What Happened to My Stubby Clapp?

One of the coolest baseball names ever resurfaced to me recently – Stubby Clapp. I wish I were named Stubby Clapp. Repeat it a few times – that’s right. Stubby Clapp. Stubby Clapp. Stubby Clapp.

The Braves signed Stubby Clapp to a minor league contract in 2003. While Stubby Clapp was no great shakes as a baseball player, Stubby Clapp instantly became the diehard fan’s favorite. We all pulled for Stubby Clapp. And you never could just call Stubby Clapp Stubby or just Clapp (nor could you use a pronoun as a substitute for Stubby Clapp). Everyone always used both names – Stubby Clapp. Unfortunately, Stubby Clapp, in 286 AB at Richmond that year, hit only .217 with 3 HRs, 23 RBIs and 6 SBs. Thus, Stubby Clapp never was called up and eventually was traded (I believe, unless Stubby Clapp was outrighted) to the Toronto organization, playing in 2004 for both the triple-A and the double-A clubs.

Why mention Stubby Clapp now? Well, as I have hinted at above, IT’S THE COOLEST FREAKING NAME, (haven’t you been reading), so why not? Second, the latest Baseball America, in writing about Independent Leagues, mentioned Stubby Clapp as the “new face of Edmonton’s franchise.” Here is what Edmonton GM Mel Kowalchuck had to say about Stubby Clapp:

“[Stubby] Clapp is bigger than Triple-A in Edmonton. For us, if we needed icing on the cake to show we’re a legitimate ballclub talent-wise, he’s icing on the cake.”

Stubby Clapp. There’s just no getting rid of a Stubby Clapp.

Game 2 ATL vs. San Diego

At one point, the Braves were fairly high on Darrell May, though the praise was fleeting as we designated him for assignment in 1996, with Pittsburgh eventually claiming him off the waiver wire. San Diego got him through a trade with Kansas City.

This will be May’s second start of the year, and let’s hope he pitches like he did in that first one. Against the Cards, May coughed up 7 hits, 4 ER 2 BBs with 2 Ks in just 3.2 innings. Historically the Braves hit left-handers well, and we are doing so again this year, as our batting average, (.259 vs. .289), slugging percentage (.435 vs. .478) and OPS (.758 vs. .834) are all higher than our overall stats. And May is a sub-standard lefty at that, so I like our chances with Smoltz going in a profoundly pitching-friendly park.

I mean, really, it is Darrell May after all.

Adam freaking LaRoche!

On a brighter note, Adam LaRoche is raking the ball, and in general, our offense is beginning to click. On May 1, LaRoche was hitting .212 with 2 HR and 10 RBIs. After last night’s 3-4 performance, he is hitting .283 with 6 HR and 27 RBIs. That’s a pretty good fortnight’s worth of work.

Chris freaking Reitsma

DAMMIT!!! Is it not enough that I have sedate myself everytime Kolb gets up in the bullpen, now I have to start worrying about Reitsma? I mean it’s okay to give up one run every now and then – that is simply part of the game. But Reitsma has gotten shelled the last two games, giving up leads and looking horrible in the process. I say we just give him a few days off, let him sit under the San Diego sun and get this out of his system. Because without Reitsma being the pitcher we saw earlier this year, the seventh through the ninth innings are going to be very uncomfortable, and I simply don’t keep enough sedatives around.

Padres 5 Braves 3

Looks like Reitsma authored his second 2004-style performance in 4 days, thus undoing a fairly large portion of the good work he’d done so far this season. I find this particularly disappointing, as I maintained that his late season meltdown last year was a result of overwork. The fact that his last two meltdowns happened after midnight may be the only thing that will save him from the boo birds when the team gets back home.

Young Mr. Langerhans is also, shall we say, making less than the most of his opportunity. He’s someone else I’ve agitated for — I remain impressed with his defense, but I think he’d be more of an asset in right field than left. Jordan may be washed up, but Air-Mail Mondesi is just a very silly person.

Former Brave farmhand Darrell May, who fits the “lefthander with a pulse” profile, goes up against Smoltzie tonight. Jeff Porter will be in a four-point stance throughout….

Braves vs. Padres (in progress)

Looks like I won’t make it to the end of the game tonight, so I’ll just jot down a few impressions so far:

1) Tonight’s opposing pitcher, Tim Stauffer, could not be more unlike yesterday’s (Scott Erickson). Stauffer, who appears to have a bright future, has had his ML service clock start early due to injury, while Erickson has been pitching with a loud TICK-TOCK in his head for years now. Makes you wonder how bad the Dodger farm system must be, to have to start a guy who hasn’t given league-average performance in six years. Anyway, Stauffer gradually settled down after some early command issues to pitch quite well.

2) Furcal is completely lost at the plate right now. If he’s sitting next to Mondesi in the dugout, Pendleton would be earning his paycheck to just go sit between them.

3) No word at this point about Thomson’s injury, but kudos to Adam Bernero for exhibiting grace under pressure once again. He may become Exhibit 2005-A for putting Mazzone in the Hall of Fame…

4) Is it just me, or is Ryan Klesko looking rather svelte these days??