Cecil Cooper facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cecil Cooper
Cooper as coach for the Houston Astros in 2007
First baseman / Manager
Born: (1949-12-20) December 20, 1949 (age 75) Brenham, Texas, U.S.
Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
September 8, 1971, for the Boston Red Sox
Last appearance
July 12, 1987, for the Milwaukee Brewers
MLB statistics
Batting average	.298
Hits	2,192
Home runs	241
Runs batted in	1,125
Managerial record	171–170
Winning %	.501
Teams
As player Boston Red Sox (1971–1976) Milwaukee Brewers (1977–1987) As manager Houston Astros (2007–2009)
Career highlights and awards
5× All-Star (1979, 1980, 1982, 1983, 1985) 2× Gold Glove Award (1979, 1980) 3× Silver Slugger Award (1980–1982) Roberto Clemente Award (1983) 2× AL RBI leader (1980, 1983) American Family Field Walk of Fame Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor

Cecil Celester Cooper (born December 20, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He also worked as a coach, manager, and sports agent. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman from 1971 to 1987. He played for the Boston Red Sox and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Cooper was part of the Red Sox team that won the 1975 American League pennant. He became very well known with the Brewers. There, he was chosen as an All-Star player five times. He also led the American League in Runs Batted In (RBIs) twice.

As a player, Cooper batted left-handed. He had a .298 batting average. He also won three Silver Slugger Awards and two Gold Glove Awards. He played in the World Series in 1975 with the Red Sox and in 1982 with the Brewers. However, his teams did not win either time. In 1983, Cooper received the important Roberto Clemente Award.

After his playing days, he worked as a sports agent. Later, he returned to baseball to coach for the Brewers. He also managed minor league teams. From 2007 to 2009, he was the manager for the Houston Astros. Cooper was honored by the Milwaukee Brewers Walk of Fame in 2002. He was also added to the Milwaukee Brewers Wall of Honor in 2014.

Playing Baseball: Cecil Cooper's Career

Cooper was born in Brenham, Texas. He went to Brenham High School and then Prairie View A&M University. The Boston Red Sox chose him in the 1968 Major League Baseball draft. He started playing in the major leagues with the Red Sox in 1972. He was 21 years old then.

On December 6, 1976, the Red Sox traded Cooper to the Milwaukee Brewers. In return, they received George Scott and Bernie Carbo. After joining the Brewers, Cooper changed how he stood when batting. He copied the stance of Rod Carew. This new way of standing helped him hit pitches better. He could hit outside pitches to the opposite field. He could also still hit inside pitches hard. This change worked well for him. His batting average with the Brewers was .302. This was better than his .283 average in Boston.

Cooper in 1976

Cooper was chosen as an All-Star five times. He batted .300 or higher from 1977 to 1983. His best year was 1980. That year, he hit a career-high .352. He was second in the American League for batting average. He also led the league with 122 RBIs.

In 1983, Cooper batted .307 with 30 home runs. He also led the league with 126 RBIs, which was his career high. He had three seasons where he got over 200 hits. These were in 1980, 1982, and 1983. He was also voted the Brewers' Most Valuable Player (MVP) three times. Cooper was a great defensive first baseman. He won the Gold Glove Award twice in 1979 and 1980. He also won the Silver Slugger Award three years in a row, from 1980 to 1982.

Cooper played 11 seasons with the Brewers. This included playing in the 1982 World Series. He holds the Milwaukee team record for hits in a season with 219 in 1980. He also held the team record for RBIs in a season with 126. This record was broken in 2009 by Prince Fielder. Cooper was managing the Houston Astros at that time.

In 1983, he received the Roberto Clemente Award. In 2002, he was added to the Brewers Walk of Fame. The Brewers released Cooper in the middle of the 1987 season. In his 17-season career, Cooper had a .298 batting average. He had 2192 hits, 1012 runs, 415 doubles, and 241 home runs. He also had 1125 RBIs in 1896 games.

After Playing: Coaching and Managing

After his playing career, Cooper worked for his agent. He later had his own clients, including famous players like Randy Johnson and Wade Boggs. After being an agent, he returned to the Brewers. He became the Director of Player Development for three years. This job meant he helped develop young players in the team's farm system.

In 2002, he became the bench coach for Milwaukee. He also managed the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians in 2003 and 2004. In 2005, he went back to coaching in the Major Leagues. He became the bench coach for the Houston Astros.

Managing the Houston Astros

On August 27, 2007, Cooper became the interim manager of the Astros. This happened after the previous manager, Phil Garner, was fired. Cooper was the first African American field manager in Astros' history. When Cooper took over, the Astros had a record of 58 wins and 73 losses. Cooper had managed Class AAA Indianapolis before this. He led the Astros to 15 wins and 16 losses for the rest of 2007. Their final record was 73 wins and 89 losses. On September 28, 2007, Cooper was officially named the Astros' manager.

The 2008 season had its ups and downs. The team had two eight-game winning streaks in August. By September 11, their record was 80 wins and 67 losses. They were close to getting a playoff spot. However, Hurricane Ike caused problems. Games had to be moved to Milwaukee. The Astros lost key games there. Cooper said the hurricane affected the team a lot. The Astros finished the season with 86 wins and 75 losses. They missed the playoffs by four games.

In 2009, Cooper's contract was extended for 2010. However, he was fired on September 21, 2009. The team was on a seven-game losing streak. Their record was 70 wins and 79 losses. The Astros had their second losing season in three years. Cooper finished his managing career with a record of 171 wins and 170 losses.

Personal Life

Cecil Cooper was elected to the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2007. He lives in Katy, Texas, with his wife, Octavia. They have three adult daughters named Kelly, Brittany, and Tori.

Managerial Record

See also