Cooper grew up in New York, went to college at New York Tech and was drafted by the Yankees in 1978. His brief big league career ended after he pitched in seven games for New York in 1985.
"It's flattering, but right now to me it's all words," Cooper said. "I've been here 19 years. My loyalty, my focus, my passion is here."
Still, New York writers were lining up to talk to him.
"Right now it looks like I'm the flavor of the month," he said. "It's nice to be recognized, but I know why I'm being recognized. ... I'm not egotistical enough to think it's me."
The White Sox had one of the best pitching staffs in major league baseball all year, and they threw four straight complete games in the AL championship series to reach the World Series for the first time since 1959.
But Cooper insisted his pitchers deserve the credit.
"Maybe I'm just an activities coordinator," he said.
SHOELESS JOE
Some US senators are sticking up for Shoeless Joe Jackson.
Senators Jim DeMint and Tom Harkin sponsored a resolution on Friday calling for Jackson to be "appropriately honored for his outstanding baseball accomplishments."
Jackson was one of the greatest players of his time. He hit a career .356 that still ranks third-best in history behind Ty Cobb and Rogers Hornsby, and he helped the Chicago White Sox win the 1917 World Series, their last title. But Jackson is best known for his role in the "Black Sox" scandal, when he and eight other teammates threw games in the 1919 World Series against Cincinnati.
Though he was found innocent in court, MLB commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis banned Jackson and his teammates for life.
"I hope Major League Baseball will take this important moment in baseball history to remove the taint upon the memory of Shoeless Joe and appropriately honor his outstanding baseball accomplishments," DeMint said.
"While I wholeheartedly believe in Shoeless Joe's innocence, even those in doubt must admit he served his lifetime sentence with dignity and honor," DeMint added. "I hope [commissioner Bud Selig] will complete his inquiry soon and lift the ban on Shoeless Joe."
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