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Fred Claire is a columnist for MLB.com after serving as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers' front office for 30 years.

In a distinguished career with the Dodgers, Claire served the team as a publicity director, vice president of public relations, promotions and marketing, executive vice president in charge of day-to-day operations, and executive vice president and general manager in charge of player personnel. Claire joined the Dodgers in 1969 and he proved to be an award-winning executive at every stage of his career. Claire was directing the team's marketing efforts when the Dodgers first hit the three-million mark in attendance and established a period of record-setting attendance figures.

In April of 1987, Claire was named general manager of the Dodgers and when the team won the World Series in 1988 he was honored as Major League Baseball's "Executive of the Year" by The Sporting News . Claire became the fifth Dodger executive in the team's history to win the award, following Larry MacPhail (1939), Branch Rickey (1947), Walter O'Malley (1955) and Buzzie Bavasi (1959).

Since his departure from the Dodgers in June of 1998, Claire has maintained an active schedule with civic involvement -- as an instructor for the Annenberg School of Communications at USC and as a consultant to companies involved in sports.

A book on Claire's career with the Dodgers (Fred Claire: My 30 Years in Dodger Blue) was released in March of 2004 by SportsPublishing LLC. The book was co-authored by Claire and Steve Springer of the Los Angeles Times .

During the spring semesters of 1999 through 2001, Claire was an instructor at USC in the presentation of a class titled "Sports, Business and the Media in Today's Society." He continues to lecture on the business of sports at USC. Claire also is a member of the advisory board for the Sports Management graduate program at California State University, Long Beach.

Claire's civic involvement includes board of director positions for the Rose Bowl Operating Company, Life Skills FORE Pasadena Youth, Inc., the Los Angeles Sports Council, and Special Olympics Southern California.

Claire served Major League Baseball in a number of capacities, including a role as a member of the board of directors for MLB Properties, as a member of the Broadcast Advisory Group, and as a member of the Baseball Operations Committee. In 1990, Claire received the Award of Honor from the American College Baseball Coaches Assn. He has served as a member of the board of directors for the RBI program (Reviving Baseball in Inner-cities).

Prior to joining the Dodgers, Claire spent 12 years in the newspaper field as a sports editor, columnist and baseball writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram, the Pomona Progress-Bulletin and the Whittier Daily News. During the time Claire was the sports editor of the Progress-Bulletin, the newspaper was saluted for its sports section by the California Newspaper Publishers Association.

Claire was graduated from San Jose State University with a BA degree in journalism. He holds as associate of arts degree from Mt. San Antonio College and has been honored by the college as an outstanding alumnus. Claire also attended El Camino College and was selected as the college's first Alumnus of the Year. In March of 2000, Claire was inducted in the California Community College Sports Hall of Fame.

During Claire's tenure as the Executive VP and general manager in charge of baseball operations, the Dodgers had the third highest winning percentage in Major League Baseball. In Claire's final four full seasons with the Dodgers -- 1994 through 1997 -- the team reached post-season play twice (1995 and 1996) and was leading its division when a strike halted play in 1994.

Ari Kaplan Fred Claire

kaplanari@hotmail.com flcaire@pacbell.net

312-399-0079 626-796-2749

“Kaplan has already has devised three formulas that could, if instituted, change the way managers handle their bullpens.”

v Baseball America

“Keeping track of thousands of baseball scouting reports for minor and major league teams can be very cumbersome. Especially remembering where you filed them. Well, there's a new software program to help sort out all of this mess. Joining us today is Ari Kaplan, the man behind this new program…And it’s the best thing since sliced bread.”

v CNN interview (with anchor Sean Callebs)

"Our ability to generate stats has gotten way ahead of our ability to make any sense of it… it's going to take a lot of work by people like Mr. Kaplan before we understand what all this means."

v Bill James (LA Times)

For a business summary, view www.arikaplan.com and www.spraycharts.com