Cooper rose through the Red Sox
minor league system, playing for the
Elmira Pioneers (1986),
Greensboro Hornets (1987),
Lynchburg Red Sox (1988),
New Britain Red Sox (1989), and
Pawtucket Red Sox (1990–1991).
Boston Red Sox Cooper made his major league debut with the Red Sox on September 5, 1990, as the Red Sox hosted the
Oakland Athletics at
Fenway Park. Appearing for
Carlos Quintana as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning of a 10–0 A's win, Cooper struck out looking, which was his only MLB
at bat that season. Appearing in 14 games with Boston in , Cooper hit .457 (16-for-35) with seven RBI. His first MLB hit came September 12, 1991, as a pinch hitter for
Jody Reed, singling off
New York Yankees pitcher
Rich Monteleone in the eighth inning at
Yankee Stadium. He picked up the first of his 33 career home runs on September 4, 1992, hitting a solo shot off A's star
Dave Stewart in Oakland. With future
Hall of Fame third baseman
Wade Boggs playing for the Red Sox, Cooper struggled to find time on the active roster and in ballgames. In 1992, Cooper played 62 games at first base; in 123 total games that season, he hit .276 with five home runs and 33 RBI over 337 at bats. When Boggs signed with the Yankees as a free agent in the offseason, Cooper became the starting third baseman and was selected to two
All-Star teams. Cooper's Red Sox career — the most productive seasons of his career — ended when he and reliever
Cory Bailey were traded to the
St. Louis Cardinals on April 9, 1995, for pitcher
Rhéal Cormier and outfielder
Mark Whiten.
Hitting for the cycle On April 12, 1994, Cooper
hit for the cycle in a 22–11 victory over the
Kansas City Royals at
Kauffman Stadium. Batting seventh and playing third base, Cooper hit a two-run
double off
Kevin Appier in the first inning,
homered in the third inning,
tripled off
Hipólito Pichardo in the fifth inning (Cooper was called out at the plate trying to stretch it into an
inside-the-park home run), reached on an error in sixth inning, hit another two-run double in the seventh inning off
Jeff Montgomery, and
singled in the ninth inning off infielder-turned-pitcher
David Howard. Cooper hit the 18th cycle in Red Sox history, and was the first player to do so since
Mike Greenwell in .
All-Star games In and , Cooper was the lone Red Sox player named to the
American League All-Star teams. In 1993, Cooper entered the game as a replacement for former teammate
Wade Boggs at third base in the sixth inning of the All-Star game at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards in
Baltimore. Cooper went 0-for-2, hitting a flyout to left field off
Steve Avery in the sixth inning and striking out against
Rod Beck in the seventh inning. In 1994, Cooper again came into the game for Boggs in the sixth inning of the Midsummer Classic, which was played at
Three Rivers Stadium that year. Cooper went 1-for-2 with a run scored and a RBI in the exhibition game. In the seventh inning, Cooper hit a RBI double off
Danny Jackson in the seventh inning and grounded out to second base off reliever
Randy Myers in the ninth inning. Cooper went 1-for-4 with a double, a run scored and a RBI in his two All-Star game appearances.
St. Louis Cardinals Cooper's Cardinals career got off to a good start when he made his debut with St. Louis on April 26, 1995, in a 7–6 Cards win over the
Philadelphia Phillies at
Busch Stadium. Hitting in the cleanup spot, Cooper went 3-for-5 in his Cardinals debut and hit a two-run walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth to secure the St. Louis victory. He finished the day with one run scored and four RBI. He continued to hit well early in the season, having a .302 average on May 25 only to finish the year with a .230 average, three homers, 40 RBI and 29 runs over 118 games. While he struggled in 1995, Cooper was paid a career-high $1,525,000 for the season. Cooper filed for free agency at the end of the season but found himself without a job in MLB for 1996, instead signing a one-year deal with the
Seibu Lions in Japan.
Seibu Lions Unable to find a job in
Major League Baseball in , Cooper signed on with the
Seibu Lions of the
Pacific League in Japan. Appearing in 81 games with the Lions, Cooper hit .243 with seven home runs, 27 RBI and 27 runs scored. It was with the Lions that he was given the nickname "Super Duper Cooper Scooper" in recognition of his tremendous defense.
Kansas City Royals On December 16, 1996, Cooper signed with the
Kansas City Royals, earning $375,000 for the season. In 1996, the Royals had finished last in
American League Central division at 75–86, 24 games behind the
Cleveland Indians. Cooper was signed just three days after the Royals traded incumbent third baseman
Joe Randa and three other players to the
Pittsburgh Pirates for infielders
Jay Bell and
Jeff King. Cooper went to
spring training as a non-roster invitee, and made the team. Cooper hit just .201 with three home runs, 15 RBI and 12 runs over 159 at bats in 75 games for the
1997 Royals. By the end of the season, Cooper was primarily a defensive replacement and pinch hitter. In the last two games of his career, he appeared as a defensive replacement at third base without getting an at bat. His final MLB at bat came September 26, 1997, at
Comiskey Park, striking out as a pinch hitter against
Chicago White Sox lefty
Jim Abbott. A free agent at season's end, Cooper signed a minor league deal with the
Texas Rangers, but was released in March 1998, without appearing in a game with the club. ==Post-playing career==