Former Dodgers Executive Fred Claire Dies at 91, Helped Lead Team to 1988 World Series Title

The Los Angeles Dodgers announced that longtime executive Fred Claire died Monday, which was his 91st birthday.

Claire was a member of the Dodgers' front office for over three decades, including serving as general manager from 1987 to 1998, and is best known as the architect of their 1988 World Series championship team.

Per The Athletic's Patrick Mooney, Stan Kasten, the Dodgers' current president and CEO, described Claire as a "longtime key fixture of our organization."

"Fred brought many victories and Dodger legends to our franchise, as well as a 1988 World Series title," Kasten said in a statement. "We are forever grateful for his leadership during such a memorable era. Our hearts go out to his wife Sheryl and his family."

After working as a sports journalist in Southern California, Claire joined the Dodgers as a member of their public relations staff before rising to the role of GM. Under his leadership, the team developed its robust scouting and player development systems, which remain a hallmark of the franchise today.

Claire notably signed Kirk Gibson ahead of his 1988 National League MVP season, helping to pave the way for the team's World Series title that year. That title stood as the team's only championship for 32 years until it finally broke the drought in 2020.

Claire later made history when he helped Hideo Nomo become the first Japanese major leaguer to permanently relocate to the United States and join MLB. Nomo won the 1995 NL Rookie of the Year award with the Dodgers and helped create a path for future Japanese players, such as current Los Angeles stars Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto.

Claire's fingerprints still remain on the Dodgers to this day, and he will be remembered as one of the most influential figures in franchise history.