Gary Cooper (third baseman)
Encyclopedia
Gary Clifton Cooper was born August 13, 1964, in Lynwood, California. Cooper was 27 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 15, 1991, with the Houston Astros
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, where he is a member of their Hall of Fame. He was a starter on their nationally-ranked #1 in 1983 and he started nearly every of his 292 games as a Cougar, helping fashion records of 54-11 in 1983, 42-17 in 1984, 44-29 in 1985 and 34-18-2 in 1986. Included in those records were NCAA Post-season Tournament appearances in Tempe, Ariz., in 1983 and Fresno, Calif., in 1985, Western Athletic Conference crowns both those seasons, and WAC division titles in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The product of Mountain View High in Orem set a BYU record of five stolen bases in one game in 1984.
He was named All-America first-team in 1986 and 1985. As a senior he was named WAC Player of the Year. He was a three-time All-WAC division selection. Cooper finished second in NCAA career runs scored (320), fourth in NCAA career hits (349), sixth in NCAA career total bases (612) and set WAC and BYU career records for runs, hits, RBI, stolen bases and walks.
Batting a collegiate career .409, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Houston Astros in 1986. Coop led the Anchorage (Alaska) Glacier Pilots to a third place finish in the National Baseball Congress All-American Tournament in Wichita, Kansas in the summer of 1985.
Gary Cooper was named after his famous namesake, the actor Gary Cooper
. Gary currently lives in Utah with his wife April and their 4 children, Taylor, Nikki, Camden and Shea.
Houston Astros
The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team located in Houston, Texas. They are a member of the National League Central division. The Astros are expected to join the American League West division in 2013. Since , they have played their home games at Minute Maid Park, known as Enron Field...
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College career
Cooper attended Brigham Young UniversityBrigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
, where he is a member of their Hall of Fame. He was a starter on their nationally-ranked #1 in 1983 and he started nearly every of his 292 games as a Cougar, helping fashion records of 54-11 in 1983, 42-17 in 1984, 44-29 in 1985 and 34-18-2 in 1986. Included in those records were NCAA Post-season Tournament appearances in Tempe, Ariz., in 1983 and Fresno, Calif., in 1985, Western Athletic Conference crowns both those seasons, and WAC division titles in 1983, 1984 and 1985. The product of Mountain View High in Orem set a BYU record of five stolen bases in one game in 1984.
He was named All-America first-team in 1986 and 1985. As a senior he was named WAC Player of the Year. He was a three-time All-WAC division selection. Cooper finished second in NCAA career runs scored (320), fourth in NCAA career hits (349), sixth in NCAA career total bases (612) and set WAC and BYU career records for runs, hits, RBI, stolen bases and walks.
Batting a collegiate career .409, he was drafted in the seventh round by the Houston Astros in 1986. Coop led the Anchorage (Alaska) Glacier Pilots to a third place finish in the National Baseball Congress All-American Tournament in Wichita, Kansas in the summer of 1985.
Professional career
Cooper hit his pinnacle in the majors with the Houston Astros in 1991, but the majority of his playing time was on the triple A level with teams like the Tucson Toros. He also played in the Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates organizations. He played in several AAA all-star games during his 10-year pro career and was named MVP of one of those games as well as being voted Outstanding Player of the Year in the Pacific Coast League.Gary Cooper was named after his famous namesake, the actor Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper
Frank James Cooper, known professionally as Gary Cooper, was an American film actor. He was renowned for his quiet, understated acting style and his stoic, but at times intense screen persona, which was particularly well suited to the many Westerns he made...
. Gary currently lives in Utah with his wife April and their 4 children, Taylor, Nikki, Camden and Shea.