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Andy Cooper is presented in Helmar’s T3 series with the Detroit Stars in a composed pitching pose, glove gathered at his chest as he looks off toward the field. The cream pinstriped uniform is relieved by dark stockings and a contrasting dark shoulder panel, while the red star accents on the cap and jersey give the figure a strong Detroit Stars identity. The low viewpoint and expansive sky lend Cooper an imposing presence, appropriate for one of the great left-handed pitchers in Negro League history.

The original artwork was painted by Natalia Valiukavich in watercolor. She uses pale cream, gray, and muted green washes across the uniform, with darker modeling at the shoulders and through the folds of the trousers. The glove is rendered in warm brown tones, while the subdued field and distant crowd are deliberately softened. Most of the atmosphere comes from the sky, where blue, yellow, pink, and violet washes create a luminous backdrop around the figure.

Andrew Lewis “Andy” Cooper was a dominant left-handed pitcher whose career was divided principally between the Detroit Stars and Kansas City Monarchs. He joined Detroit in 1920, the inaugural season of the Negro National League, and remained one of the Stars’ leading pitchers through most of the decade before moving to Kansas City. Cooper was renowned for exceptional control and command; contemporary accounts emphasized his ability to place the ball almost wherever he wanted and to exploit individual hitters’ weaknesses. He later became an important relief pitcher and manager as his career extended through the 1930s. 

Cooper returned to Detroit in 1930 before rejoining the Monarchs, and his long association with both clubs made him one of the central pitching figures of the Negro Leagues between the wars. He helped Kansas City win the Negro National League pennant in 1929 and later managed the Monarchs to multiple pennants. His stature was formally recognized when he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Numbered #116, the Cooper card adds a major Hall of Fame pitcher to the Detroit Stars grouping within the T3 checklist. His long tenure with Detroit, beginning with the club’s first Negro National League season in 1920, makes him especially important to the team’s history and a natural companion to cards of Turkey Stearnes, Pete Hill, and other leading Detroit Stars figures. 

Original watercolor artwork by Natalia Valiukavich.

• Description: On mound, mitt at chest
• Team: Detroit Stars
• Population (# Sold): 13
• First Date Sold: 2023-11-08
• Latest Date Sold: 2026-09-15
• Card Status: Active
• # Sold in past year: 4
• Highest Auction: $ 68.00
• Average Auction Result: $ 27.77

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