Baseball:

Pictured L-R: Skip and son Michael at Yankee Stadium, & Skip w/wife, Cinda.

By Brian Reed-Baiotto, Sports Editor

Skip Claprood couldn’t have been more mistaken.

When this reporter asked the Citrus College Hall of Famer to describe his baseball career, the 74-year old legend said he was “a dime a dozen.”

To be fair, Claprood was just being the grounded and humble person he’s always been.

In reality, though, Claprood is one of the best men and college baseball coaches the state of California has ever produced.

Over a 30-year career (1972-2002), including a pair of sabbaticals, Claprood won 772 games, which is 41 more than Mt. SAC legend, Art Mazmanian.

The Owls claimed 14 conference titles and boasted 14 conference players of the year, all while winning at a 68-percent clip.

Claprood’s long list of accomplishments included having more than 150 of his players getting drafted and 14 saw time at the major league level.

During his three decades of excellence, 88-percent of Citrus baseball players would move on to play four-year ball.

When he retired in 2002, Claprood was (and remains) the school’s winningest coach and top three statewide.

Claprood’s coaching tree is vast and impressive.

The long list includes Justin James (Point Loma), Scott Winterburn (U of La Verne), Tony Barbone (APU), Pat McGee (PCC), Brian Cooper (SF Giants), Mike Salazar (Rio Hondo College) and John Knott (Mt. SAC), just to name a few.

How/when did Claprood’s coaching career start and why did he have so much success?

After playing for Cal Poly Pomona legend John Scolinos, Claprood’s first head coaching gig came at the age of 22.

He took over a struggling Claremont High program.

Claprood was young, but he felt ready, because of his time with Scolinos.

“When I was at Cal Poly, I learned so much from Coach Scolinos. I felt like I was getting a masters in coaching, while I earned my bachelors degree and played baseball.”

He spent just two years leading the Wolfpack program, but he made a huge impact.

The extra work and Saturday practices paid off, as Claremont had its first winning season in over 15 years under Skip’s tutelage.

To this day, Claprood remains in touch with many of the players from that Claremont team that helped launch his remarkable career.

If you talk to any of his players or coaches, the first two reasons they gave for his success was Skip’s unbelievable attention to detail and his being so far ahead of the curve when it came to the mental aspect of baseball.

In the 80’s, more than a few people thought Skip was out of his mind for spending so much time on the psychological part of game.

But his nearly unmatched career not only proved his doubters wrong, today analytics and psychological awareness plays a huge part in almost every program.

Claprood’s ability to hold his players and coaches accountable through tough love, all while being a father-figure helped earn Skip the universal respect and trust from almost everyone he came in contact with, because they knew he had their best interest at heart.

His impact also included helping set up the third biggest tournament in Europe, where Skip would take his players to Holland and other countries on good-will trips and bonded people of different backgrounds and languages through a shared love of baseball.

He provided them a chance to see and take in parts of the world they might not see otherwise.

As the Citrus AD from 1989-2004, Claprood was most proud of his ability (with the help of others) to improve the Owls facilities, as well as fielding 21 sports teams, which is significant for a small school.

How big is Skip’s family and how are they doing?

Claprood met his future wife, Cinda, while both attended Pomona High School.

They dated for two years and married in 1967.

“Her father was a coach and her brother played high school and college baseball, so she had an idea of where I was headed,” Skip said of his wife. “She is a loving person and for some reason, she fell in love with me. I couldn’t have had the career or life I’ve had without her support and love over all these years.”

Skip and Cinda have two children.

Michelle, 51, is a school principal, and Mike, 48, is a senior vice president and a managing director for a consulting company.

Mike actually played for his father at Citrus and then went on to APU.

They (Skip and Cinda) adore their five grandchildren.

Michelle has two boys (Greg and Matthew Lee), who are 23 & 21 years old, respectively.

Mike and his wife Kelly have three children named Gavin (14), Gracie (13) and nine-year old Chase.

In a separate photo gallery of Skip and his family, you’ll see just how much fun he has with his grandkids, including their athletic endeavors.

Cinda Claprood was a nurse for 30 years and someone who is an equally great mom, wife and person.

To respect her privacy, we’ll just say that Cinda is valiantly battling a medical malady in the brave way she’s lived her life and Skip is there with and for her every step of the way.

It’s that love and commitment to each other that has helped maintain a 55-year love affair, including 53 as husband and wife.

What is Skip up to today?

