Former Dodgers executive Fred Claire passed away yesterday, according to multiple sources. It was his 91st birthday.
Claire was born in Jamestown, Ohio in 1935. He got a degree in journalism from San Jose State University and went on to write about sports for various publications throughout the 1950s and ’60s.
In 1969, he got a job in the public relations department of the Dodgers and would remain affiliated with that franchise for several decades. He was still in the P.R. department in April of 1987 when general manager Al Campanis infamously went on Nightline and made a number of racist remarks. Campanis was quickly removed from his post. Claire was moved from vice president of public relations to general manager.
The Dodgers finished the ’87 season with a 73-89 record, fourth in the National League West. Going into the 1988 season, Claire made a few notable moves of consequence. He signed free agent Kirk Gibson to a three-year, $4.5MM deal. He also signed Don Sutton and Rick Dempsey. As part of a three-team trade with the Mets and Athletics, Claire sent out Bob Welch, Jack Savage and Matt Young, bringing in Alfredo Griffin, Jay Howell and Jesse Orosco.
Griffin didn’t do much that year but Orosco posted a 2.72 earned run average in 55 relief appearances. Howell had a 2.08 ERA in his 50 outings, earning 21 saves in the process. Sutton posted a 3.92 ERA over 16 starts. Dempsey hit seven homers in 198 plate appearances. Gibson hit .290 with 25 home runs and 31 stolen bases. Some incumbent players, most notably Orel Hershiser, also had good seasons. Hershiser finished the campaign with 59 consecutive scoreless innings, a major league record that still stands to this day.
The Dodgers went 94-67 and won the West. They faced the Mets in the NLCS and emerged victorious in seven games. They then faced the A’s in the World Series, meaning the Dodgers coincidentally faced the other two clubs involved in the aforementioned three-team offseason trade. Game one of the World Series ended with the injured Gibson launching a pinch-hit home run off Dennis Eckersley, one of the most iconic homers in baseball history. The Dodgers would eventually win it all in five games.
Claire continued to run the front office after that but the club’s fortunes faded. They missed the playoffs each year from 1989 to 1993. There was no postseason in 1994 due to the strike. The Dodgers made the postseason in 1995 and 1996 but were swept out of the NLDS in both of those years. They missed the postseason again in 1997.
Early in 1998, the Dodgers were sold to Fox Group, a division of Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation. In May of 1998, Fox executives traded Mike Piazza and Todd Zeile to the Marlins for Gary Sheffield, Charles Johnson, Jim Eisenreich, Bobby Bonilla and Manuel Barrios without Claire’s involvement. Shortly thereafter, Claire was dismissed and replaced by Tommy Lasorda.
Claire hasn’t been officially involved in baseball since then but people throughout the industry have continually commented on his eternal kindness. His gracious nature extended to MLB Trade Rumors, as he made the time to speak with this outlet on multiple occasions. We at MLBTR join the rest of the baseball world in sending our condolences to Claire’s family, friends and everyone else mourning him this week.
Photo courtesy of Jayne Kamin-Oncea, Imagn Images
Hence then, the article about fred claire passes away was published today ( ) and is available on MLBtraderumors ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Fred Claire Passes Away )
Also on site :