, a former longtime Chicago White Sox pitching coach and 2005 World Series champion, has died at the age of 70.

The White Sox confirmed Cooper's death in a post on Facebook.

In a post on Cooper's personal Facebook page, his family said he passed away on Tuesday at his home in Brentwood, Tennessee.

"His fierce passion for baseball, and the coaches and players around him, brought him a life filled with great pride, stories, and accomplishments. This passion was superseded only by his unbreakable love for his family and friends. He cared immensely for his loved ones," his family said.

Cooper spent 33 seasons as a coach for the White Sox from 1988 to 2020, including 18 as pitching coach. He was the pitching coach for the 2005 World Series championship winning team, which was the first Major League Baseball team since the 1928 Yankees to pitch four consecutive complete games in the playoffs.

The White Sox went 11-1 in the 2005 postseason to win to their first World Series title since 1917. Their pitching staff combined for a 2.55 ERA in the playoffs.

During the American League Championship Series, after losing the first game to the Los Angeles Angels, pitchers Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, Freddy Garcia, and Jose Contreras each went the distance in games 2 through 5.

Only 21 complete games have been thrown in the MLB postseason since Cooper's pitching staff accomplished that feat.

Funeral arrangements for Cooper have yet to be announced.