There is no league legend more legendary to the HKSPSA than John Cooper!  Every Saturday, rain or shine, Coop was at the field all day playing ball and hanging with the fellas.  Since we named a special game after him we thought it would be a good idea to catch up with him and find out what he’s been up to…..

How’s life in NYC?

Life in NYC for the past year has been very busy and all is going well.  I came back to the states as I promised my 12 year old son Jonathan so that he could go to school here and learn about the American culture and learn how to be more independent once he was old enough to go to middle school.  I still have many friends and family here and the restaurants are always good.  Myself, I have been expanding my garment biz and have opened a boutique in the village and another office in the Garment District and spending more time with my buyers.

How are the kids adjusting to being in the states full time?

Right now, only Jonathan is here as he is in middle school and he likes it a lot here.  He is in the school band playing drums and he is on the ice hockey team, which he loves.  Justin will come next year to start middle school.  I still have everything (office and warehouse) plus my house etc. in Hong Kong, so I still feel I haven’t completely left HK and I have been back quite a few times, but it seems like there are no games scheduled when I come.  I usually go to HK on the way to a vacation with the little guys and my sweetheart, so some times I’m in HK for a couple of days only, and I usually get together with some of the boys from the league in LKF or Wan Chai.

When I think of you moving back to the states it’s somewhat akin to when Marco Polo said “you know what, I’ve done my time here!  It’s time to go back home, eat olives and watch chariot races on pay per view full time”.  He had done all he needed to do and even brought back pasta with him!  Are you enjoying being back and do you miss out here in HK?

Once again, if not for Jonathan and Justin not wanting to go to school here, and now expanding the biz, I would still be in HK and on the field every Sat. and still in some ways I feel out there in spirit and cheering you guys on.  I like what I’m doing but I always have room for HK.

What is your favorite thing about being back?

My favorite thing about being back is seeing Jonathan growing up in leaps and bounds and doing well in school-(I pay him a dollar for every point after 85% so he hates to get a 98% and miss that extra $2.00).  Good fun, and I love to watch him skating on the ice in full gear and scoring a few goals.  He is 5’4” and weighs 145 and is as strong as a bull.  He loves the game.  I also have taken him to “COOPERSTOWN” and also a few games here.  My other favorite is—it’s always more fun doing more biz!

You went a long time without winning a championship in the HKSPSA.  Then in 2004 you guys had that incredible year!  Would you say that is your favorite memory?

I remember that our regular season was not very good, but we always said that it doesn’t count until the playoffs.  My favorite memory of our championship run with Stormies was we really played as a team (we only had 11 or 12 guys) and we had a great game and won against Santa Fe to win the cup, and then to celebrate with the team and the league at Cooperstown was awesome.

Do you keep in touch with any guys from the league?

Yes, I still keep in touch with a bunch of the league players and some of my old teammates such as Dean T, Tim C, Mark L, Tim N, Chris Mikosh, Andy H, Chad, Gary Boyson and you Greg F to name a few, especially when I get to HK for a few days.

For a while there it was almost like the Talidan was contending with you to take over the title of “league’s greatest character”!  I know you guys would even hang together.  Please share your thoughts on the Talidan…..

Talidan is such a great character and we had a lot of great times together.  We could talk about the Universe and Philosopshy and tell bad jokes and always have a hoot.  Sometimes we used to meet at “Anthony’s Catch” and play guitars and sing until the cows came home while drinking a few bottles of wine and just having fun in general.

EDITOR’S NOTE: Can you imagine being a fly on the wall at Anthony’s Catch listening to Coop and Talidan sing songs and philosophizing all night???  That could be it’s own TV show!!

In all the time you played in Hong Kong please tell me your all time favorite teammate…….

My favorite teammate was someone I started playing with when I first came into the league- Dom M.  Dom M was always fun and we had a lot of good times together in King’s Park, in HK, on the bus with GHG and the Korea Heat doing shotguns on the bus in Manila listening to Van Halen, at the poker table many nights with Mark H, Bego, Compie, James C, Flach etc., playing and drinking all night.  Anywhere was good.  I also have to name everyone on our championship team of “2004” Scotty, Tim C, Terry P, Chris A, Craig H, Alistair, Mark F, AVP, BB, Ken C, Daren P etc.

You always had the most incredible ability to break out into song in the middle of a sentence!  The song would always be related to the topic being discussed and you knew every word of the song you were singing (sometimes we couldn’t even get you to stop!)  It was almost as if you had a jukebox in your head and all you had to do was push the button!  Therefore my question is- right now if you had to sing any line/verse from any song to describe yourself what would it be?

I’m a picker, I’m a grinner, I’m a lover and I’m a sinner

Play my music in the sun

I’m a joker, I’m a smoker, I’m a midnight toker

Sure don’t want to hurt no one

If you had to do one of the following which would you do? (you have to answer the question)-

1. Do a head first slide into home plate after I puked up 8 cans of beef minestrone soup or……
2. Have two of your finger nails peeled off with a pair of pliers.

Since I don’t have a choice, I guess I would have to cover my head with my jersey and ball cap, as much as I could, keep my glasses and go as fast as I possibly could, and hope you missed most of the plate.

Do you agree with me that there is something wrong with you if you like pineapple on your pizza?  Red sauce, dough, cheese, PINEAPPLE!!  It doesn’t make any sense!

I guess you have never been to Hawaii.  It might not make sense, but it taste ok to me!

Who were Coop’s idols when he was growing up?

I always liked Elvis Presley, Marlon Brando and James dean to name a few.

What is your all time favorite TV show?

I still like The Late Show w/ David Letterman or maybe “Survivor”.

I always say you were one of the most underrated players ever in the league!  Because you were so funny and basically friends with everyone no one would fear you when the game started but whenever you needed a clutch hit or had to dive for a catch you would always delivered!  Everyone always appreciated Coop the guy but not Coop the ball player.  Is that a fair assessment and if so did that bother you?

I guess I never really looked at it that way.  I just liked to play and I just wanted to get a hit or make a play especially in the playoffs that would help our team win.  I just felt lucky to be playing with a great bunch of guys on my team and in the league and then drink beer etc. and mugging around afterwards and listen to some great music by DJ Tim M.

We now have a game named after you with the World Coop Classic.  Any thoughts on who will win- USA or The World?

First of all, I can’t believe the league is doing a game after my name and I am honored and humbled, and want to thank the league and everyone for the fun of all the years of playing ball and getting to know all the great players in the league (that includes everyone).  I’ve got a C-note on USA all the way……

Anything you would like to say to the guys back in Hong Kong?

To everyone in the league, I would like to say again- thanks for all the good games and the great times on and off the ball field.  Play hard and always have fun…