Fan favorite leads Redbirds to a league title.
Stubby Clapp and Memphis met at precisely the right time.
With ground already broken for the soon-to-debut AutoZone Park, Clapp made his Triple-A debut with the Redbirds in 1999, and did so with a back flip.
In the heart of Cardinals Country, Memphis knew back flips thanks to Cardinals shortstop Ozzie Smith. Clapp secured his own middle-infield spot (second base) and became the sideburned heart of a Pacific Coast League championship team in 2000, AutoZone Park’s inaugural season.
Clapp played four seasons for the Redbirds and made it up to St. Louis for a 23-game stint with the big league Cardinals in 2001. From there, he stayed in the game, playing for the Canadian national team and coaching for ten years in the Astros and Blue Jays systems.
It turns out, though, you can go home when you’re Stubby Clapp and home is Memphis. The Cardinals reunited with Clapp when they announced in Nov. 2016 that he would become the team’s new manager.
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