Full Name: Coop the Prairie Chicken
Birthday: May 25, 2012 (Opening Day of the Boomers’ inaugural season)
Hometown: Schaumburg, Illinois
Favorite Song: “Boom Boom” John Lee Hooker
Species: Greater Prairie Chicken
Height: 6 feet (7 feet with mohawk fluffed)
Weight: 212 lbs.
Team: Schaumburg Boomers (Frontier League)
Special Abilities: Booming, strutting, flapping, fan engagement, prairie pride
As the Mississippi Mud Monsters return to Trustmark Park to open a six-game homestand against the Schaumburg Boomers, it’s only fitting that we kick off Mascot Monday by highlighting one of the quirkiest, most overlooked mascots in all of minor league baseball: Coop, the official mascot of the Schaumburg Boomers.
A team named after a mating prairie chicken.
(Two mating prairie chickens, that are typically found in the midwest and northern U.S.)
Their name pays homage to the greater prairie chicken, an endangered species once prevalent across the Midwest grasslands. During mating season, male prairie chickens perform a wild, attention-grabbing dance that includes foot-stomping, strange sounds, and inflating bright orange air sacs on their necks—a ritual known as “booming.”
Hence the name—Boomers.
Enter Coop.
Coop wasn’t raised in the prairie, but he was hatched on the team’s Opening Day and grew up around the ballpark. From day one, Coop embodied everything Boomers baseball was about—community, fun, and showmanship. Whether he’s flapping his wings on the dugout, leading the Chicken Dance or booming during the 7th inning stretch. Coop is a staple of Frontier League entertainment and a proud ambassador of prairie heritage.
Though the Boomers are heading down to Mississippi this week for a six-game series against the Mud Monsters, Coop will not be making the trip. He’ll remain on the prairie in Illinois, where booming season is in full swing.
The Mud Monsters begin a six game home stand tomorrow (Tuesday 7/29), against the Schaumburg Boomers. It’ll be the first time the Boomers have visited Trustmark Park.
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