SURPRISE, Ariz. — Stubby Clapp answers the question with a simple “nope.”
No call from the Toronto Blue Jays during their managerial search, one that officially wrapped up this past Monday when former Tampa Bay Rays bench coach Charlie Montoyo was introduced by the club.
The Windsor, Ont., product, a Canadian folk hero in the baseball world for his work at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg, isn’t disappointed he didn’t even get his hat thrown into the ring for a chance to lead the Jays.
“Never had a conversation with them or anything like that, which is fine,” Clapp said as he prepared for another game as manager of the Surprise Saguaros in the Arizona Fall League, a team with seven Blue Jays prospects, including Vladimir Guerrero Jr. “I respect the way they went about their manager search. It’s not an easy thing to do, but they got the gentleman that they think is going to do the best for them and I wish him the best of luck.
“It’s part of the industry, right? If I get offered a job, I want it to be because I’ve earned it and I’ve worked hard for it and I’ve earned that type of position. They felt otherwise, so I’m good with it.”
An endorsement from John Gibbons wasn’t enough.
His lack of experience in a major-league dugout was the missing resume ingredient the Blue Jays were looking for when they went searching for a new clubhouse voice.
Clapp, who has never met Montoyo, sees good things ahead for the Jays.
“I wish him the best of luck,” Clapp said. “Obviously, he’s coming into a great organization and there’s a lot of good, young talent coming up over there.”
Managing in his home country had to be appealing to the 45-year-old former utility man, but there will be other opportunities thanks to extreme success at the Triple-A level as skipper of the Pacific Coast League’s Memphis Redbirds.
The job the lifelong St. Louis Cardinal did in that role wasn’t lost on that organization, as Clapp was promoted to Cards first base coach on the same day Montoyo was introduced in Toronto.
Clapp had recently interviewed for the Texas Rangers’ vacant managerial position, and the off-season up to this point has been a wild ride.
“There was a lot of rumours and stuff like that that things might happen or whatever so it was a busy off-season,” Clapp said. “It was stressful at times, but I felt very blessed to be in that kind of position. My hat’s off to my staff and my players (in Triple-A) for doing what they did and helping this come to fruition.”
Selected by the Cards in the 36th round of the 1996 draft, Clapp made his MLB debut with the franchise on June 18, 2001, playing in 23 games that season, which would end up being his only stint in the majors.
In this country, however, he’s best known for his game-winning single with the bases loaded that beat the U.S. at the 1999 Pan Am Games, eventually helping Canada to bronze on home soil, the first-ever baseball podium finish.
Now, Clapp is back in the bigs and done with bus rides.
“A lot of bus rides,” Clapp laughs when asked about the things he’s experienced over the years. “It’s been awesome. It’s been a learning experience and it’s learning every day. Even though you’re on the coaching end of it, if you’re constantly learning then you’re able to teach.
“Came up with them as a player and made it to the big leagues with them as a player and it’s been 18 years since I’ve been in the big leagues, so to get to go back as a Cardinal as a coach, it’s special.”
But before that happens, Clapp has the 30-game Saguaros schedule to handle.
Leading into Saturday’s AFL Fall Stars Game, Clapp has guided his Vladdy-led group to an 8-13 record, spending most of his time in the exact same spot he’ll be next year with the Cardinals: In the first base coaching box.
With only a manager, two pitching coaches, and a position player coach on each staff in the six-team circuit, there’s a lot for everyone to do.
The reason Clapp is on the right side of the diamond this week is to help shepherd along 29-year-old Andy Fermin, a former infielder in the Blue Jays’ system who’s spent the past two seasons coaching position players at Double-A New Hampshire, the same title he holds in the AFL.
“I think Andy’s got some aspirations to manage and he’s had limited time out there,” Clapp said of Fermin, who’s also doubling as Guerrero Jr.’s translator.
“I know a lot of people think the coaching the bases is easy — all you do is collect equipment and tell them to keep going — but there’s a lot more detail that goes into it so that’s why we’re doing what we’re doing and Andy and I switched up, giving him reads at third base and letting him make those game-time decisions.”
Clapp chuckles when asked if it’s a chance to get reacquainted with the job before taking over at first base in St. Louis.
“Reps for me, but I’ve been over there enough,” Clapp said. “When I was a hitting coach, I coached every day at first base, too. I love being on the bases with the players and trying to teach and trying to help them learn.”