Fred Claire, the former Los Angeles Dodgers general manager who helped pave the way for Asian players in Major League Baseball by signing South Korean pitcher Park Chan-ho and Japan's Hideo Nomo, has died. He was 91.
The Dodgers announced Tuesday that Claire died Monday in Pasadena, California, after battling cancer for more than a decade. Claire was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the lip in 2015 and had reportedly been receiving hospice care.
Claire signed Park, then a sophomore at Hanyang University in South Korea, for a $1.2 million signing bonus in 1994. Park made his major league debut that year and went on to play 17 seasons through 2010, compiling a 124-98 record with a 4.36 ERA. His 124 victories remain the most by an Asian-born pitcher in MLB history.
Claire also signed Japanese pitching legend Hideo Nomo in 1995. Nomo went 13-6 with a 2.54 ERA that season, earning National League Rookie of the Year honors.
The success of Park and Nomo helped open the door for more Asian players to enter the major leagues. The Dodgers subsequently became home to numerous Asian players, including Choi Hee-seop, Ryu Hyun-jin and Yu Darvish. The team continues to have a strong Asian presence, with Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki and Kim Hye-seong currently on its roster.
A former sportswriter, Claire joined the Dodgers’ public relations department in 1969 and became vice president of public relations in 1975. He was promoted to general manager in 1987 and helped guide the Dodgers to their sixth World Series championship in 1988.
Claire stepped down as general manager in 1998 after 11 years in the position, following disagreements with senior management after a change in team ownership.
Dodgers CEO Stan Kasten paid tribute to Claire, saying he brought the franchise numerous victories, legendary players and the 1988 World Series championship.
"We will forever be grateful for his leadership during such a memorable era," Kasten said.
(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)
