Brewers Release 38-Year-Old Cecil Cooper

Cecil Cooper, the Milwaukee Brewers’ career batting and runs batted in leader, was waived by the club Tuesday.

Cooper, 38, played 11 of his 14 major league seasons with the Brewers and led them to the American League pennant in 1982 with a .313 batting average, 32 homers and 121 RBIs. Cooper’s two-run single in the decisive fifth game of the AL playoffs beat the Angels and sent the Brewers to their first World Series.

Cooper holds club records for most RBIs in one season (126) in 1983, most hits in one season (219) in 1980 and most 200-hit seasons (1980, 1982 and 1983).

For seven consecutive seasons from 1977 to 1983, Cooper batted .300 or better, a Brewers’ club record. He is Milwaukee’s all-time batting leader with a .302 average and is a career .298 hitter.

But, last season as the team’s designated hitter, Cooper struggled, batting a career-low .248 with 6 homers and 36 RBIs.