Duff Cooley

Duff Gordon Cooley was born in 1873 in Leavenworth.  Nicknamed “Sir Richard” due to his aristocratic manner, Cooley jumped from a team in Topeka to the St. Louis Browns in 1893 and would play 13 years in the major leagues.

In 1895, Cooley enjoyed his finest season, hitting .342 in 133 games, leading the Browns in hits, triples, runs and total bases.  During the following season, Cooley was traded to the Philadelphia Phillies.  Playing alongside Hall of Fame players Ed Delahanty and Nap Lajoie, Cooley hit .312 in 1898.  In 1899, he was purchased by Pittsburgh and sold to the Boston Beaneaters two seasons later.

Following the 1904 season, Cooley joined Detroit.  During the 1905 season, his career came to an end when he broke his leg after 97 games.  He was replaced in the Tigers outfield by future Hall of Famer Ty Cobb.

For his career, Cooley hit .294 with 1,579 hits.  He had an on-base percentage of .342.

After playing in the majors, Cooley played and managed again in Topeka.  He retired from baseball at age 41 and moved to Dallas to work as a salesman. In his final years, he battled alcoholism, which partially contributed to his death from heat stroke in Dallas on August 9, 1937.