He continues to spend time coaching when asked or needed, as well as giving speeches that still carry a lot of weight.

Skip would never ask us to mention this, but he helps raise money for Pomona High School every year.

He helped build a batting cage for the program and donates 40 dozen baseballs to a school he graduated from in 1964.

One of Claprood’s most notable coaching success stories is La Verne coach Scott Winterburn, who has Skip come in from time to time to talk baseball to his players.

Cody Norman, who was a senior pitcher this past season for the Leopards said that Skip has instant respect from all of his teammates, because of his historic resume and command of the game.

“We all take so much from Skip every time he comes in and talks to us,” Norman said. “You can tell right away he knows what he’s talking about and I learn something different each time I get to hear him speak. We all appreciate and recognize his passion for the game and his wanting to pass that along to newer generations.”

On a personal note, this writer would like to briefly mention the Skip Claprood that I’ve known since about my senior year (1988) at Glendora High School.

He asked if I wanted to come play for him at Citrus, and I did, but at the time, the Owls’ schedule wasn’t nearly what Mt. SAC had to offer.

In spite of my decision, Skip has always been gracious and we’ve even become friends.

We can jokingly spar over political issues from time to time, but it’s always cordial and respectful, which is rare in today’s climate.

One thing I know and everyone knows about Skip Claprood is that even when you disagree with him, it is without question that Skip’s passion is to stick up for the underdog and those that don’t seem to have the same support system that many of us were lucky to have.

And for that reason and so many others, Skip Claprood is equally the man that he is a coach, and that speaks volumes.

He has also been known to go out of his way to help players that didn’t even play for him in getting a chance to play at the next level.

One thing that many of his former players and coaches wanted mentioned is their desire to see the ‘Owl’s Nest’ (the Citrus baseball field) named after Claprood for his more than three decades of selfless service, impact on hundreds and hundreds of lives and his unmatched success at a school he loves.

To be clear, Claprood himself never broached the subject with me.

What would Claprood like to say about his career, who does he want to thank and what is his greatest regret?

Said Skip Claprood: “My life has been a fairytale. A dime a dozen student and player meets the love of his life and creates a loving family that continues to grow. He gets to play Division 1 baseball under the tutelage of our country’s greatest developer of men and coaches and had the opportunity to work with young men for 40 years traveling the world speaking and coaching on four continents. And he somehow was inducted into two Halls of Fames. Now that is truly stuff of fairytales.

I couldn’t have been successful without these wonderful passionate individuals who put up with a maniac:
1973 Jerry Schelmilch,
1975 Joel Wiese
1977- 1992 Matt Kolodge
1978-1979 Fred Peritore, Kim Eppard
1983-1985 Tony Barbone
1987-1996 Mark Rigney
1995-2000 Mike Salazar
1996-2003 Sean Severns
1999-2002 Al Leyva

I know you didn’t ask this question, but I believe it is important. My greatest regret is how hard I was on Mike. Like most fathers, I didn’t want to show favoritism, but that was foolish. If not the hardest worker, then he was one of the hardest I ever coached. He had been an Owl since he was six years old, going on road trips and attending camps every year. He was a winner. His teams won the City championship in Pony League, a championship at Glendora, a championship at Citrus and another at APU. Not many can make such a claim. I am most proud of his grinder work ethic that has led to his professional success and his and Kelly’s wonderful family.”

Quotable:

Skip’s son, Michael: “My first memories were at Citrus when I was 4 or 5 and I would run around the field. I was in the dugout all the time. I saw his intensity as a young kid. That was my playground. I had the opportunity to play at UCSB, but I owed it to my parents to go to Citrus. I knew they could probably pay for my schooling at UCSB, but the motivator was, an emotional loop that needed to be closed and play for him one last time. He taught me that you have to earn your way. I got to where I am today because of his guidance. My mom was instrumental too, because my dad and I are both hard-headed men and we’d battle. But we came out better on the other end because of my mom. He had a lot of fun with my kids and baseball has served as a North Star to our family, but our time together is not always about baseball.”

Skip’s daughter, Michelle: “My dad was a very supportive parent. He was strict and held us to high standards, but he was always there to provide advice, share life experiences and helping us find our own path while loving us all the way. People always asked how he was at home and if he brought the game home. He never brought the game home, only a backyard catch. He is still the same guy, full of heart, passion and integrity. He just has more time now to enjoy his family, especially his grandchildren. He is also a great grandpa and has been an intricate part of my boys lives. A lot of their success and the kind, mindful men they are today is due to his influence. I wish I had his discipline. When he sets out to do something, it gets done.”

