Canadian Stubby Clapp named Pacific Coast League manager of the year

Canadian Stubby Clapp is once again being recognized for a stellar season as the manager of the triple-a Memphis Redbirds.

The Windsor, Ont., native was named Pacific Coast League manager of the year for the second straight season, the league announced Tuesday.

Clapp, a former nine-year minor leaguer who also played 23 major league games for St. Louis in 2001, has led the Cardinals' affiliate to an 80-54 record with six games remaining this season. They were 10 games ahead of Nashville for first place in their division before Wednesday's games.

The 45-year-old Clapp was named the manager of the Memphis team ahead of the 2017 season and led the Redbirds to a league-best 91-50 record last year.

Clapp previously served as the hitting coach for Toronto's advanced-a affiliate in Dunedin, Fla., and later as the hitting coach of the double-a Fisher Cats in New Hampshire.

He was the third base coach for Canada's gold medal-winning baseball team at the 2015 Pan Am Games in Toronto.

Clapp represented Canada at the 2004 Olympics in Athens and the 2006 World Baseball Classic.

His career on the Canadian senior team is best remembered for his 11th-inning, bases-loaded single to lead Canada to a win over the powerhouse United States during the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg. Canada went on to win bronze at the event.

Clapp was drafted by the Cardinals in the 36th round in 1998.

He played over 800 minor-league games for St. Louis, Atlanta and Toronto and capped his playing career with a two-season stint with Edmonton in the independent Northern League.