1978 Baseball: 1978 Topps Baseball #324

Thursday, January 4, 2018

As a player, Vern Rapp was a catcher who never got the call to the majors. He played from 1946-1950 and then spent the next two seasons in military service. Vern resumed his playing career and played from 1953-1960 before becoming a manager.
Vern Rapp was a successful minor league manager in the 1960s and 1970s. He managed AAA Indianapolis (Reds system) from 1969-1975 and had only one year under .500, but Rapp wasn't likely to move up to the majors with Sparky Anderson doing so well.
Vern moved on to manage AAA Denver (Expos system) in 1976 and had a great record there. Rapp even put himself into a game at the age of 48 and was 1 for 1 with one RBI.
Rapp succeeded Red Schoendienst as manager of the St. Louis Cardinals in 1977. The Cards were successful in 1977, going 83-79 and finishing in third place. But the players didn't like Vern's strict style and there were some clashes between players and management (including Al Hrabosky and others having to shave their beards). Rapp was relieved of his duties and succeeded by Ken Boyer in April 1978 after the Cardinals started with a 6-10 record.
Vern coached for the Montreal Expos from 1979-1983. He was hired to manage the Cincinnati Reds in 1984.
The Reds didn't play very well in 1984 and Rapp was replaced by player-manager Pete Rose on August 15, 1984.
After his tenure with the Reds Vern retired to Colorado and took up fly fishing. He passed away on December 31, 2015 at the age of 87.
Managerial Record:

Thursday, January 4, 2018