Fred Claire, the former sportswriter who became general manager of the Los Angeles Dodgers and built their 1988 World Series championship team, died Monday, Oct. 5, at his home in Pasadena. He was 91.

Claire died on his birthday, the Dodgers announced Tuesday, Oct. 6, on X. He had entered hospice care after an 11-year battle with cancer, the Associated Press reported.

His death came as the franchise he shaped plays in the 2026 National League Division Series against the Atlanta Braves, with the series tied 1-1.

Claire spent 30 years in the Dodgers' front office. He joined the team's public relations department in 1969 after covering the club as a beat writer for the Long Beach Press-Telegram. He rose to vice president of public relations in 1975 and helped create the "Dodger Blue" branding and the "Think Blue" campaign. The Dodgers drew 3.3 million fans in 1978, becoming the first MLB team to exceed 3 million.

His path to the GM chair was sudden. In April 1987, owner Peter O'Malley promoted Claire after Al Campanis was fired following controversial remarks on ABC's "Nightline." Claire had never worked in player evaluation. The move drew skepticism across baseball.

"I knew some people might say, what does this guy know about baseball, he covered it from behind a typewriter?" O'Malley told the Los Angeles Times in 2017. "But I knew Fred could do it."

Claire's first full season produced a 73-89 record. O'Malley considered replacing him but kept his choice. That winter, Claire signed free-agent outfielder Kirk Gibson and acquired shortstop Alfredo Griffin, relievers Jay Howell and Jesse Orosco, and outfielder Mike Davis.

The 1988 Dodgers, led by NL Cy Young Award winner Orel Hershiser and NL MVP Gibson, upset the heavily favored Oakland Athletics in five games. Gibson's pinch-hit, walk-off two-run homer off Dennis Eckersley in the bottom of the ninth of Game 1 remains one of baseball's most iconic moments. Claire was named MLB's executive of the year by the Sporting News.

His tenure as GM lasted roughly 11 years and included two division titles, a wild-card berth and a first-place finish in the strike-shortened 1994 season. Claire oversaw the signing of Hideo Nomo in 1995, opening the door for Japanese stars in Major League Baseball. The Dodgers produced five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners from 1992 to 1996: Eric Karros, Mike Piazza, Raul Mondesi, Nomo and Todd Hollandsworth.

Claire also made the franchise's most lopsided trade. He sent pitcher Pedro Martínez to the Montreal Expos for second baseman Delino DeShields in 1993. DeShields hit .241 in three seasons in Los Angeles. Martínez won three Cy Young Awards and entered the Hall of Fame in 2015.

Claire was fired June 21, 1998, along with manager Bill Russell, five weeks after Fox News Corp. executives traded All-Star catcher Mike Piazza to the Florida Marlins without Claire's involvement.

Claire was born Fredic Marston Claire in Jamestown, Ohio, on Oct. 5, 1935. His family moved to Torrance when he was 15. He graduated from Torrance High School and earned a journalism degree from San José State University in 1957. His first job: sportswriter for the Whittier Daily News at $65 a week.

He was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma on his lip in January 2015. The cancer returned in his jaw and neck. An immunotherapy clinical trial saved his life, but an infection forced extensive facial reconstruction surgery at City of Hope in Duarte. He and his wife Sheryl raised half a million dollars for cancer research and established a scholarship fund with the USC Keck School of Medicine.

The 1988 championship was the Dodgers' last title until 2020, a gap of 32 years. The franchise has since won back-to-back championships in 2024 and 2025. After the '88 Series, catcher Rick Dempsey gave Claire the game ball Hershiser used to record the final out. Claire donated it to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.

He is survived by Sheryl and three children: Jeff, Jennifer and Kim.

The Dodgers face the Braves in NLDS Game 3 on Tuesday, Oct. 6, at 3 p.m. PT in Atlanta, with Yoshinobu Yamamoto on the mound against Chris Sale. If the series reaches Game 5, it returns to Dodger Stadium on Friday, Oct. 9.