CBN HOF Series: Stubby Clapp on Larry Walker

Windsor, Ont., native Stubby Clapp (left) has coached with Larry Walker (middle) for Team Canada at several international competitions. Ernie Whitt (right) has served as the manager. Photo: Tom Szczerbowski, USA Today Sports

August 24, 2021

His home province of British Columbia is sure proud of him, and so are baseball fans all across Canada. To celebrate Maple Ridge, B.C., native Larry Walker becoming the first Canadian position player to be elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, we will be running a series of tribute articles from many who have known and been inspired by him - including former teammates, managers, coaches and even his dad - leading up to the September 8 ceremony. We will also be publishing tributes to Walker's fellow 2020 inductees Derek Jeter, Ted Simmons and Marvin Miller.

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Larry Walker’s dad pays tribute to his son ||||| Steve Rogers pays tribute to Marvin Miller

Clint Hurdle on Larry Walker IIIII Mario Ziino pays tribute to Ted Simmons

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By Stubby Clapp

Former Team Canada Second baseman

To me, and I’m sure many other minor-league players, Larry Walker was bigger than life when we would watch him play on TV.

He played with NO fear of failure at any facet of the game. He was so much fun to watch and to dream about being in his shoes at some point. I fully know I didn’t have his five tools but I thought I might be able to at least match him when it came to NO fear to play! LOL. that was all.

The best thing was actually meeting him and getting to know him on Ernie Whitt’s and Greg Hamilton’s staff with Team Canada. He was just one of us. He was as fierce trading pins with other countries in the Olympics as if he was playing. It was a contest and he enjoyed every minute of it.

It made me take a step back and realize how to approach life: Enjoy every minute with everyone around you. He was one of the guys ...

No matter what his numbers were in the past or his accomplishments in the game were, he made like it was “NO big deal.” Whereever he was and whomever he was around at that moment in time was the most important thing.

Larry’s heart is as good as it gets. His love for life, people and the game will always be something to strive for.

Larry is a pure legend.

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Stubby Clapp (Windsor, Ont.) is the St. Louis Cardinals first base coach.

Stubby Clapp is in his third year coaching first base for the St. Louis Cardinals, as well as doubling as an infield coach. He spent 11 years in the minors -- including seven in the Cardinals system -- and 23 games with St. Louis. His jersey #10 was the first number ever retired by the triple-A Memphis Redbirds in 2007. The No. 10 is painted on the wall above the Redbirds’ bullpen at AutoZone Park. Clapp is second all-time for the Memphis Redbirds for games played (425) and hits (418). Yet, on the international stage

Clapp made his name wearing the red and white Canada uniform whether it was hitting the game-winning single in the 11th inning at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg (Canada won the bronze), crashing into Cuban catchers in Italy or having a late-inning hit to finish off a comeback against Chinese-Taipei and celebrating with his patented back flip. He was also coaching third when Canada rallied to beat Team USA in the gold medal game in Ajax during the 2015 Pan Am Games.

He is also the co-founder and an instructor for the Elite Sports Academy and Fitness in Savannah, Tenn.