Stubby Clapp to Manage Memphis Redbirds in 2017

Former Memphis Redbirds infielder Stubby Clapp has been named the club’s manager for the upcoming 2017 season, the St. Louis Cardinals announced.

Clapp, who has extensive minor league coaching experience, succeeds Mike Shildt, who was promoted to Quality Control Coach with the Cardinals after serving as Redbirds manager in 2015 and 2016.

“We are pleased to welcome back Stubby to the Cardinals organization as manager of the Memphis Redbirds,” Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak said in a statement. “Stubby has worked hard to get this opportunity and will bring a balanced approach to managing and player development.”

Clapp said he and his family “feel very blessed” to have an opportunity to work with the Cardinals organization again.

“The Redbirds have the best fans in baseball, and we look forward to being back at home with them at AutoZone Park,” Clapp said.

Clapp’s history in Memphis dates back to the early days of the Redbirds, as he played 425 games from 1999-2002 and still holds the franchise’s career records for triples (19) and walks (222). He ranks second in runs scored (258) and third in games played, doubles (87), extra-base hits (128) and total hits (418).

He was a member of the Redbirds’ first Pacific Coast League championship team in 2000 and reached the major leagues in 2001 with the Cardinals, where he appeared in 23 games and hit .200 with two doubles. In all, Clapp played more than 1,000 minor league games during his career and boasted a .274 lifetime batting average.

Prior to returning to Memphis, Clapp spent four seasons as a hitting coach in the Toronto Blue Jays organization, including the 2015 and 2016 seasons with the Double-A New Hampshire Fisher Cats.

Clapp began his coaching career in 2007 in the Houston Astros system, and he managed at the short-season level in 2011 and 2012.

– Don Wade

Collierville Foundation Awards $87,000 in Grants

The nonprofit Collierville Education Foundation has awarded $87,366 in grants for projects in the Collierville Schools system, including its largest single grant in the 20-year history of the foundation.

The $22,161 grant announced Thursday, Dec. 1, is for a STEM – science, technology, engineering and math – classroom at Collierville Middle School.

The other 69 grants on the list include a sensory room for special needs students and binding for a Collierville history book written by students at Crosswind Elementary School.

The foundation fields grant requests before making the awards. Among the entities funding the grants through the foundation are the Town of Collierville with $40,000; Landers Ford, which raised $30,000 during a Classic Car Show; and Carrier Corp., which donated $5,000 toward a math and science grant.

Grant applications for the 2017-2018 school year begin in July with an application posted at www.colliervilleeducationfoundation.org, the foundation’s website.

– Bill Dries

First Tennessee Will Accept Gatlinburg Wildfire Donations

In response to deadly wildfires that have taken lives, burned homes and businesses, and displaced thousands of residents in Gatlinburg and surrounding areas, the First Tennessee Foundation is matching donations from the public to the East Tennessee Red Cross, up to a total of $50,000.

The donations can be made at any First Tennessee financial center across the state.

As of Thursday morning, Dec. 1, the wildfires in East Tennessee have killed seven people and injured at least a dozen more, according to multiple media reports, and at least 14,000 people have been forced to evacuate.

Several Memphis TV stations and CNN were reporting that a Memphis couple vacationing in Gatlinburg remained missing Thursday morning.

Jon and Janet Summers were vacationing with their three sons, who had to be taken to a Nashville hospital and were recovering there.

– Andy Meek

St. George’s Students To Bunker Down for Marathon

Students and families of St. George’s Independent School will view and cheer on runners in the St. Jude Marathon Saturday, Dec. 3, from a Midtown bunkhouse.

The bunkhouse is the school’s newest facility at 815 McLean Blvd., which is located along the marathon route.

The bunkhouse sleeps more than 100 people and the students and parents will have a sleep-over there Friday, Dec. 2.

Support of the St. Jude Marathon has become an important community service opportunity for the school because of the impact of childhood cancer on two St. George’s families in the past two years, according to a release.

The students and parents will make posters and be out in force Saturday morning to cheer on runners raising money for St. Jude as they go past the facility.

“This is a perfect example of how we will use this new facility in Midtown to help our students and families fully engage and connect with all the good work being done in the city of Memphis,” said Ross Peters, head of school at St. George’s.

The bunkhouse opened this fall to support service learning and community engagement in Memphis through collaboration with the Choose901 campaign and Serve901 program.

While the partnership is multifaceted and includes the development of service learning curriculum, the most visible element is the newly renovated and shared facility in the Vollintine/Evergreen neighborhood.

– Daily News staff