Famed Local, Former Dodgers GM Fred Claire Speaks to The Pasadena Quarterbacks’ Weekly Lunch Series

Fred Claire’s career spans over fifty years starting as a modest journalist covering local beats to managing the Los Angeles Dodgers and leading the team to winning a World Series. One thing has kept him ticking all of these years and is the common denominator when looking back on his colorful career: sports.

Claire was the featured speaker at the Pasadena Quarterbacks’ opening day lunch at the Brookside Golf Club banquet hall to talk about his career in the world of professional sports.

“Playing sports is not just about playing sports. It’s about learning the lessons that the sports provide,” said Claire.

Claire’s brief, but reflective speech, was a treat for the the room full of Pasadena Quarterbacks — local sports enthusiasts who meet weekly during the football season from September to November to hear prominent speakers from the sports world including regional community college and high school coaches.

“I was never a good athlete. I was a competitive athlete. I think a lot of that comes from what I tried to do when I was on the playing field. Those are the lessons that sports teach us,” said Claire.

Claire spent 12 years in the newspaper field as a sports editor, columnist and baseball writer for local publications starting in the late 1950’s for local publications: the Whittier Daily News, Pomona Progress-Bulletin and the Long Beach Independent Press-Telegram.

“I was so dedicated to covering sports. It’s all I did and wanted to do,” said Claire.

Claire steadily built up his reputation as a sports writer. He was even present at what would come to be known as the first Super Bowl game in Los Angeles in 1966 and discussed conducting his first interview as a reporter with famed football coach Don Coryell.

“Those were exciting times,” said Claire.

He was in transition for a job change and eventually landed a job as the Director of Public Relations for the L.A. Dodgers in 1969.

“It’s interesting how fate works,” said Claire, who mentioned that he was offered a job at the L.A. Times on his first day working for the Dodgers. “I decided to stick with it.”

Claire directed 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. He was instrumental in creating the branding that became to be known as “Dodger Blue” and the “Think Blue” campaigns, according to a press release.

“I had a lot to take on and I was ready for it,” said Claire.

He climbed the ladder of promotions within the Dodgers over the next twenty years and became the General Manager in 1987.

“I wanted to be responsible for everything. If they were to fire me, I wanted them to fire me based on what I decided to do,” explained Claire.

The Dodgers took home the World Series title in 1988 just a year after Claire took the reins.

Claire left the Dodgers in 1998 and hasn’t slowed down. He has lectured at Caltech in the first sports business class ever offered there, he is an instructor at USC, and he also helped launch the Sports, Business and the Media course at the USC Annenberg School.

“Like a coach, I’m a little bit unforgiving because I want to see my students succeed. I want them to do whatever it takes and to realize their own path for success,” explained Claire about his teaching style.

He is currently chairman of the sports analytics firm Scoutables, a board member for the Special Olympics of Southern California, the Los Angeles Sports Council and Life Skills FORE Pasadena Youth, and a member of the Board of Directors of the Rose Bowl Operating Company.

“Our world is changing and we really need to take a look at it. When you talk to people who have spent their time and parts of their ability playing sports, they have learned valuable things that have helped them in their future. That’s what I hope to teach people,” said Claire.

To learn how you can attend upcoming sports talk at the Pasadena Quarterbacks’ lunch meetings happening all football season long, visit http://pasadenaquarterbacks.org.

The Club’s lunch meetings and speaker events are held on Fridays at Brookside Golf Club, 1133 Rosemont Avenue, Pasadena, adjacent to the Rose Bowl stadium. Tickets cost $25 for members and $30 for non-members.

For upcoming speakers, click http://pasadenaquarterbacks.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/PQ_2016SpeakerSchedule_090216vN.pdf