PCC coach, Pat McGee: “I met Skip when I played with Mike at APU. He was at Citrus. You always heard about this presence and we would play them in the fall. Once I got into coaching, I took a job with Chaffey, which is in the conference with Citrus. I was 22 and he was such a presence and legend. Getting to see how he ran his program at such a young age was a big influence on me. I have so much respect for the detail, how to develop players and how to prepare for players. All APU guys learned from Skip. I got to coach there when Skip was the AD. I appreciated how he’d pull me aside and talk about my career and what I wanted to do.”

La Verne coach, Scott Winterburn: “To say Skip impacted my life is the understatement of the century. I went to Arcadia and had below-average grades, my brother died and my parents split up. He never promised me anything, but he gave me an opportunity and that’s all someone can ask for. I get emotional every time I think of how much Skip has impacted my life and I love him very much. He became a father figure to all of us and was miles ahead of everyone when it came to coaching and using different techniques. For all he’s done for so many players and coaches on and off the field, and for his success and longevity at the school, myself and many others believe the Citrus baseball field should be named in his honor and I hope that’s something that happens.”

Rio Hondo College coach, Mike Salazar: “I played at APU and Skip’s son Mike became a teammate of mine. After I graduated, I went and coached with Mark Rigney for one year during Skip’s sabbatical and five more for Skip. I also went with him to Europe four or five times to coach and I’ve played over 500 rounds of golf with Skip. Skip has been instrumental in guiding me in the right direction professionally ever since I graduated. He advised me to get my masters as soon as I graduated and I began to teach classes at Citrus. He gave me countless opportunities to grow as a young coach by giving me numerous responsibilities. When thinking about it, Skip has beena personal “google” for me the last 30 years. I got the Rio Hondo College coaching job in 2000 and I continue to come back to Skip for with questions about baseball and life, and that’s been invaluable to me.”

Santiago, Damien and La Puente coach, Scott Morrison: “Skip was the absolute most real coach I ever had–no false pretense about him. You always knew where you stood, good or bad. As a player, this was sometimes tough to take. When I got into this business, I really came to appreciate this and found myself trying to pattern a lot of my player-coach interactions using Skip as a model. Sometimes conversations are hard but the TRUTH always matters and, eventually, will always be appreciated.”

GHS/Citrus/USC & MLB pitcher/shortstop, Brian Cooper: “Skip invited me to come play at Citrus and being that I didn’t have any other offers, I gratefully jumped at the chance to go play for him. Early during my freshman year, I knew this would be a great opportunity and he was the first coach in some time that believed in my passion and dedication to the game. I am not sure he thought I would ever be a shortstop, but regardless, he worked with me and helped me earn the starting job that year. It was most definitely a trial by fire as Skip can be intense, but I believe it was the difficulties that year that helped me succeed at the higher levels. I went to Holland my freshman year for a week to play international baseball. It was during a game that I pitched there that he decided pitching was my future. I became a fulltime pitcher, which at first I wasn’t too thrilled, but it helped me earn a scholarship to the only school I ever wanted to play for, which was USC, and I have Skip’s help to thank for that and my career professionally.”

APU legend, Tony Barbone: “Citrus baseball, under Skip’s guidance was known as a program with a very high quality reputation. That reputation stemmed from knowing that Skip had a commitment to teach, instruct and prepare his student-athletes for competition and the next level of their baseball journey. Though he had several players that were drafted into the professional ranks, Skip’s true focus was to assist his players progressing academically and athletically and moving them onto the four-year level. As a mentored product of the legendary Cal Poly Pomona coach, John Scolinos, Skip took a true interest in the success of each player and maintained valuable relationships with many after they had graduated .

Additionally, there were several folks like myself that benefited from the tutoring he gave us as assistant coaches. Although I was only there a brief time in a Citrus uniform, I gained valuable lessons, insight and leadership skills that would help me later in my career at the various stops I had in the game of baseball. I, as I am sure there are others, am very grateful for Skip’s investment in me and my career. I received a great boost at Citrus College and I have Skip to thank for the opportunity.”

