“This is an absolute honour to receive the call from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Clapp “I was totally caught off guard. It’s a great blessing to get this news on my daughter’s birthday.”
Born on February 24, 1973 in Windsor, ON, Stubby Clapp is known as “Captain Canada” for his long commitment to the national team, which includes more than a dozen appearances as a player and coach.
Clapp honed his skills in his hometown of Windsor, ON, before joining the Junior National Team in 1991 to help the squad to a gold medal at the World Youth Baseball Championship in Brandon, Man., that summer. That remains the only gold medal the Junior National Team has won.
After graduating from Texas Tech University, the scrappy infielder was selected in the 36th round of the 1996 MLB draft by the St. Louis Cardinals. Against long odds, Clapp made his major league debut with the Cardinals on June 18, 2001.
In total, Clapp played 23 games with the Cardinals and 11 seasons in the pro ranks. He spent four of those (1999 to 2002) with the Cardinals’ Triple-A Memphis Redbirds where he became one of the team’s most productive and popular players. Often doing a back flip when taking the field, he became known as the “Mayor of Memphis” and his No. 10 was retired by the club in 2007.
But even during his pro career, Clapp never forgot his roots. In 1999, he suited up for Canada at the Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, MB, and delivered a walk-off, bases loaded single in Canada’s extra-inning, upset win over the U.S. to help Canada to an eventual bronze medal.
Following his playing career, Clapp entered the pro coaching ranks, eventually returning to Memphis, TN, to manage the triple-A club to Pacific Coast League championships in 2017 and 2018. For his efforts, he was named PCL manager of the year in both campaigns. That performance earned him a promotion to the position of first base coach with the Cardinals in 2019, a post he has held for the last seven seasons.
Over the years, Clapp has also served as a coach for the national team, including at the 2013 World Baseball Classic and 2015 Pan Am Games. He will also be a coach for Canada at this year’s World Baseball Classic.
To recognize his contributions to the national team, Baseball Canada created the Stubby Clapp Award, which is presented annually to a Canadian player who has stood out for their hard work, perseverance, positive attitude and strong performance on the field.
Clapp was inducted onto Baseball Canada’s Wall of Excellence in January 2025.