David Cooper (baseball)
Encyclopedia
David Fletcher Cooper is a first baseman
for the Toronto Blue Jays
. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.
for the Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball
team before finishing his college career with the California Golden Bears baseball
team. In his junior season he hit .359/.449/.682 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs, attracting the attention of professional scouts. Cooper was one of many 1B prospects taken in the first round of the draft after other highly regarded college hitters such as Yonder Alonso
, Brett Wallace
and Justin Smoak
. In scouting reports prior to the draft Cooper was regarded as a highly polished college bat who can hit for both average and plus home run power in the majors. Defensively he is limited and will either play at 1B or DH at the major league level.
He was drafted with the 17th overall pick of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
. He was playing with the AAA Las Vegas 51s
in the Blue Jays organization, until he was called up to the Blue Jays on April 29, 2011.
, playing the DH
position and batting 7th in the line-up. He walked in his first plate appearance, and struck out in his first official at-bat. He finished the game 0-4. He recorded his first career RBI
the next day in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees, and his first career hit on May 1 against Ivan Nova
. On May 10, Cooper hit his first career home run, a solo shot off of Boston Red Sox
reliever Daniel Bard
, and followed that up with a game winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning. Cooper was demoted back to Triple-A on May 15, and after almost 4 months with Las Vegas, he was included in the Blue Jays' September call-ups and re-debuted on September 8.
First baseman
First base, or 1B, is the first of four stations on a baseball diamond which must be touched in succession by a baserunner in order to score a run for that player's team...
for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
. He is 6 feet tall and weighs 200 pounds.
Minor League career
Cooper played college baseballCollege baseball
College baseball is baseball that is played on the intercollegiate level at institutions of higher education. Compared to football and basketball, college competition in the United States plays a less significant contribution to cultivating professional players, as the minor leagues primarily...
for the Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball
Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball
The Cal State Fullerton Titans baseball team represents California State University, Fullerton in NCAA Division I college baseball. In 35 years of Division I play, the Titans have never had a losing season. They are supplied by DeMarini....
team before finishing his college career with the California Golden Bears baseball
California Golden Bears baseball
The California Golden Bears baseball team represents the University of California in NCAA Division I college baseball. Along with most other California athletic teams, the baseball team participates in the Pacific-12 Conference...
team. In his junior season he hit .359/.449/.682 with 19 home runs and 55 RBIs, attracting the attention of professional scouts. Cooper was one of many 1B prospects taken in the first round of the draft after other highly regarded college hitters such as Yonder Alonso
Yonder Alonso
Yonder Alonso is a Cuban-American baseball first baseman for the Cincinnati Reds.-College:Alonso attended the University of Miami, where he played three seasons for the Hurricanes...
, Brett Wallace
Brett Wallace
Brett Alexander Wallace is an American professional baseball first baseman with the Houston Astros of Major League Baseball.-High school:...
and Justin Smoak
Justin Smoak
Justin Kyle Smoak is an American Major League Baseball first baseman for the Seattle Mariners.-High school career:...
. In scouting reports prior to the draft Cooper was regarded as a highly polished college bat who can hit for both average and plus home run power in the majors. Defensively he is limited and will either play at 1B or DH at the major league level.
He was drafted with the 17th overall pick of the 2008 Major League Baseball Draft
2008 Major League Baseball Draft
The 2008 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft continued Major League Baseball's annual amateur draft of high school and college baseball players, and was held on June 5 and 6, 2008.-First round selections:* Did not sign...
. He was playing with the AAA Las Vegas 51s
Las Vegas 51s
The Las Vegas 51s, formerly known as the Las Vegas Stars, are a minor league baseball team. They are the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. They play at Cashman Field in Las Vegas, Nevada. The team competes in the Pacific Coast League...
in the Blue Jays organization, until he was called up to the Blue Jays on April 29, 2011.
2011 - present
Cooper made his major league debut on 29 April against the New York YankeesNew York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
, playing the DH
Designated hitter
In baseball, the designated hitter rule is the common name for Major League Baseball Rule 6.10, an official position adopted by the American League in 1973 that allows teams to designate a player, known as the designated hitter , to bat in place of the pitcher each time he would otherwise come to...
position and batting 7th in the line-up. He walked in his first plate appearance, and struck out in his first official at-bat. He finished the game 0-4. He recorded his first career RBI
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
the next day in a 5-4 loss to the Yankees, and his first career hit on May 1 against Ivan Nova
Iván Nova
Iván Manuel Nova Guance is a Major League Baseball pitcher for the New York Yankees.-Career:Nova was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Yankees in 2004. At the end of the 2008 season, Nova had not advanced beyond Class-A Advanced, where he pitched for the Tampa Yankees...
. On May 10, Cooper hit his first career home run, a solo shot off of Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
reliever Daniel Bard
Daniel Bard
Daniel Paul Bard is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. Bard made his debut with the Red Sox in May 2009.-Collegiate career:...
, and followed that up with a game winning sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 10th inning. Cooper was demoted back to Triple-A on May 15, and after almost 4 months with Las Vegas, he was included in the Blue Jays' September call-ups and re-debuted on September 8.