Scott Cooper
From SoSH
| Born: | October 13, 1967 |
| Birthplace: | St. Louis, Missouri |
| Hometown: | |
| Height: | 6' 3" |
| Weight: | 205 lbs |
| Bats: | Left |
| Throws: | Right |
| Drafted: | 1986: 3rd Rd (69th) |
| College: | None |
| High School: | Pattonville HS (MO) |
| Other Teams: | St. Louis Cardinals 1995 Kansas City Royals 1997 |
| Years with Boston: | 1990 - 1994 |
Contents |
Overall Career
Though he was born in 1967 and drafted in 1986 by the Red Sox, Cooper failed to have the same impact on Red Sox Nation as do those seminal dates.
Cooper inherited the 3B job from Wade Boggs in 1993 after Boggs left for the Yankees as a free agent.
In his six seasons, Cooper hit .265 with 33 home runs and 211 RBIs.
Moment in the Sun
Hit for the cycle on April 12th, 1994 against the Royals. Cooper went 5-6 in the 22-11 victory, a game that stands as the most runs ever scored against Kansas City.
In his five years with Boston, Cooper was twice named to the American League all-star squad. In both cases (1993 and 1994), Cooper was the only Red Sox representative in the game. Given his relative lack of production (.279/.355/.397 in 1993 and .282/.333/.453 in 1994), some have argued that Cooper might be the worst two time All-Star in Major League history.
Awards
- 2-time American League All-Star (1993 - 1994)
Trivia
As the waiver trading deadline approached in 1990, the Red Sox were looking for relief pitching. GM Lou Gorman found a match with the Houston Astros, who were looking for a young third baseman. With Boggs entrenched at third in Boston, both Cooper (.266/.331/.393 at AAA Pawtucket that season) and Jeff Bagwell at AA New Britain (.333/.423/.457 on the year) were candidates to head south.
According to legend, Gorman suggested the inclusion of Bagwell in the trade rather than Cooper. Gorman has denied this, stating that the Astros demanded inclusion of Bagwell in the trade. In the end, it was Bagwell that Gorman dealt to Houston for 37-year-old releiver Larry Andersen in a deal completed on August 30, 1990.
The deal is not regarded as Gorman's finest hour. Though Andersen did not pitch badly in a Sox uniform (1.23 ERA, with 3/25 BB/K in 15 games during the stretch drive), he signed with San Diego after the season. Bagwell went on to a stellar 15-year career with the Astros, hitting .297 with 449 homers and 1,529 RBIs. Bagwell won NL Rookie of the Year in 1991 and the NL MVP in 1994.
Transactions
- June 2, 1986: Drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 3rd round of the 1986 Amateur Draft. Player signed June 8, 1986.
- April 9, 1995: Traded by the Boston Red Sox with Cory Bailey to the St. Louis Cardinals for Rheal Cormier and Mark Whiten.
- December 21, 1995: Granted Free Agency.
- December 16, 1996: Signed as a Free Agent with the Kansas City Royals.
- October 3, 1997: Granted Free Agency.
- December 23, 1997: Signed as a Free Agent with the Texas Rangers.
External Links
- Baseball-Reference.com - Career Statistics and Analysis
