Fred Claire

But I think as far as an in-depth interview, we probably are one of the last.

I always say this show acts as an archive for some great people to have... interviews and it's all online and i'm proud of that i'm proud to have had fred claire on again condolences to his family if you want to hear the interview with fred claire episode 259. yes

Len, why don't we get started?

All right.

The A's, they say, called Ron Hassey four times a day for over a week.

And Rick Dempsey sat in Fred Claire's office a couple hours until Fred had time to see him.

And Mickey Hatcher asking his agent to beg the Dodgers to give him a job in Albuquerque.

Tony, he was telling that story yesterday and y- you really had a laugh on him.

How can you be so composed after a season like this and a playoff and World Series performance like this that really has, I think it's fair to say, etched you a spot eternally in baseball lore? How can you be so composed?

Well, I just feel like, uh, the Lord has just blessed me with composure, and He's kept me calm through the whole thing, and, uh, I know this isn't a religious show, but I just thank God for everything that's happened this year for our ball club, the way we stuck through, for the injuries that we've come through, and we...

Fred Claire just put an outstanding ball club on the, on the field, and the reason he did that is just because he went in the free agent market.

He didn't go talent for talent with trades.

I will now keep that number where it is.

His number will spend eternity alongside Tommy Lasorda's number- Tommy John, Fred Claire, uh, assorted other sports personalities' phone numbers I've collected over the years.

And right there among the celebrities are another wing of the Mallorphone, legendary dead radio callers.

And so Mike Ditka is not far away from Jimmy Ray from Tampa Bay, and Jeannie in Medford, and the, the greatest caller, Jeannie in Medford, of all time.

Welcome to today's episode on the Life in the Front Office podcast.

Um, today is an episode to tribute to our founder, co-founder, friend, colleague, um, Fred Claire, who was one of the nicest and generous, humble, um, not enough words to describe, uh, human beings.

And, uh, I was actually listening back to the very, very, very first episode we did last night, um, with him to start the podcast off.

And, uh, before I kick it to co-hosts Pat and Andy, um, the one thing that resonated with me is why we started the podcast, and we're 550 something episodes in now.

Um, in that, you know, he said, "If each episode just impacts one person, it's done its job." Right? And, and along the way, it's, it's a simple thought, but like, you know, even if we've accomplished to impact one person with each episode, we've impacted 550 plus people, right? And so, um, while that might not be some major technology impacting millions and billions of people, it's, it's significant.

And that was what Fred cared about, was each individual person, right? And so, um, one of the things that I specifically remember is I met him 13 years, over 13 years ago, and I was a college baseball player playing in Fort Collins, Colorado during the summer league, and the guy who owned the team said, "Hey, what do you wanna do one day?" And you know, I started talking about sports.

And so he goes, "Well, you gotta meet this guy, Fred Claire, and drive, drive an hour and a half to LA, you know, while you're in school, and go meet with him." And I had the idea of bringing Fred Starbucks.

And I didn't know what he wanted.

The next headline in today's sports section reads, Gibson signing Dodgers GM Claire dead at age 91 by Gabe Lacks.

Fred Claire of the Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, the former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager, whose signing of Kirk Gibson led to one of the most iconic moments in baseball history, died October 5th, the Dodgers announced.

He was 91.

Claire took over the Dodgers franchise at a most tumultuous time.