| Stubby Clapp | |
|---|---|
| Second baseman | |
| Born: February 24, 1973 Windsor, Ontario |
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| Batted: Left | Threw: Right |
| MLB debut | |
| June 18, 2001 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| October 4, 2001 for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
| Career statistics | |
| Batting average | .200 |
| Hits | 5 |
| Runs batted in | 1 |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
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Richard Keith "Stubby" Clapp (born February 24, 1973 in Windsor, Ontario) is a Canadian minor league baseball coach and former professional baseball player. He played for 11 years, most notably within the St. Louis Cardinals organization, including a brief stint in Major League Baseball with the Cardinals. He is currently the manager with the Tri-City ValleyCats, a Single-A affiliate of the Houston Astros.[1]
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In his youth, Stubby Clapp could be considered a two-sport athlete. Having distinguished himself through the Windsor minor hockey system. After playing Bantam hockey in Windsor, Clapp played an important role for the Windsor Bulldogs (currently, LaSalle Vipers) from 1990 to 1992. In 1991, the Bulldogs clinched 1st place during the regular season and Clapp scored 5 goals during the playoffs. For the 1991-1992 team, he was named captain of the team.[2]
Clapp graduated from Texas Tech University, where he played for the Red Raiders baseball team. He still holds (or shares) the Red Raiders' records for triples in a season (8), runs in game (5, 3 times), strikeouts in a game (4) and walks in a season (66), both set during the 1996 season.[3] He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 36th round (1,058th overall) of 1996 amateur entry draft. He was part of Team Canada in the 2004 Summer Olympics who finished in fourth place. He also played for Canada in the 2006 World Baseball Classic. In 3 games, Clapp hit .154, with a triple and an RBI.
Clapp played 23 games in 2001 for the St. Louis Cardinals. Clapp had 5 hits in 25 at bats, including 2 doubles and 1 RBI.[4]
Clapp became a popular figure in the City of Memphis during his four-year stint (1999-2002) with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds. He was often referred to as the "Mayor of Memphis."[5] During the 2002 season, the 5-foot-8 Clapp was featured on a growth chart for kids, sponsored by a Memphis-area medical group. In 2009, he was named one of the Memphis "Athletes of the Decade."[6] In 2010, the club had "Ode to Clapping Night," which included giving away Clapp bobbleheads.[7]
However, Clapp was also popular in Syracuse and other cities where he played.[8]
In 911 minor league games, Clapp had a .270 batting average, 48 home runs, 50 triples, 196 doubles, 365 RBI, and 83 steals. Clapp also pitched in 3 games. In 2.1 innings, Clapp has given up 2 hits and no earned runs.
He also played for the Edmonton Cracker Cats. In 2006, Clapp played for Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic. He was one of two second basemen on the roster and drove in a run.
On April 21, 2007, Clapp's jersey #10 was the first number ever retired by the Memphis Redbirds,[9] which is commemorated by a painted "10" on the wall above the Redbirds' bullpen at AutoZone Park. He is second all-time for the Memphis Redbird for games played (425) and hits (418).[6]
Clapp began his coaching career as a hitting coach for the Lexington Legends, the Houston Astros "A" ball team in the South Atlantic League, although he came out of retirement to represent Canada at the 2008 Beijing Olympics[10] and was named to the roster for the 2009 World Baseball Classic.[11]
In November 2010, Clapp became the hitting coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks, Houston's AA affiliate.
Clapp is “Stubby the Third,” a nickname passed on from his father and grandfather.[12] He is married with a pair of sons, Cooper (officially Stubby IV) and Cannan.[6]
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