Kansas City Royals: Seven potential successors to Ned Yost
By Cullen Jekel
The First-Timer from Another Ballclub
Stubby Clapp, First Base Coach, St. Louis Cardinals
First of all, just take a look at this man’s name. His first name is a solid Stubby*. That’s tough to beat, right? Well, I’ve got news for you, his surname tops it. It’s Clapp. Not with just a single “p.” No, sir. No, madam. Ole Stubby’s got two “p’s” in his last name. Stubby Clapp is a world class baseball name.
*His real first name is Richard, which, you’ll note, is not Stubby.
Anyway, Stubby Clapp joined the Cardinals coaching staff after spending two years managing St. Louis’ Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. In both of those seasons, he won the PCL Manager of the Year award. In 2018, he led Memphis to the squad’s first ever Triple-A Championship.
Beyond the Cardinals organization, Clapp has spent time managing in the Astros system and coaching in the Blue Jays system. As a player, he reached the majors for 26 plate appearances for the Cardinals in 2001. Mainly, Clapp enjoyed a solid minor-league career before playing two seasons of independent ball.
Clapp’s experience with youngsters in Memphis is key. Plus his time with solid organizations like St. Louis, Houston, and Toronto (when they were good) should come in handy. After all, he’ll be the man in charge on the field, so having worked in two organizations with semi-recent World Series titles and another that reached back-to-back pennants not that long ago should equate to the 46-year-old knowing what it takes to successfully lead a group of 26 players.
Others Considered: Cincinnati Reds hitting coach Turner Ward, Cincinnati Reds pitching coach Derek Johnson, Minnesota Twins pitching coach Wes Johnson, Cleveland Indians pitching coach Carl Willis.