As manager John Edgar Clapp (July 15, 1851 – December 18, 1904), nicknamed "Honest John", was an American professional baseball player-manager whose career spanned 12 seasons, 11 of which were spent with the Major League Baseball (MLB) Middletown Mansfields (1872), Philadelphia Athletics (1873–75), St. Louis Brown Stockings (1876–77), Indianapolis Blues (1878), Buffalo Bisons (1879), Cincinnati Stars (1880), Cleveland Blues (1881), and New York Gothams (1883).

He made his MLB debut at the age of 21 and was listed as standing 5 feet 7 inches (170 cm) and weighing 194 pounds (88 kg).

His single home run tied him for the team-lead along with Wes Fisler, Cherokee Fisher, and Tim Murnane.

He finished the year tied for the team lead in games played (64) and hits (91),[6] while he led the NL in putouts as a catcher, with 333.

[12] He played for the Cleveland Blues in 1881, when he earned the nickname "Honest": in May, a Chicago bookmaker named James S. Woodruff offered Clapp $5,000 ($157,862.07 in 2011) to allow a passed ball with runners on base, and also wanted to be informed which games to bet on when the moves would take place.

[14] In 1882, after leading the NL in walks, Clapp made his minor-league debut for the New York Metropolitans of the League Alliance.