‘Just one day’: Former Atlanta Braves player needs to be signed for day to receive pension

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) – One day – 24 hours – Gary Cooper is from Garden City and says he is just one day short of being eligible for a pension after playing for the Atlanta Braves back in 1980.

Now he is calling on his former team to sign him again so he can qualify for a pension he’s been trying to get for for more than 40 years.

“Just that day would be awesome. It would be just like being drafted again,” said Gary Cooper.

For Garden City native, Gary Cooper baseball was everything.

“That’s all we did, played baseball even much in the rain, this is Monday through Sunday. We eat and – baseball. That was our thing growing up. From then on that was the love of my life.”

Cooper spent several seasons in the minor leagues playing with the AA Savannah Braves right here at Grayson Stadium.

“I got the chance to play at home for three years, you know that was a beauty.”

Then he got the word, the legendary Hank Aaron was calling him up to play for the Atlanta Braves.

“I said man you crazy, he said ‘yeah.’ So when I got home my father told me, my mother and father already knew before I did.”

It was the summer of 1980. The Braves were playing reigning World Series champions, the Pittsburgh Pirates.

“The funny part when I got to Pittsburgh, I ended up in the wrong locker room. I ended up in the home team locker room. It was just that crazy. As far as I had been Memphis, Tennessee doing AA, and then in Pittsburgh. It was a dream come true.”

That night, Cooper made his Major League debut.

“The bottom of the 9th, one of the fastest guys in the Major League came up to bat. They were down by two runs, he hit a fly ball, I was playing left field and I came in and it bounced over my head so I had to make a 360 turn and when I did, I grabbed the ball and threw it to second base and I threw him out to end the game.”

42 days and 21 games later, the season ended for the Braves and Cooper was eventually sent back to the minors not knowing he was just one service day short of qualifying for a pension.

“When they called me up, I did what I was supposed to do and right now today, I can’t understand why I was sent back down.”

In order to be eligible for a pension from Major League Baseball and MLB Players Association, players must have 43 days on an active roster.

Dave Mesrey spent more than a year working on a story about Cooper, talking to baseball historians and industry experts. Mesrey says the same year Cooper went to the MLB, the requirements for a pension had just changed.

“They changed the minimum from four years to 43 days, so when Gary cooper and anyone who made their debut in major league baseball in 1980 and there after all they needed was 43 days to qualify for the minimum pension, I’m not an expert on pensions but even if coop were to get the third day that would only qualify him for the minimum pension,” Dave Mesrey explained.

Cooper has appealed to the MLB and Players Association twice and was denied a pension. Now he is hoping to be signed to the Atlanta Braves for one day in efforts to meet the qualification.

“Cause it has happened. Mr. Aaron did it back in the day and the guys, Satchel Paige never got to play and that’s history. You know, why can’t he do the same for me,” Cooper said.

“It just makes sense. I’m reminded that the Atlanta Braves for the pitching legend Satchel Paige signed him to a contract for him to reach his pension we’re only talking $500 or $600 a month, but for someone in their late 60′s, that makes a whole difference and we’re hoping the Braves do the right thing,” said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson.

“Just one day. For the two and a half hours that is how long the game lasts, just forget about those 44 years just for that day,” Cooper said.

Thousands of signatures. Not only is the City of Savannah behind him, but more than 5,000 people and counting have signed a change.org petition asking the Braves to sign cooper again, just for one day.