Dennis Cook

{{Infobox baseball biography

|image = Dennis Cook (250214-F-IQ323-1257) (cropped).jpg

|width=200

|caption=Cook with the Mid East Falcons in 2025

|name=Dennis Cook

|position=Pitcher

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1962|10|4}}

|birth_place=La Marque, Texas, U.S.

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=September 12

|debutyear=1988

|debutteam=San Francisco Giants

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=September 18

|finalyear=2002

|finalteam=Anaheim Angels

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=64–46

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.91

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=739

|teams=

San Francisco Giants ({{mlby|1988}}–{{mlby|1989}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|1989}}–{{mlby|1990}})
Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|1990}}–{{mlby|1991}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1992}}–{{mlby|1993}})
Chicago White Sox ({{mlby|1994}})
Cleveland Indians ({{mlby|1995}})
Texas Rangers ({{mlby|1995}}–{{mlby|1996}})
Florida Marlins ({{mlby|1997}})
New York Mets ({{mlby|1998}}–{{mlby|2001}})
Philadelphia Phillies ({{mlby|2001}})
Anaheim Angels ({{mlby|2002}})

|highlights=

World Series champion ({{wsy|1997}})

}}

Dennis Bryan Cook (born October 4, 1962) is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) with the San Francisco Giants ({{by|1988}}–{{by|1989}}), Philadelphia Phillies (1989–{{by|1990}}, {{by|2001}}), Los Angeles Dodgers (1990–{{by|1991}}), Cleveland Indians ({{by|1992}}–{{by|1993}}, {{by|1995}}), Chicago White Sox ({{by|1994}}), Texas Rangers (1995–{{by|1996}}), Florida Marlins ({{by|1997}}), New York Mets ({{by|1998}}–2001), and Anaheim Angels ({{by|2002}}). He made his big-league debut on September 12, 1988, and played his final game on September 18, 2002.

Cook graduated from Dickinson High School in 1981. In college, Cook was named to the All-Southwest Conference team as an outfielder at the University of Texas in both 1984 and 1985.

Cook was a member of the 1997 World Champion Marlins, pitching in the World Series, and was the winning pitcher in relief in game 3.

Although not on the postseason roster, Cook was a member of the 2002 Angels team that won the World Series, defeating the Giants.

Although a pitcher, Cook was also a good hitter, and he is number two on the list of MLB all-time best-hitting pitchers between 1973 and 2003 (with 100 or more at-bats). His batting average was .264 (29-for-110) and he had two career home runs.

Throughout Cook's tenure with the Marlins and Mets, Atlanta Braves first base coach Pat Corrales and he had a long-running conflict over Corrales's allegations that Cook scuffed the seams of the baseball with his thumbnail. Corrales asked umpires to inspect the baseball during almost every game, sometimes multiple times per game, that Cook pitched against the Braves. This once led Cook to stand on the mound and scream at Corrales in the first base coach's box during a 1997 Braves–Marlins game.{{cite news |title=Scrutiny of Cook Steams |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1997/08/10/scrutiny-of-cook-steams/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel |publisher=South Florida Sun Sentinel |date=10 August 1997 |language=English}}{{cite news |title=Marlins Enjoying a Dutch Treat |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/1997/08/12/marlins-enjoying-a-dutch-treat/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel |publisher=South Florida Sun Sentinel |date=12 August 1997 |language=English}}{{cite news |last1=Waldstein |first1=David |title=Braves Claim Cook Cheats |url=https://nypost.com/1999/07/03/braves-claim-cook-cheats/ |access-date=29 July 2024 |work=New York Post |publisher=New York Post |date=3 July 1999 |language=English}}

On February 1, 2010, Cook was announced as the Team Sweden's new head coach along with Scott Scudder in the coaching staff.{{cite web | url=http://iof1.idrottonline.se/templates/NewsPage.aspx?id=10947 | title=MLB-stjärnor i ny landslagsledning }}

In 2018, Cook became the pitching coach for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League.{{cite web|author=Kat Szmit |url=https://capecodchronicle.com/en/5301/sports/2501/Dennis-Cook-Bringing-Pitching-Prowess-To-Chatham-Chatham-Cape-Cod-Baseball-League-Sports.htm |title=Dennis Cook Bringing Pitching Prowess To Chatham |publisher=capecodchronicle.com |date=January 3, 2018 |access-date=September 25, 2019}}

In October 2023, Cook was named manager of the Mid East Wolves of Baseball United.{{cite news |title=Former World Series champion Dennis Cook named manager of Baseball United's Falcons franchise |url=https://www.arabnews.com/node/2384271/sport |access-date=5 March 2025 |work=Arab News |date=2 October 2023 |language=en}}

Cook was named manager of the Poland national baseball team in April 2024.[https://www.mlb.com/news/poland-hires-former-mlb-player-dennis-cook-to-manage-team Clair, Michael. "Poland hires former MLBer Dennis Cook with hopes for future success," MLB.com, Thursday, April 11, 2024.] Retrieved April 12, 2024.