'Shocked, stunned and sad': Baseball world mourns Iowa umpire Eric Cooper's death

Iowa native Eric Cooper was so devoted to mastering his trade and getting to the major leagues that he and fellow umpire Mike Everitt would spend time in the hotel working on their calls in the early 1990s. Cooper and Everitt, who were both working their way up through the minors at the time, would put on their masks, stand in front of a hotel mirror and take turns working on the mechanics of their calls.

“I’d watch him and he’d watch me,” Everitt said. “We’d give each other a hard time about it, at times.”

Cooper, who attended Hoover High School and Iowa State University, eventually rose to the major leagues and, over the course of two-plus decades, became one of the most respected umpires in the game. He died over the weekend at age 52.

Cooper's final game was Oct. 7 in Minneapolis, where the New York Yankees beat the Minnesota Twins to close out their American League Division Series. Cooper worked as the second-base umpire in that game.

Gregory Schmunk, the Polk County chief medical examiner, said a cause of death has not been determined. Cooper is a tissue donor, but his family has requested that an autopsy not be performed.

His death was felt through baseball, especially by his peers.

“I think what I heard from a couple of guys was, ‘This just can’t be true — are you serious?’ ” Everitt said. “Just shocked, stunned and sad.”

Cooper, known to his friends and family and those around baseball as “Coop,” was popular around central Iowa and around the game. He graduated from Iowa State in 1989, was enshrined into the Hoover High School Hall of Fame in 2012 and, for years, hosted a weekly radio show on KXnO with fellow Iowa umpire Tim McClelland called “Umps Eye View.”

Cindy Wissler, who attended Hoover and Iowa State with Cooper, said he always had a love for baseball. She saw the love early on when Cooper would spend entire days at the parks of Beaverdale Little League, even when he didn't have games. Cooper officiated intramural games at Iowa State and loved that so much that he'd pass up hanging out with friends to work.

“He absolutely loved it,” Wissler said. “Anytime he could do that sort of thing, that’s what he did. He was a pretty good player but not enough to get a scholarship to Iowa State and that kind of thing, so I think that’s how he continued with his love of the sport.”

Cooper was best known for his work on the field. Umpiring 21 seasons in the majors, he began his minor league career in 1990. Everitt, who resides in Iowa, got to know Cooper early on in their careers. Everitt said he was impressed with Cooper's passion for the game and determination to reach the big leagues.

“I’ll always remember his laugh, his smile and his love of the game,” Everitt said. “He took it very serious and did a tremendous job at what he did. Even in (Class) A ball, he was dead certain that he was going to make it to the big leagues. That was his goal. And he worked extremely hard.”

Once that dream became a reality, Cooper was on the field for some of baseball’s biggest moments. He was behind the plate for Hideo Nomo’s no-hitter in 2001 and Mark Buehrle’s in 2007. Cooper was also working the plate for Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009.

Cooper’s three plate assignments for no-hitters were tied for the most among the active MLB staff. In his career, Cooper worked three Wild Card games, 10 Division Series, including the 2019 ALDS with the Twins and Yankees, four League Championship Series, the 2005 All-Star Game in Detroit and the 2014 World Series, when veteran umpire Jim Reynolds, who had Cooper in his wedding, was also working his first World Series.

► More:Iowa native, veteran MLB umpire Eric Cooper dead at 52

“That makes those events that much more special,” Reynolds said. “I think my favorite Coop story was that he was always there. He was always there, picking up the phone and checking on me — we were checking on each other. I’ve never had a brother, but he’s as close as I’ve had.”

Cooper also took on the role of big brother and mentor to Urbandale native and MLB umpire Pat Hoberg. Hoberg first got in contact with Cooper while he was trying to work his way up to the majors. The two built a strong friendship, with Hoberg calling Cooper whenever he could for advice. When Hoberg made his big-league debut, Cooper was on the field with him.

"I spent my first month in the major leagues with him and it was so comforting to me," Hoberg said. "I could ask him anything."

When Hoberg was selected to work his first postseason this year, he called Cooper again for advice. And like Cooper always did, he was ready to help him out.

“He gave me some great advice on the plate job, too, and kind of what to expect going into my first playoff series,” Hoberg said.

Cooper was active in UMPS CARE Charities, which helps enrich the lives of at-risk youth, children coping with serious illness and military families. He attended hospital visits when he could.

Reynolds, one of the group's organizers, said Cooper was a popular figure for their annual golf event in January. Cooper was also raising money for the organization’s annual 100-hole marathon later in the offseason. Even though Cooper, who had recently undergone knee surgery, likely couldn’t participate in the full 100 holes, he was committed to helping the cause.

Reynolds said Cooper, who had never done the event before, had raised nearly $7,000 in two weeks. Only one other umpire raised more.

“It just shows you what people thought of him,” Reynolds said.

Cooper even became well-liked among players. Former Atlanta Braves star Chipper Jones tweeted that he was heartbroken to hear about Cooper's death. Current Chicago Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo also took to Twitter to write that Cooper was "such a nice guy who I enjoyed talking with and always looked forward to seeing on our umpire crew list that day."

Cooper was also proud of his Iowa roots. Former West Des Moines Valley pitcher Dan Jennings, who has pitched in the majors for parts of eight seasons, said Cooper went out of his way once to talk to the left-hander about their unique tie.

“I do remember the first time that I had talked to him when I came back out to warm up for an inning,” Jennings said. “I noticed the umpire approaching me and I was like, 'Oh, great. What am I was doing wrong here? He’s going to call me out on something.' He just mentioned his name and said ‘I’m from West Des Moines, too.’ That was the first time I had an interaction with him.”

Wissler said that was the type of person Cooper was: proud and personal.

"He was just a happy-go-lucky guy," Wissler said.