Don Cooper talks a good game to help White Sox pitchers throw them
Don Cooper
Don Cooper  is ready to discuss  his  favorite subject â pitching â and as anyone who ever has spoken to  him  about it knows  itâs likely to be a lengthy conversation.
âLet me sit down and get into a talkinâ position â  Cooper  said. âIâll talk to anybody about pitching  especially White Sox pitching.â
 Cooper  has been in the Sox organization since 1988 and became the teamâs pitching coach in 2002. During that time  he  has come across hurlers of all shapes  sizes and talent levels.
For every Mark Buehrle  John Danks  Jose Quintana and Bobby Jenks  there has been a Rocky Biddle  Vic Darensbourg  Wes Whisler and Jack Egbert.  Cooper  has seen them all and keeps coming back for more because  he  cherishes  his  role.
âIn the job Iâm in I get to see guys reach their dreams â  Cooper  said. âThe first time they get to the big leagues  thatâs a dream realized â a longtime dream â but at the end of the dream it wasnât  âAll right  now I go back to the minor leagues.â
To get there   Cooper  puts pitchers through their paces on and off the mound. There are throwing programs  strength training  cardio workouts and more  but it is interpersonal relationships that drive  Cooper .
âItâs the conversations I have with them â  he  said. âItâs about the bullpen sessions  the pregames and the games we talk about â thatâs the meat and potatoes for me.â
The ability to communicate with pitchers from all walks of life is perhaps  Cooper âs strongest asset. During a key time in the Soxâs rebuild  that is an important trait for the man tasked with aiding the development of some of the organizationâs most prized possessions.
â He  has developed a rapport with everybody â manager Rick Renteria said. âIt doesnât matter whether itâs a young player just breaking in or a veteran coming into the system from another organization.  He  has a way of communicating with players that can either shock them or bring a lot of ease. Thereâs a method to everything  he  does.â
When Sox pitchers and catchers report to Glendale  Ariz.  for spring training Monday   Cooper  will begin work with a 2018 starting rotation that is likely to feature youngsters Lucas Giolito  Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer along with veterans Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields. Each one of them is going to get his fill of the man called âCoop.â
With the rebuild â a word  Cooper  doesnât like  by the way  âbecause itâs always a buildâ â humming right along  the New York native is eager to work with the talent general manager Rick Hahn has accumulated. Giolito  Lopez and Fulmer all made significant strides during their stints with the Sox in 2017  and the goal for â18 is further development.
âI want to make a huge step forward individually with each guy â  Cooper  said. âThere might be some ups and downs here â Iâve seen it before â but weâre going to have a plan and stick to it. Weâll continue to work and focus on the things individually that we are going to add to our repertoire. What Iâm looking for is that one stride forward because if we can do it individually  maybe we can do it collectively.
[TGT] is ready to discuss   [TGT]   favorite subject â pitching â and as anyone who ever has spoken to   [TGT]   about it knows  itâs likely to be a lengthy conversation.
âLet me sit down and get into a talkinâ position â   [TGT] said. âIâll talk to anybody about pitching  especially  [TGT] 
has been in the Sox organization since 1988 and became the teamâs pitching coach in 2002. During that time   [TGT]   has come across hurlers of all shapes  sizes and talent levels.
For every Mark Buehrle  John Danks  Jose Quintana and Bobby Jenks  there has been a Rocky Biddle  Vic Darensbourg  Wes Whisler and Jack Egbert.   [TGT] has seen them all and keeps coming back for more because   [TGT]   cherishes   [TGT]   role.
âIn the job Iâm in I get to see guys reach their dreams â   [TGT] said. âThe first time they get to the big leagues  thatâs a dream realized â a longtime dream â but at the end of the dream it wasnât  âAll right  now I go back to the minor leagues.â
To get there    [TGT] puts pitchers through their paces on and off the mound. There are throwing programs  strength training  cardio workouts and more  but it is interpersonal relationships that drive   [TGT] 
âItâs the conversations I have with them â  he  said. âItâs about the bullpen sessions  the pregames and the games we talk about â thatâs the meat and potatoes for me.â
The ability to communicate with pitchers from all walks of life is perhaps   [TGT]  âs strongest asset. During a key time in the Soxâs rebuild  that is an important trait for the man tasked with aiding the development of some of the organizationâs most prized possessions.
â He  has developed a rapport with everybody â manager Rick Renteria said. âIt doesnât matter whether itâs a young player just breaking in or a veteran coming into the system from another organization.  He  has a way of communicating with players that can either shock them or bring a lot of ease. Thereâs a method to everything  he  does.â
When Sox pitchers and catchers report to Glendale  Ariz.  for spring training Monday    [TGT] will begin work with a 2018 starting rotation that is likely to feature youngsters Lucas Giolito  Reynaldo Lopez and Carson Fulmer along with veterans Miguel Gonzalez and James Shields. Each one of them is going to get his fill of the man called âCoop.â
With the rebuild â a word   [TGT] doesnât like  by the way  âbecause itâs always a buildâ â humming right along  the New York native is eager to work with the talent general manager Rick Hahn has accumulated. Giolito  Lopez and Fulmer all made significant strides during their stints with the Sox in 2017  and the goal for â18 is further development.
âI want to make a huge step forward individually with each guy â   [TGT] said. âThere might be some ups and downs here â Iâve seen it before â but weâre going to have a plan and stick to it. Weâll continue to work and focus on the things individually that we are going to add to our repertoire. What Iâm looking for is that one stride forward because if we can do it individually  maybe we can do it collectively.