Former scout Clark hoping Clapp is next Cardinal manager
Columnist Bill Clark, a former scout, thinks Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) would be a good choice to manage the Cardinals.
BLAME OFTEN FALLS ON THE WRONG PERSON
By Bill Clark
Major league baseball is proving once again that it can and will survive despite those who run it.
The post-lunch announcement that John Mozeliak, the St. Louis Cardinal president for baseball operations, had fired the Red Bird manager, Mike Shildt, “for philosophical differences as the club moves forward”
This is the same Mike Shildt that took over for Mike Matheny in the middle of the 2018 season, worked on a one-year contract in 2019 – a year in which he won the National League Manager of the Year Award, then signed three-year deal that was to take him to the end of the 2022 season.
The Cards have made the playoffs every year Shildt has been the full-season manager. In 2021, the team suffered numerous injuries, mostly to the pitching staff, looked to be out of the race for the wild card spot, but closed the season by winning 17 games in a row – the club record – and landed a wild card spot with the Los Angeles Dodgers, only to lose on a walk-off home run, 3-1.
Shildt is a laid-back guy who served his time in the minor leagues and has been a company man - and a successful manager at the big league level.
The word on the street is that the club plans to look internally for a replacement and two names popped up immediately – first base coach Stubby Clapp and the organization’s infield supervisor, Jose Oquendo.
And Shildt? Within 30 minutes after the announcement of his dismissal, his name was linked to both the New York Mets and San Diego Padres, each currently without a manager.
The Padres, whose general manager, A.J. Preller, would screw up a two-car caravan, recently unloaded former University of Missouri player, Jayce Tingler, who managed the Padres the past two seasons, putting up a 116-106 record – but failed to make the playoffs this season with two players worth half a billion dollars and last year’s “Rookie of the Year.”
Preller also unloaded much of his scouting staff.
I’m not sure Shildt deserves working for Preller, a Cornell graduate and another general manager whose baseball background was somewhere between poor and non-existent – but he had an Ivy League degree.
I was interested to see the reference to Stubby Clapp. Stubby was from Ontario and had once been in a Clark tryout camp. He was a hockey player first, who turned to baseball and has made a career of the diamond sport.
He had a major league career of 25 at bats, had five hits, a .200 batting average and racked up one RBI. He had a long career in the minors and with the Canadian National teams as a youngster and later as a minor leaguer who was allowed to represent his country in international ball.
Somehow, I never thought of Stubby Clapp as a major league manager, but I never thought Jayce Tingler would fill that role, either. Like Mike Shildt, Stubby has earned that role.
However, with Mozeliak as the baseball operations guy, I’m not sure who will be satisfactory in the future.
The name, Tony LaRussa, popped up immediately, but the White Sox announced he would return to lead the Southsiders again in 2022. Cardinal fans should rejoice at that announcement.
Jose Oquendo? Originally signed by the Mets out of Puerto Rico, he played the last 10 years of a 12-year major league career with the Cardinals and has spent the past two decades as a minor league coach and manager in the Cardinal organization.
Both Clapp and Oquendo are company men. So, too, was Shildt.
Since Mozeliak can’t seem to find that perfect manager, despite a winning record, maybe there’s something wrong at the top. It is difficult, however, to find a general manage who fires himself.
It is a thought, however.
* * *
And I hope Stubby Clapp gets the Cardinal job – another Clark tryout camp product made good. He reminds me of another Ol’ Clark tryout guy who brought the Cardinals their last World Series – shortstop Rafael Furcal.
Oh yes - Stubby is actually Stubby III. His dad was Stubby II and his grandad was Stubby I. Stubby III’s son is now Stubby IV. Stubby’s real name?
Richard Keith Clapp.
Have a great weekend.
* * *
(Bill Clark began was born in 1932 and was a two-way man in Missouri in 1956 -- umpiring games and scout at the same time as he umped over 100 games a year. He began scouting with for the Milwaukee Braves for seven years. Next came the Pittsburgh Pirates for three seasons, eventually becoming an area scout, then and the Seattle Pilots for a year as his territory consisted of 11 states. He joined the Cincinnati Reds and was there for 18 years, as his area expanded to Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He hired former Canadian Baseball Network scout of the year Murray Zuk (Souris, Man.) Next Clark worked for the Atlanta Braves for a decade. And finally the San Diego Padres for four years.
A few of the players he was involved in signing who reached the majors included Jerry Bell, Andruw Jones, Bruce Chen and Rafael Furcal, always giving credit to the area scouts as he climbed the ladder.
He is prolific scribe: writing for Columbia newspapers for 61 years, three books and now can be found on his own web site.
When not at the diamond he had 38 years of high-school hoops officiating and 36 years refereeing football, he founded the Columbia Track Club and the Heart of America Marathon. He is a member of seven weight lifting halls of fame.)