Friend Encounters: Cecil Cooper and Dennis

Friend Encounters is a weekly series featuring friends meeting celebrities.

Today I feature my Wisconsin friend Dennis. Fortunately for me, he is pictured with a Milwaukee Brewers legend whom I already met. That's a bit of a rarity, because Dennis meets a lot of folks I would love to meet. Of course it helps that he lives in Wisconsin where a lot of Brewers and Green Bay Packers do conventions.

Cecil Cooper was a very underrated first baseman who started with the Boston Red Sox, but really became a star with the Brewers. He eventually became a coach and managed the Houston Astros for a few seasons. I met him in Houston, although I was on official press duty and unable to get a picture with him.

Some day, Dennis and I must join forces for a celebrity picture. Perhaps someone like Bill Sharp, who split his career between the Brewers and White Sox, would be a great choice. If anything like that happens, I'll report it here. Until then, I'll feature other pictures from Dennis.

Dennis and Cecil Cooper in Milwaukee, WI-May 2025.

Random Interview:Cecil Cooper

Cecil Cooper had a very good career. With a couple more of his average seasons, he might have gotten Hall of Fame consideration. Coop was a pleasure to watch.
I got to watch him up close as the Manager of the Houston Astros for parts of 3 seasons. He took over the team during a tough time. The team was transitioning from the 'Bagwell-Biggio' era. Unfortunately, these Astros never found a real identity and floundered around the .500 mark.
I really liked Coop as a player and I respect him as a Manager. I hope he gets another shot somewhere. When we were in Houston this summer, I had the chance to talk to Coop for a couple minutes. As always, no matter the topic, it is always a thrill for me to talk to these stars of my youth.