Excitement across baseball as the Washington Nationals and Houston Astros are set to meet in the 2019 World Series was tempered Sunday with news of the sudden death of 21-year MLB umpire Eric Cooper. He passed away at 52 years old.
“This is a very sad day across Major League Baseball. Eric Cooper was a highly respected umpire, a hard worker on the field and a popular member of our staff. He also served as a key voice of the MLB Umpires Association on important issues in our game,” MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Eric was a consistent presence in the postseason throughout his career, including in this year’s Division Series between the Yankees and the Twins. He was known for his professionalism and his enthusiasm, including for our international events.
“On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Eric’s family, friends and all of his fellow Major League Umpires. We will honor Eric’s memory during the World Series. Eric will be missed by the entire Baseball family.”
Cooper was not part of the crew for the National League Division Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Washington Nationals, but his presence resonated with Kiké Hernandez, who joined the throng of players to offer their condolences:
Coop was a PRO and always in a great mood! One of the good ones!! REST IN PEACE! https://t.co/uvRSKSGsph
— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) October 21, 2019
Cooper joined the MLB staff in 1999 after beginning his Minor League career in 1990. He was behind the plate for three no-hitters in his career, including both feats by former Chicago White Sox left-hander Mark Buehrle as well as the 2001 no-hitter by Hideo Nomo of the Boston Red Sox.
Cooper’s three plate assignments in no-hitters were tied for the most among the active Major League staff. He was also the home plate umpire for the final game in the career of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. in 2001.
Though it did not carry historical significance, Cooper was behind the plate when former Dodgers outfielder Yasiel Puig exchanged words with Nick Hundley and incited a benches-clearing incident during a game against the San Francisco Giants last season.
In his career Cooper worked three Wild Card Games, 10 Division Series, the 2014 World Series and the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit. Cooper also was a part of the World Baseball Classic in 2009 and 2017 and the 2018 Japan All-Star Series with Nippon Professional Baseball.
