Field Staff
STUBBY CLAPP -- MANAGER
Stubby Clapp enters his second season as Memphis manager after leading the Redbirds to the 2017 Pacific Coast League championship and earning Baseball America Minor League Manager of the Year honors one season ago.
Clapp, also the 2017 PCL Manager of the Year, joined a group of skippers to earn the Baseball America award that includes Buck Showalter, Terry Francona, Grady Little, and Ryne Sandberg, among others, dating back to 1989. Clapp is the first St. Louis Cardinals minor league manager to receive the Baseball America honor.
In his first year at the helm of the Redbirds, Clapp piloted the club to its third PCL championship (2000, 2009, 2017) and a remarkable 97 wins combining the regular season and the postseason. The Redbirds went 91-50 in the regular season, setting a franchise record for victories and becoming the first PCL team since Tucson in 2006 to win 90 games in the regular season.
The Redbirds' success came while using 62 different players during the season, including 14 making their Triple-A debuts, with 22 different players also playing for St. Louis and nine making their Major League debuts.
Additional 2017 Season Highlights:
- Memphis' 91 wins were the 10th-most in 119 seasons of professional baseball in Memphis, and the season's .645 winning percentage was fourth-best
- Memphis was one of four teams in MiLB with 90+ wins (Trenton Thunder [AA], 92-48; West Michigan Whitecaps [A], 91-45; Chattanooga Lookouts [AA], 91-49; Memphis Redbirds [AAA], 91-50)
- Memphis went 41 games over .500 during the regular season, the most by a PCL club since Albuquerque was 56 games over at 94-38 in 1981
- The Redbirds won the PCL American Southern Division by 22.0 games, and since divisions were established in the PCL in 1963, only two other teams won their division by 20 or more games (1970 Spokane Indians, 26.0 games; 1981 Albuquerque Dukes, 25.0 games)
- Memphis ended the season with its best ERA in franchise history (3.77) (3.89, 1998 and 2003), matched its best fielding percentage (.984) (.984, 2014), and had its third-best batting average (.278) (.284, 1999; .279, 2004)
- The Redbirds won a franchise-record 11-straight games April 28-May 8 and then had streaks of seven-straight and nine-straight in July. The Redbirds also won 12-straight home games from July 3-27 and seven-straight road games from May 2-8
- The Redbirds won or split 27-straight series from April 18-21 at Colorado Springs through Aug. 15-18 versus Nashville (17-0-10)
Often referred to as the "Mayor of Memphis," Clapp became the first and only Memphis Redbirds player to have his number retired by the team in 2007. Known for his energy and hard play day in and day out, Clapp was beloved by fans for his work ethic and the backflips he routinely performed when taking the field.
In his Redbirds career, Clapp appeared in a total of 425 games. He sits at the top of the Redbirds' career leaders in walks (222) and triples (19), while also ranking second in runs scored (258) and third in games (425), at-bats (1,556), hits (418), doubles (87), and extra-base hits (128). He was a member of the Redbirds' first PCL Championship team in 2000, where he hit three home runs and drove in 11 during the playoffs. Earlier that season, Clapp recorded the first hit in AutoZone Park history, with a single to center field, and set the Redbirds' single-season record for triples with eight.
A graduate of Texas Tech University, the Windsor, Ontario native was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 36th round of the 1996 First-Year Player Draft. He played for Johnson City (R) in 1996, Prince William (A) in 1997 and Arkansas (AA) in 1998 before making his debut with Memphis (AAA) on April 8, 1999 against Calgary at Tim McCarver Stadium.
Clapp made his Major League debut on June 18, 2001 against the Cubs. He appeared in 23 career games for the Cardinals that season, posting a .200 average with two doubles and one RBI.
Clapp played the 2003 season for the Atlanta Braves' Richmond (AAA), followed by a 2004 campaign that was split between New Hampshire (AA) and Syracuse (AAA) in the Blue Jays organization. Clapp finished his career playing 2005-06 seasons for the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the independent Northern League.
Following his playing career, Clapp spent 2007-12 as a coach in the Houston Astros' organization: three seasons as the hitting coach for Lexington (A), one season as hitting coach for Corpus Christi (AA), and two as manager of Tri-City (SS).
Clapp has represented Canada in numerous international baseball competitions. He recorded a game-winning, bases-loaded single to beat the United States in the first round of the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg. Clapp also played for the Canadian National team in the 2004 Olympics in Athens, 2008 Olympics in Beijing, and the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics. Clapp served as a coach in the 2013 World Baseball Classic and was third base coach for the gold medal-winning Canada national baseball team at the 2015 Pan American Games.
The 45-year-old was the third member of his family to be given the nickname "Stubby," along with his grandfather and father. He and his wife, Chastity, have three children: sons Cooper (aka "Stubby IV") and Cannan, and daughter Crosbie.
