Marcus Clapp: From two months a year to a career; MHS alum, Legion baseball product is manager for St. Cloud River Bats

ST. CLOUD, Minn. -- In these days of specialization, young athletes with Division I potential usually start playing their sport early in life.

By the time they are in junior high they have often specialized in one or maybe two sports.

When they reach high school, the kids are training year round in preparation for the next level.

New Saint Cloud River Bats' field manager Marcus Clapp knew he wanted to make baseball a big part of his life early on.

Instead of playing nearly year round like many do now, Clapp had to go about it in a different way. Coming up Clapp played baseball for a total of two months a year.

Clapp grew up in a small town in the southwest corner of Nebraska called McCook.

The baseball bug bit Clapp early when at age five he went to see his cousin, Ken Dailey, a relief pitcher who mainly pitched for the St. Louis Cardinals, but spent time with other Major League Baseball clubs in his career.

One of those teams was the Atlanta Braves who were visiting the San Francisco Giants when a five year old Clapp was able to watch his cousin for the first time.

After watching his cousin compete at the highest level, Clapp knew he wanted to give baseball a try.

He started with tee-ball and coach pitch early like most kids his age, but when he reached high school, McCook didn't have school sanctioned baseball so his only option was to play American Legion ball in the summer.

During the school year Clapp was a three sport athlete who played football, basketball and golf.

In the summer he would play baseball for two months before pre-season football would start back up in August. Clapp was a big fan of the Arizona State baseball program while in junior high and high school.

As a junior in high school he was able to go to Arizona and make some contacts with Arizona schools.

Scottsdale Community College was the one school who kept in touch with Clapp.

Still with an eye on someday playing for the Sun Devils, Clapp enrolled at Scottsdale and pitched under Larry Smith.

Because Clapp only played a few months out of the year and was a shortstop who also pitched, he was underdeveloped on the mound.

Clapp always wanted to pitch, but for the first time was able to do it on a regular basis.

Clapp was a red shirt his first year in Scottsdale, but during his second season of college ball, Clapp accidentally discovered something that would change the course of his life in baseball.

"I was kind of an average pitcher over the top," said Clapp. "I was kind of messing around in the bullpen throwing side arm and (Coach Smith) saw me throw. I didn't even know he was watching, but I had a lot of movement and my velocity was a little better."

Smith, who Clapp credits with being his biggest influence not just as a player, but also as a coach, liked what he saw they started the transition to make Clapp a full time sidearm pitcher.

"It came pretty natural, because when I played shortstop, probably like you don't teach, I threw the ball a lot of times and would just come through it and throw it side arm. It didn't take me long to get used to it and ultimately it made me a better pitcher."

Clapp's new delivery improved him enough to earn a scholarship to Louisiana Tech where he became the closer. His senior year at Tech, Clapp was a workhorse. He is still second all-time for appearances in a season, but his time spent with the Bulldogs after his playing career was over was much more significant.

"Louisiana Tech had a program where if you stayed on to coach as a graduate assistant they would pay your tuition. So I stayed and coached and finished my masters."

After leaving Tech, Clapp got his first full time coaching job as a pitching coach back near home as the pitching coach at Nebraska-Kearney.

Later he was hired back at Scottsdale in the same position - a position he will return to after the River Bat's season has completed.

In 2004 while Clapp was still with Kearney he and Kearney head coach Damon Day were at a coaching convention in San Antonio when they met the Bats' Ryan Voz.

Day and Voz stayed in contact through the years and last year Clapp's name came up to fill the pitching coach position.

Clapp was getting married last summer and didn't feel taking that kind of a position at that time would be in his best interest.

He made it very clear to the St. Cloud management that if something opened up for this year, he would be interested. When Tony Arnerich decided to not return, Clapp, who was already set to be the Bats' pitching coach, was promoted to field manager.

Clapp, who has never been the head guy, said the biggest adjustment will be making the decisions instead of simply giving input. He knows the staff he has in place will make the transition as seamless as possible.

Dallas Black from Southern Arkansas and longtime friend Jon Olsen, the head coach at McCook Community College, will be on the bench with Clapp, who will double as the pitching coach.

Clapp says the River Bat fans will be able to look forward to an aggressive style of play.

"Offensively I really like to be aggressive," said Clapp. "I like to always be looking to take the extra base on the base paths.

"With wooden bats I feel the bunt becomes a bigger part of the game, but just being more aggressive offensively - hit and run, putting runners in motion - basically putting pressure on their defense to get us out."

"Defensively," continued Clapp, "our pitchers will not be afraid to pitch inside and I want them to be able to have the confidence to throw all of their pitches.

"If the bases are loaded, the count is full and their best hitter is up we will have no problem throwing a change-up.

"That doesn't mean we don't challenge hitters, but that's just the philosophy we take, we are going to have all of our pitches at a point where we can throw them for strikes."

The fans will be able to look forward to aggressive, exciting baseball as the River Bats open the 2009 season.

Clapp and his staff will have three months this summer -- more time than Clapp had in his early days as a baseball player -- to lead Saint Cloud on another run toward the Northwoods League postseason.