'I still have that feeling of despair'

Richard (Stubby) Clapp grew up a few miles from Tiger Stadium, fully aware of Detroit's rise from World Series contender in 1983 to champion the following year.

But unlike many young baseball fans, he never pictured himself in the position of outfielder Kirk Gibson, who launched a three-run home run in Game 5 against the San Diego Padres to clinch the title.

"You're going to think I'm absolutely crazy, but I never dreamt about the World Series as a kid. I didn't even think about Major League Baseball," the native of Windsor, Ont., told CBCSports.ca.

At age 13, Clapp was a bat boy for the United States national baseball team at the 1986 triple-A world junior championship in Windsor and quickly realized playing for your country was second to none.

"That's when I fell in love with the whole [Olympic] dream," Clapp, now 35, said. "You could see [the players'] passion when they were practising and when they were playing in the games. It was full-out, guys stretching singles into doubles and doubles into triples.

"When the fans were packed in Mic Mac Park to watch a Canada-USA game, I remember quite vividly just looking up and seeing all the fans cheering and yelling for Team Canada. That's what stuck in my mind as a child. I wanted to wear Team Canada across my chest. I knew for me that represented a lot."

Came out of retirement

The scrappy second baseman realized his Olympic dream four years ago in Athens and is coming back to take another shot at helping Canada earn its first-ever baseball medal at the Summer Games, this time in Beijing.

Clapp has come out of retirement for this tournament, which starts Aug. 13, after being granted permission by the Houston Astros organization to leave his job as hitting coach with their single-A affiliate in Lexington, Ky.

After spending several weeks rehabilitating his left knee - he stretched the ligaments in a collision with a German catcher during Canada's last Olympic qualifying game in March - the gutsy Clapp pronounced himself fit to play.

"The knee feels great. I'm able to go full-force right now, so it's been a lot of fun," said Clapp, who posted a .363 batting average at the qualifier.

Early in his rehab, Clapp was able to do weight-bearing exercises in the various hotel pools while on the road with the Lexington Legends of the South Atlantic League. From there, he used weights to strengthen the knee and surrounding muscles.

Clapp was pleasantly surprised how the knee responded and said the key leading up to the Olympics is getting both knees in shape and the rest of his body conditioned to withstand nine- or 10-inning games.

While Greg Hamilton, Baseball Canada's director of national teams, was prepared to move forward without Clapp, he also realizes a player of his ilk isn't replaceable.

Canada's motivational man

"He's one of those guys that just has a natural respect amongst his peers for what he's about and how he's gone about accomplishing the things he's accomplished within his career," Hamilton told CBCSports.ca.

"He's never shied away and he's never given up."

Canadian outfielder Adam Stern first met Clapp in 2003 at the Olympic qualifier in Panama and was drawn to his hard-nosed approach.

"He's always been the guy to look at for motivation. He's always been known to have the clutch hit when we've needed it or make a good defensive play," said Stern of Clapp, who boasted a .981 fielding percentage in Athens.

Clapp was in the dugout in the top of the ninth inning during the 2004 Olympic semifinal against Cuba. With Canada down 8-5 and the tying run at the plate, pinch-hitter Kevin Nicholson drilled a ball to the left-field fence, but Frederich Cepeda caught it about a foot shy of a home run.

"Off the bat you knew it was gone, you knew it was a tie ball game," said Clapp. "When he [Cepeda] jumped up and got it I could just feel my heartbeat in my throat. You knew [the game] was over and our chances [for a gold medal] were over."

'I still have that feeling of despair'

The next day, Canada fell 11-2 to Japan in the bronze-medal contest for a fourth-place finish.

"To this day, it was the toughest loss I have ever experienced and tried to bounce back from," Clapp said of the loss to Cuba. "I still have that feeling of despair. But it's in the past and we're getting a second chance now."

Clapp is one offive returnees to a Canadian team that will require his leadership with 18 new faces.

"Everyone knows Stubby, looks up to him," said Stern, who recently became a free agent after being released by the Baltimore Orioles. "He's a guy that's been there and done that on a number of different levels."

Clapp first joined the national program in 1991 and helped Canada to a gold medal at the world junior championship in Brandon, Man.

He also played on the Canadian world senior championship team in 1994 before the St. Louis Cardinals picked Clapp 36th overall at the 1996 amateur draft.

Well known for his game-winning single against the heavily-favoured United States at the 1999 Pan Am Games in Winnipeg, Clapp also played 23 games for the Cardinals in 2003 prior to his Olympic debut.

Wanted: A medal in Beijing

Through it all, Clapp said there has been one constant when it comes to playing for Canada: A never-say-die approach by the players, which has Clapp excited about the prospects for the Beijing club.

"When this group goes to the park to play, it's from the first out to the last out," he said, recalling Canada's 6-1 record at the Olympic qualifier. "These young kids have got a little bit more pop [in their bat] than we [veterans] did [at their age].

"The coaches have added a couple of older guys to the pitching staff, so that'll add some experience and maybe give some more depth to the bullpen."

But what Canadian fans really want to know, Stubby, is whether they're going to see any of your trademark pre-game backflips?

"I'll tell you what, when we medal, that's when it'll come back. And I hope my leg doesn't break when it happens," Clapp said, laughing.

But knowing Clapp, the thrill of winning a medal for his country would outweigh any pain.