Article: PAST STILL PRESENT.(Sports)

By Gerry Fraley * Special to the Rocky

Houston manager Cecil Cooper broke into the majors as a player with the Boston Red Sox in 1971. He has witnessed a sea change in the game since then.

Four rounds of expansion. Designated hitters. Interleague games. International talent. Millionaire utility infielders. Ivy League executives.

For Cooper, one difference stands above all else.

The game is played differently.

What was the norm during Cooper's era -

approaching every game with a hard edge - has become the exception. Those who still take that approach are branded as "old-school players," and it is easy to spot them.

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