Atlanta, GA
Former Atlanta Braves player hopes to be signed for 1 day to receive pension
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) – A former Atlanta Braves player is calling on the team to sign him again – for just one day – so he can qualify for a pension he’s been trying to get for more than 40 years.
For 67-year-old Garden City native Gary Cooper, baseball was everything. He spent several seasons playing in the minor leagues with the AA Savannah Braves, WTOC reports.
“That’s all we did, played baseball… That was our thing growing up. From then on, that was the love of my life,” Cooper said. “I got the chance to play at home for three years. That was a beauty.”
Then, in the summer of 1980, he got 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,” Cooper said. “It was a dream come true.”
The Braves were playing the Pittsburgh Pirates, the reigning World Series champions, when 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. It bounced over my head, so I had to make a 360 [degree] turn. When I did, I grabbed the ball and threw it to second base, and I threw him out to end the game,” Cooper said.
The season ended for the Braves 42 days and 21 games later, and Cooper was eventually sent back to the minors, not knowing he was just one service day short of qualifying for a pension. 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.
“When they called me up, I did what I was supposed to do, and right now, today, I can’t understand why I got sent back down,” he said.
Dave Mesrey spent more than a year working on a story about Cooper, talking to baseball historians and industry experts. He 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 or there after, all they needed were 43 days to qualify for the minimum pension,” Mesrey said.
Cooper has appealed to the MLB and Players Association twice and was denied a pension. Now, he is hoping to be signed to the Braves for one day in efforts to meet the qualification.
“‘Cause it has happened. Mr. Aaron did it back in the day and… Satchel Paige never got to play, but he got his pension. That’s history. You know, why can’t it happen the same for me?” he said. “Just that day would be awesome. It would be just like being drafted again.”
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson spoke out in support of Cooper.
“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 60s, that makes a whole lot of difference. We’re hoping the Braves do the right thing,” Johnson said.
Not only is the mayor behind him, but more than 10,000 people and counting have signed a Change.org petition asking the Braves to sign Cooper again.
“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.
The Change.org petition says Cooper, who works part time as a landscaper, has struggled with homelessness in recent years. He has no car, no home, no savings and struggles to pay his phone bill every month.
WTOC has reached out to the Braves for comment.
Copyright 2024 WTOC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Fire at Chamblee apartment complex displaces more than 75 residents, closes businesses
A fire at a Chamblee apartment and retail complex displaced more than 75 people and caused a partial roof collapse, according to DeKalb County Fire Rescue.
Fire crews responded around 4:37 p.m. Sunday to the Windsor Parkview Apartments along Peachtree Boulevard after reports of a fire on the roof.
DeKalb County Fire Rescue said that crews arrived to find heavy fire coming from the roof and immediately began evacuating people from the building.
Officials said the fire quickly spread across a portion of the roof, leading to a partial collapse.
Thankfully, firefighters said most of the damage appeared to be confined to the roof area.
Many of the people living at the complex spent Monday waiting for answers about when they may be allowed back inside. Some told CBS News Atlanta they were especially worried about pets and belongings left behind during the evacuation.
“We didn’t have to evacuate, as we were both already out of the house for Mother’s Day stuff. But we still have all of our stuff up in the apartment, and we have two cats that are up there, and we’re trying to figure out what exactly the plan is to get all that out of there,” said resident Thomas Wheeler. Hours later, Wheeler and his girlfriend were reunited with their cats.
Others said the uncertainty following the fire has been frustrating.
“There’s just a lot of people around with not a ton of information. The red cross was here. We got to interact with them. It was really a great experience at the Red Cross,” said resident Macy Trego.
The fire also impacted businesses located beneath the apartments.
Some workers told CBS News Atlanta they still do not know when they may be able to return to work.
“I’ve gotta get paid. Rent is high right now,” said Jeremy Snyder, who works at one of the businesses below the apartments.
Windsor Communities released a statement Monday saying it is working with the Red Cross to help displaced tenants.
“We are deeply saddened by yesterday’s fire at Windsor Parkview Apartments, and our immediate focus is on supporting the residents and families impacted by this incident,” a Windsor Communities spokesperson said. “We are grateful to the first responders and local agencies whose swift actions helped ensure residents were safely evacuated and cared for during a very difficult situation.”
The company also said it is maintaining communication with people impacted by the fire while investigators continue working to determine the cause.
Fire officials said the fire may have started from an air conditioning unit on the roof, though the exact cause remains under investigation.
Windsor Parkview opened in 2021 as part of Chamblee’s redevelopment efforts along the Peachtree Boulevard corridor. CBS News Atlanta has also reached out to the City of Chamblee for additional information about the development’s role in the city’s broader revitalization plans.
Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street
ATLANTA – Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.
What we know:
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.
The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.
Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.
Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.
What you can do:
Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.
Atlanta, GA
Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results
The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?
1. Who could they take with the pick?
We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.
While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.
There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.
The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.
In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.
If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?
While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.
As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.
The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?
What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.
3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?
Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.
It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.
Follow
-
World18 seconds agoTrump administration rejects UN migration declaration, says ‘mass migration was never safe’
-
Politics6 minutes agoStacey Abrams hit with subpoena in alleged campaign finance violations saga: ‘No one is above the law’
-
Health12 minutes agoTwo Maryland residents monitored for hantavirus after sharing flight with infected cruise ship passenger
-
Sports18 minutes agoCraig Morton, quarterback who led the Broncos to their first Super Bowl appearance, dead at 83
-
Technology24 minutes agoRobotaxi drives off from airport with passenger’s suitcase
-
Business30 minutes agoL.A. port traffic rises in April despite trade disruption, higher fuel costs
-
Entertainment36 minutes agoEntertainment mogul Byron Allen to acquire Buzzfeed, HuffPost
-
Politics48 minutes agoOversight chair seeks information from OpenAI’s Sam Altman about potential financial conflicts