Former Citrus player/Stanford assistant coach, Kim Eppard: “Skip was (and is) an honest man (and coach). My first year at Citrus, we had a JV team, and I got cut and played JV. But I worked hard and eventually earned my spot up on the big team because Skip was afraid he might be cutting too many good players. He was way ahead of the game when it came to organizational skills and the mental and psychological part of baseball. All these years later, he’s still impacting people of all ages. And there are many things I learned from Skip that I’ve used in my life since leaving Citrus College.”

Former Citrus head/assistant & Azusa High coach, Mark Rigney: “Skip was my mentor. He knows the game and is much as student of the game as anyone could be. He allowed everyone to grow. I went to Australia, Europe and took an exhibition team to the Netherlands because of Skip. I believe the reason for his success was the practice planning for sure. I think he loved practice even more than the games. His practice plan was to the T. He started early outs before I got there, and then I’d be there an hour and half and I’d stay. His longevity is attributed to the fact that he was a student of the game. Skip was great to me and let me network myself and I’ll always be grateful for that.”

Former Bonita High/current Mt. SAC coach, John Knott: “Citrus/Skip had one of its best years the year before I came (94). They had Brian Cooper, Kevin Schramm and Steve Esquivel. Skip had taken a sabbatical and Mark Rigney was the head coach and Mike Salazar was a first-year assistant coach. We had 22 freshman so it was a complete overhaul. The following year, Skip came back and took us to France and Holland. It was a life-changing experience. The overall diversity was huge for me and it was the first chance to see what kind of leader I could be. He was very detailed, very direct and ahead of his time. One of the many things I took from Skip was if a kid is unable to do something, come up with a way as a coach to do what you need him to do. As a teacher, he explained everything and he would explain it just once and it kept our attention, because we knew he expected us to pick up on it.”

Former Citrus/ASU player, Al Salgado: “I first met Skip back in 1985 and played for him during 86’ and 87’ seasons. Skip was by far one of the most prepared teacher/coaches I’ve ever played for. He is a no-nonsense and very passionate type of person, He was my coach, mentor and friend. There was one way to do things and that is the “right way”. He was very thorough in everything he did and still does today. Skip broke down the fundamentals of the game of baseball like no other with fine detail. He was the first coach to introduce and implement the mental game of baseball to me. He is a best friend, because he tells it like it is. He taught many life lessons through this great game of baseball. Not only did he help to produce quality baseball players, but quality people.”

Skip Claprood’s Coaching Tree:

Joe Aragon, Mark Keppel

Gil Adams, South ElMonte

Jim Eppard, big league batting instructor

Steve Esquibel, numerous

Todd Ervin, Bend Oregon

Kim Eppard, Citrus, Stanford, Foothill

Matt Gentry, Pacific

Dan Grijalva, Citrus

Joe Delatorre, Chaffey

Eric Jeffres, Pioneer,

John Knott

Joe Mueller, Wyoming CC

Jeff Paul. Los Osos

Scott Raferty, Liberty Christian

Phil Torres, Cresenta Valley

Jorge Velazquez, LaCanada

Randy Robertson, Claremont

Geoff Raney, Claremont

Al Leyva, Citrus, Claremont, Damien

Brian Grimm, Duarte, Upland

AJ Garbick, Charter Oak, Upland

Josh Alcaraz, Charter Oak

Dan Larsen, Colorado, golf pro

Marco Contreras, Birmingham

Scott Morrison, numerous

Jerry Lewellen, Glendora

Chris Castro, Montclair

Joel Wiese, Garey

Mark Rigney, Azusa

Brian Cooper, Angel pitching instructor

Kevin Smith, numerous

Tom Faris, Dana Point

Anthony Delsi, Arizona HS

Jason Stuck, Diamond Bar

Mike Murphy, numerous

Scott Rivette, Los Osos, Upland

Chris DiBlasi, RAW Mt

Marco Valenzuela, Alabama HS

David Moore, Monrovia

Ed Shaw, Louisiana HS

Phil Torres, Crescenta Valley

Wataru Tomita, golf pro Brookside

College Coaches:

Scott Winterburn, ULV

Justin James, PLNU

Greg Warzecka, California

Mike Salazar, Rio Hondo

John Knott, MSAC

Pat McGee, PCC

Paul Togneri, VCC

Tony Barbone, Citrus, APU, Concordia

Jerry Schlegelmilch, Rio Hondo, Ricks, Southern Virginia

Mike Guzman, Rio Hondo, PCC

Sean Severns, Chaffey, Citrus

Superintendent School District:

Rob Voors

Mike Simonson