A staple in the local Little League scene who recently passed away is the subject of a community effort to rename an iconic Turlock baseball field.
Paul Cooper, a Turlock American Little League coach for 51 years and a mentor to hundreds of children in and around Turlock, died at the age of 75 on May 3. Four days later, the Turlock Unified School District’s special committee on re-naming the venue after Cooper convened for the first time.
TUSD appointed the committee in accordance with Board Policy 7310 to evaluate the request and make a recommendation to the Board for final consideration. Wheels were already in motion long before Cooper’s death earlier this month.
The effort to rename the venue from Julien Little League Field to “The Paul Cooper Field” really got rolling last year, as a letter of request from community members was organized throughout the fall. The letter was accompanied with over a dozen letters of support from family, friends, players and community leaders, all who make up the committee.
The group is chaired by Mary Machado, a board member of Turlock American Little League. Committee members are:
• Pam Jesse, historian and Cooper’s sister
• Otto Askil, current TALL president
• Glenn Kramer, former Little League coach
• Maureen Kramer, former TALL board member
• Kevin Kramer, business owner and former MLB player
• Steve Soderstrom, business owner and former MLB player
• Brett Cumberland, former MiLB baseball player
• Mark de la Motte, retired THS baseball coach and educator
• Jack Mayer, former educator and Little League coach
• Todd Feldman, former Little League coach and TJHS educator and athletic director
• Phil Salazar, former Little League coach and TALL board member
• Rufus and Mary Keaton, Kiwanis of Greater Turlock members and longtime friends
• Larry DeBora, Kiwanis of Greater Turlock member and longtime friend
• Jason Machado, business owner and former TALL player under Cooper
“As chair of the committee of 14 members, including the current Little League president, Otto Askil, I humbly make this request for your consideration to approve the re-naming of the Julien Field to honor Coach Paul Cooper and his dedication to the young baseball players of our community,” Machado wrote in the formal letter to the district.
“Re-naming the field to Paul Cooper Field would serve as a fitting tribute to his legacy,” Askil said in his letter of support. “It would remind us all of the importance of community spirit and the impact one individual can have on the lives of many. This honor would not only celebrate Paul’s contributions, but also inspire future generations of players to follow in his footsteps.”
As part of the evaluation process, the naming committee requests community input via a survey at https://bit.ly/julienfieldsurvey or emailing Julie Tallman at jtallman@turlock.k12.ca.us.
Julien Field is located on North Johnson Road on the campus of Julien Elementary school, and is the home park of Turlock American Little League. It’s the ballpark where Cooper spent countless days coaching.
Cooper’s journey as an instructor began in 1967 during his senior year of high school. During his five decades of service, he also led countless All-Star teams. Within that time, Cooper served on the TALL board for over 30 years, having a wide range of responsibilities including as umpire-in-chief, player agent and equipment manager.
In 2001, Cooper was honored by the Turlock Chamber of Commerce and received the Youth Involvement Award. Two years later, he was honored by the Stanislaus Society for Safer Student Athletics for “outstanding leadership and dedication in the coaching of young athletes.”
A proud Kiwanian, Cooper also played an instrumental role in the local volunteer organization providing improvements to the Julien playing field.
“Paul has been a long time member of the Kiwanis Club of Turlock, raising money to support worthy youth causes throughout the area,” said de la Motte, Turlock High’s all-time winningest coach who himself had Bulldog baseball field named after him in late 2023. “They assisted in our Turlock High School baseball construction projects and sponsored and worked the Atch Pedretti Tournament. Paul was always one of the first members to pitch in.”
Cooper retired from coaching in 2019, when he helped Feldman coach the Tigers to a majors city championship and through that summer’s Tournament of Champions.
“Paul donated all his time without a child on the team,” Feldman said in his letter, referring to their years together with the Tigers. “He spent countless hours teaching the boys skills, knowledge, and most of all, morals. Baseball is more than a game for Paul, it is a passion and love. And he has shared that love with generations in the community of Turlock.”
“Paul Cooper is a Turlock baseball legend,” added Kevin Kramer, who played 43 games with the Pittsburgh Pirates from 2018 to 2019. “He has commandeered many teams, molded many young minds, and left an immeasurable impact on thousands of players in his illustrious coaching career. Paul preached patience, humility, and teamwork to his players, oftentimes impressing life lessons rather than just baseball lessons.
“I cannot think of a man who represent the purity of Little League Baseball more than ‘Coop.’”
