Many noteworthy people have graduated from Pattonville, ranging from singers and actors to professional sports players. Scott Cooper, a retired Major League Baseball player, is one of the noteworthy alumni.

Cooper was a Pattonville Pirate from 1982-1986. Cooper played baseball for Pattonville all four years. Cooper considered Pattonville baseball pretty competitive back then.

“Back then, the Suburban North was a really tough conference.”

Pattonville even won State Cooper’s senior year (1986).

“Winning State gave me confidence going into the minors.”

Cooper spent most of his career in the American League as a member of the Boston Red Soxs. Cooper was drafted by the Red Sox in the 3rd round of the 1986 amateur draft; he signed on June 8, 1986.

Cooper’s first professional game was on Sept. 5, 1990, against the Oakland Athletics. Cooper went on to play for the Red Sox until 1994.

“I started off a fish out of water in Boston, but once I got to know the people in Boston, they were great,” Cooper said. “You walk down the streets of Boston and there’s no better feeling than being a Boston Red Sox.”

While Cooper was with Boston, he played in two All-Star games (1993, 1994).

“It was kind of strange seeing my name next to all these superstars such as Cal Ripken Jr.,” Cooper said. “It was a dream come true. I can’t even put it into words.”

Cooper played a total of five years in Boston and had a batting average of .284 playing a total of 396 games on the Boston Red Sox.

From Boston, Cooper went on to play in his hometown, St. Louis. Cooper calls his time in St. Louis a dream come true.

“As a little boy out in the back yard, I thought that I was as good as Ozzie Smith or whoever was doing good at that time and then all of a sudden I get to play for the hometown team, it was a dream come true.”

Cooper feels very fortunate that he got to wear the jersey of the team that he grew up watching and playing next to stars like Ozzie Smith. Cooper played one year for the Cardinals and had a batting average of .230. in 118 games as a St. Louis Cardinal.

Now that Cooper is retired, he aims to help kids with baseball. He gives hitting lessons at All-Star Performance. Cooper also helps out Pattonville students on Wednesday nights at Pattonville.

“It was a mutual idea,” Coach Mark Hahn said. “Ever since Scott graduated, he wanted to put stuff back in the program and I said it would be good to come up and help Pattonville kids. It’s neat that he wants to give back to his school.”

Cooper has been providing lessons for about 5 years. Hahn wants to see this program go on even after he retires as a teacher and coach.

“A lot of Pattonville kids have benefited from this,” Hahn said.

Sophomore Matt Ridings said, “It’s cool having a retired baseball player help me. Not many people have that opportunity.”

Ridings said that Cooper has helped him a lot.

“If I have a problem with my swing, he can really help me adjust it and fix it.”

When Cooper is giving lessons, he encourages kids not to give up.

Cooper’s advice to those kids is: “Don’t let anybody tell you that you can’t pursue your dreams; pursue and don’t lose sight of what you want to obtain. Work as hard as you can; if it’s good, it’s good enough.”