Shushkewich: “Captain Canada” Clapp receives well-earned ball hall nod

Canadian baseball legend Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) has been elected to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame. Photo: Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame

February 7, 2026

By Tyson Shushkewich

Canadian Baseball Network

From the local Windsor, Ont., hockey rinks to baseball diamonds across the globe, Richard Keith “Stubby” Clapp has done it all.

In Tennessee, he’s known as the “Mayor of Memphis” for his time with the Cardinals’ triple-A team.

In St. Louis, he’s known as coach, having spent the past seven years as the Cardinals’ first base coach.

North of the border, Clapp is known as “Captain Canada,” although fans can now call him a Hall of Famer, with the Ontario product being one of the newest members of the class of 2026 for the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame.

“This is an absolute honour to receive the call from the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame,” said Clapp in a statement. “I was totally caught off guard. It’s a great blessing to get this news on my daughter’s birthday.”

Although Clapp first starred on the rinks, suiting up for the now LaSalle Vipers junior hockey team, he later turned to the diamond, enrolling at Texas Tech University and being a key figure on the Red Raiders baseball squad. In the 1996 MLB draft, the Cardinals selected Clapp in the 36th round, marking the beginning of his professional baseball career.

Clapp started his career in Johnson City in the Rookie League, eventually making his way to triple-A Memphis in 1999. It was with the Redbirds where Clapp started to carve his legacy, posting a .260/.349/.443 slash line with a .792 OPS as a 26-year-old. He would spend parts of four seasons in Memphis and he ranks second in the team’s history in games played (425) and hits (418). He is the only Redbirds player to have his number (No. 10) retired.

In 2001, Clapp got the call to the big leagues, suiting up in 23 games for the Cardinals.

Two years later, he spent the campaign with the Atlanta Braves’ triple-A affiliate (Richmond) before joining the Toronto Blue Jays organization in 2004.

Heading into 2005, Clapp took his talents to Edmonton, where he joined the Cracker-Cats in the independent Northern league. The following year, Clapp worked as a player-coach for the Cracker-Cats.

“Playing in Edmonton was good for me, because it was the writing on the wall for my playing career,” noted Clapp. “I was able to get my feet wet in coaching while in a lower-pressure environment, given I was still playing as well.”

In 2007, Clapp began his coaching career in the affiliated minor league ranks with the Greenville Astros as their hitting coach, and followed that with a stint with the Lexington Legends, the Houston Astros’ class-A affiliate. The Canuck would do another similar tour with Greenville (2009) and Lexington (2010) before he donned his first managerial hat, becoming the Tri-City ValleyCats head honcho in December of 2010. He would post a 84-67 record across two seasons with them, managing players such as George Springer, Tyler Heineman, Vince Velasquez and Joe Sclafani, the current Blue Jays’ director of player development.

For 2013, Clapp was named the hitting coach of the Dunedin Blue Jays and he earned a promotion to double-A New Hampshire for 2014. However, the managing cap was never too far away, and Clapp was named the Redbirds manager in 2017 – the “Mayor of Memphis” was coming home.

In his first campaign as manager with his former team, he led the club to a league championship with future big league players Harrison Bader, Paul DeJong, Patrick Widsom, Carson Kelly, Tommy Pham, Randal Grichuk, Jack Flaherty and Rowan Wick (North Vancouver, B.C.) on the team. Clapp would run it back in 2018, with the Redbirds once again taking home the PCL championship.

The Cardinals liked what they saw and brought Clapp up to the big leagues, naming him the first base coach in 2019. It’s a position he continues to hold for the Cardinals.

While Clapp has an established career in the pro ranks, many recognize the Windsor product for his feats on the international stage for Canada.

Clapp was part of the Junior National Team that won the World Youth Baseball Championship in 1991.

Eight years later, Clapp was named to Canada’s Pan Am Games team and helped them secure a bronze medal thanks to his .348 average and walk-off single in extra innings against the United States. Clapp also suited up for the 2004 and 2008 Olympic squads and was a key figure on the 2006 Team Canada roster for the World Baseball Classic.

The 2009 World Baseball Classic was Clapp’s last time representing Canada as a player.

After hanging up his playing spikes, Clapp continued to don a Team Canada jersey as a coach. He was named to the coaching staff for the 2011 Baseball World Cup, where Team Canada earned bronze. Clapp was also the third base coach for Canada’s gold medal-winning squad at the 2015 Pan Am Games.

He was also recently named to the Team Canada staff for the 2026 World Baseball Classic.

For his contributions to the game, both professionally and at the international level, Clapp was inducted onto Baseball Canada’s Level of Excellence in 2025. Baseball Canada also has an award named after him, 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.This past year, Liam Hicks took home the honour.

Stubby Clapp embodies the game of baseball and has been a driving force on the international side of the game for Canada. You won’t find a more well-established Canuck on the diamond on both sides of the field, and players and alumni of the program speak highly of his accomplishments and how he shaped their game with his wisdom and knowledge.

While his signature back flip days might be in the past, Clapp’s entry into the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame requires no explanation.

And while Clapp may have told the media he was surprised by the nomination into the Canadian ball hall, those who follow baseball north of the border weren’t – it wasn’t an ‘if’; it was a ‘when.”

It’s a well-earned honour for the former hockey player turned Canadian baseball legend.