The Clapp File
Name: Richard Keith "Stubby" Clapp
Born: February 24, 1973, Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Family: wife Chastity; sons Cooper, Cannan; daughter Crosby
Drafted: 1996 36th round, St. Louis Cardinals (Texas Tech University)
Professional Playing Career:
1996: Johnson City Cardinals (R-STL)
1997: Prince William Cannons (ADV A-STL)
1998: Arkansas Travelers (AA-STL)
1999-2001: Memphis Redbirds (AAA-STL)
2001: St. Louis Cardinals (MLB)
2002: Memphis Redbirds (AAA-STL)
2003: Richmond Braves (AAA-ATL)
2004: New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA-TOR), Syracuse SkyChiefs (AAA-TOR)
2005-06: Edmonton Cracker-Cats (IND)
International Playing Career:
1999: Team Canada (Pan American Games) -- bronze medal
2004: Team Canada (Athens Olympics)
2008: Team Canada (Beijing Olympics)
2009: Team Canada (World Baseball Classic)
Coaching Career:
2007: hitting coach, Lexington Legends (A-HOU)
2008: hitting coach, Lexington Legends (A-HOU)
2009: hitting coach, Lexington Legends (A-HOU)
2010: hitting coach, Corpus Christi Hooks (AA-HOU)
2011-12: manager, Tri-City ValleyCats (SS-A HOU)
2013-14: hitting coach, Dunedin Blue Jays (ADV A-TOR)
2015-16: hitting coach, New Hampshire Fisher Cats (AA-TOR)
2017-present: manager, Memphis Redbirds (AAA-STL)
International Coaching Career:
2011: Team Canada (Baseball World Cup) -- bronze medal, Team Canada (Pan American Games) -- gold medal
2013: Team Canada (World Baseball Classic)
2015: Team Canada (Pan American Games) -- gold medal
DERNIER OROZCO -- PITCHING COACH
Dernier Orozco begins his first season as Redbirds pitching coach in 2018 after spending three seasons in the same role in Single-A Peoria. The 2018 season marks his 13th season coaching in the Cardinals organization, serving at five different levels of player development.
The 2015 Peoria squad led the Midwest League in shutouts and strikeouts while boasting the league leader in ERA, wins and strikeouts. In 2014, his State College pitching staff ranked second in the league in ERA (2.97) en route to the league championship, which they posted an outstanding 0.87 ERA over six postseason games including two shutouts. The 2013 State College squad led the New York-Penn League in ERA (2.80).
Orozco began his time with the Cardinals as a coach in the Venezuelan Summer League from 2006-08 before receiving the title of pitching coach in Venezuela in 2010. He was the pitching coach for the Gulf Coast League Cardinals in 2009, helping mentor Trevor Rosenthal starting his pro career, and again in 2011 before coaching at Batavia in 2012.
Orozco played six professional seasons in the Boston Red Sox organization as a right-handed pitcher. He posted a 1.88 ERA in 14 Venezuelan Summer League outings (three starts) in 2002, and went 4-2 over 14 games (29.2 IP) for the Gulf Coast League Red Sox in 2003, his final season.
Orozco, 36, resides in Venezuela in the off-season.
MARK BUDASKA -- HITTING COACH
Mark Budaska begins his 11th season as the Redbirds hitting coach in 2018. Before Memphis, he spent six years working in the Boston Red Sox system, including the 2004-07 campaigns with Triple-A Pawtucket.
During his tenure in Memphis, Budaska has tutored Cardinals batters Matt Carpenter, Kolten Wong, Jon Jay, David Freese, Randal Grichuk, Daniel Descalso, Matt Adams, Stephen Piscotty, and Tommy Pham before they moved on to St. Louis.
Budaska spent three offseasons from 2010-12 as the hitting and outfield coach for the Tigres de Aragua in the Venezuelan Winter League.
Prior to his time with the PawSox, Budaska spent two years with Double-A Portland. In 2001, the Pennsylvania native enjoyed his most success as a coach, winning the Texas League Championship with the Anaheim Angels' Double-A affiliate Arkansas Travelers. That year his hitters finished fourth in the league with a .266 team batting average. Budaska served as hitting coach and first base coach for a major league team in Taiwan from 1998-2000.
The former switch-hitting outfielder played for 10 years in the Oakland Athletics organization, including two stints with the big league club in 1978 and 1981. Budaska, who now resides in Hawaii, appeared in 13 games with the A's collecting six hits in the 36 at-bats with three doubles and two RBIs.
He began his professional playing career in 1973 with Lewiston in the Northwest League after signing as an amateur free agent and made his major league debut on June 6, 1979.
LANCE THOMASON -- STRENGTH COACH
Lance Thomason begins his second season as Memphis Strength and Conditioning Coach and sixth season in the Cardinals organization in 2018.
Thomason spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Double-A Springfield after beginning his career with the Cardinals in 2013 at Rookie-level Johnson City and 2014 with Single-A Peoria.
Thomason graduated from the University of Wyoming with a degree in Kinesiology and Health Promotion, and he later served an internship with the university's performance department and was a volunteer strength coach.
Thomason resides in Evanston, Wyo., with his wife, Crystal, son, Brooks, and newborn daughter.
MATT CORVO -- ATHLETIC TRAINER
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