| Dusty Cooke | |
|---|---|
| Outfielder | |
| Born:(1907-06-23)June 23, 1907 Swepsonville, North Carolina, U.S. | |
| Died: November 21, 1987(1987-11-21) (aged 80) Raleigh, North Carolina, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| April 15, 1930, for the New York Yankees | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 28, 1938, for the Cincinnati Reds | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .280 |
| Home runs | 24 |
| Runs batted in | 229 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Managerial record at Baseball Reference | |
| Teams | |
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Allen Lindsey "Dusty" Cooke (June 23, 1907 – November 21, 1987) was an American professionalbaseballoutfielder,coach, andmanager, inMajor League Baseball (MLB), who played for three different big league teams, between1930 and1938. During his playing days, Cooke stood 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall, weighing 205 pounds (93 kg). He batted left-handed and threw right-handed.[1] He was born inSwepsonville, North Carolina.
Cooke's professional playing career lasted for 16 seasons (1927–1942). Known mainly for his defensive abilities, he was a competent fourth outfielder who was able to handle all three outfield positions. In1930, Cooke reached the major leagues with theNew York Yankees. He spent three seasons there before moving on to theBoston Red Sox (1933–1936) andCincinnati Reds (1938). Cooke's most productive season came in 1933 with Boston, when hebatted .293 and posted career-best numbers ingames played (119),runs (86),doubles (35),triples (10), andruns batted in (RBI) (54). In1935, he hit a career-high .306, in 100 games, while compiling a .400on-base percentage (tenth in theAmerican League).
In his eight-seasonMLB career, Cooke was a .280 lifetime hitter (489-for-1,745), with 24home runs and 229 RBI in 608games played, including 324 runs, 109 doubles, 28 triples, 32stolen bases, .384 on-base percentage, .416slugging percentage and a solidwalk-to-strikeout ratio of 1.06 (290-to-276).
Cooke enlisted in theNavy'sAviation Cadet Training Program located on theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill campus in 1943. Cooke was stunned that one of the first recruits he met upon his arrival in the dormitory wasTed Williams, theAmerican Leaguebatting champion.[2] Cooke did not complete aviation training and instead spent the war as aNavy pharmacist's mate, 3rd class. During thewar, Cooke participated in theIwo Jima where his ship was attacked for more than three hours byKamikaze, and then several months later in theBattle of Okinawa.[2][3]
Leveraging thefitness conditioning training he received in the Navy, after the war Cooke became theathletic trainer for thePhiladelphia Phillies in1946. Two years later, in1948, he joined the Phillies'coaching staff. Cooke was a coach through June 30, 1952, including service on the1950 "Whiz Kids" team, that won theNational Leaguepennant. He also was the Phillies'interimmanager, from July 16–25, 1948, after the firing ofBen Chapman. Cooke posted a 6–6 record (.500), before handing over the reins to the team's permanent skipper,Eddie Sawyer.
Cooke died inRaleigh, North Carolina, November 21, 1987, at age 80.
