Chris Sale shares heartfelt tribute to late Don Cooper

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Chris Sale shares heartfelt tribute to late Don Cooper

Originally posted on MLB on ClutchPoints
By Zachary Draves, ClutchPoints | Last updated Sep 24, 2026 1:43 PM ET

Wednesday was an eventful day for Atlanta Braves pitcher Chris Sale. Sale achieved his 9th 200-strikeout season in a 3-2 win over the Cincinatti Reds.

However, it was bittersweet that it happened on the same day his former pitching coach Don Cooper passed away at the age of 70.

After the game, Sale gave it up to Cooper in a moving tribute, per Jone Morosi of ESPN/Brooke Fletcher of White Sox on CHSN.

“That was a tough one,” Sale said. “I found out literally before I went out. It’s tough news. I was literally just talking about him. I was on a podcast with Dallas Braden and Jared Carrabis, and I was literally just talking about him yesterday. Who he was to me when I was a young guy in Chicago and the things that he instilled in me. I wouldn’t be here without him.”

Heartfelt tribute from Chris Sale. https://t.co/Nm8uC5EmZw

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) September 24, 2026

Cooper pitched from 1981 to 1983 and again in 1985. He then became a pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox from 2002 to 2020.

In 2005, he was an instrumental figure in helping the White Sox win the World Series. The starting pitchers (José Contreras, Mark Buehrle, Jon Garland, and Freddy García) threw four straight complete games in a four-game sweep over the Houston Astros.

Sale was with the White Sox from 2010 to 2016. In Chicago, Sale made an incredible mark under Cooper’s guidance.

He earned five consecutive All-Star selections from 2012 to 2016. Afterward, the Red Sox traded for Sale, and he pitched from 2017 to 2019 and 2021 to 2023.

In 2024, the Braves picked up Sale. Sale has a 14-9 record, 200 strikeouts, and a 2.16 ERA.

This article first appeared on MLB on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

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