Blue Jays could hit home run by naming Stubby Clapp next manager

If the Toronto Blue Jays are indeed going to go in a different direction with their manager for 2019, the Jays could knock it out of the park by anointing Stubby Clapp as their new skipper.

Stubby Clapp is the complete managerial package for the Toronto Blue Jays and it will be sheer ignorance if the Blue Jays do not entertain the thought of hiring “Captain Canada” as the heir apparent for current manager John Gibbons.

The hard-nosed sparkplug played the game the way it was meant to be played, he was previously the Blue Jays hitting coach for both Dunedin and New Hampshire and he just won back-to-back Manager of the Year awards with the St. Louis Cardinals Triple-A affiliate in Memphis. Oh, ya did I mention Stubby is Canadian.

Clapp has mentored the likes of top prospects Tyler O’Neill, Harrison Bader, Carson Kelly and Paul DeJong to name a few and would be the perfect candidate for a team poised to rebuild. The Windsor native also managed current Blue Jays Aledmys Diaz and Randal Grichuk when they were demoted by the Cardinals in 2017.

During his two seasons in Memphis, Clapp sports a 170-104 record thus far leading the Redbirds to back to back division titles including winning the Pacific League Championship last season. Clapp also led the Tri-City Valley Cats- Astros short-season affiliate to a division leading 51-25 record. And if that isn’t enough, there is always this…

I had the opportunity to interview Clapp in 2013 when he was a member of the Jays minor league coaching staff as a hitting instructor. Clapp had this to say about being a part of the Jays organization.

"“It means a lot be a part of the Blue Jays being from Canada and growing up in Windsor. I followed them as a child and have some good memories from when I played for the triple-A team in Syracuse. Switching back over to the hitting sector of coaching is exciting because it enables you to spend a lot of one on one time with the players and help them day to day with their craft. I enjoyed Managing but as long as I’m on the field and can help and share in the players future I’m happy!”"

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Clapp is forward thinking with the resume to back it up, a winning pedigree with previous experience mentoring minor leaguers, International experience representing Canada and former ties to the Jays organization. He is also a Canadian and Ontario native who is the perfect age (45) to take on a rebuild of this magnitude.

The Jays have the chance to hit it out of the park by hiring Clapp, hopefully, the brain trust doesn’t get caught looking with the bat on their shoulder.