Latest / Motor City Mad Mouth / "Extra Innings" LA Dodgers Fred Claire

Transcript

"Extra Innings" LA Dodgers Fred Claire · Motor City Mad Mouth

0:23
Good evening, everybody. Welcome to the Motor City Mad Mouse Show. Yes,
0:27
I am at the MotorCity mad Mouth and I am very pleased to be
0:30
joined by a special guest, longtime friend, a guy that I wish the
0:34
Dodgers are still in Bureau Beach, but they're in Arizona. But nevertheless,
0:38
the only way you do it these days by doing it this way, by
0:42
streaming. And I am pleased to be welcome by former Vice president General Managers
0:46
of the LA Dodgers, Fred Claire. Thanks for being out with us tonight.
0:49
Friend. I'd great to be with you and your followers. Well,
0:54
we were glad to have you. Walter Mitchell from the three one three,
0:57
Thanks for being in here with us. We have a show tonight. We're
1:00
going to talk about Fred's book and we're going to lead off with that topic
1:03
and we encourage a participatment participation in the chat room. So, Fred,
1:07
you just recently wrote a book called Extra Innings, Journey to the City of
1:12
Hope and Finding a World Championship Team. Why don't you give everybody an overview
1:17
Fred what that book is about. I will be happy to Scott and thank
1:22
you. Scott mentioned the book is extra innings, Fred Klaire's journey to City
1:29
Hope and finding the World Championship team, and the evolution of that book and
1:36
the meaning of that book, and all the funds from that book do go
1:41
to City Hope. But in two thousand and sixteen, I had tremendous pain
1:48
in my face and went through a number of cat scans MRIs and ultimately discovered
1:57
that most procedure that I'd had on my list, they did. The doctor
2:00
did not get the margins, and the cancer was running up my jawbone.
2:06
So I now at this was eight years ago, and when that happened,
2:15
and I experienced the great people at the City of Hope, and so many
2:23
of us will through through hospitals cancer centers throughout the United States, indeed throughout
2:30
the world. But when I saw this great group of people, doctors,
2:35
staff, volunteers, I wanted to tell the story of City of Hope,
2:42
and so we City of Hope made arrangements with a wonderful writer. The author
2:47
is a man by the name of Kim Madigan, great great writer, and
2:53
so the book Scott really is about the City of Hope. And in the
3:00
years that I've been going to City Hope. I've just been so impressed.
3:05
Had I wanted to try to help share my wife and I we had two
3:08
celebrity golf tournaments. We raised a half billion dollars and call attention to City
3:14
of Hope through the book. So thank you for asking. Oh, you're
3:17
very welcome. Hey, listen, you know something, when you're doing something
3:21
for a good cause and you benefit of buying, why in my right mind
3:23
would I not give you the opportunity to talk about it? As I understand?
3:27
Did you tell me that it's available on Amazon? Is that correct?
3:30
It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, so people can find it online.
3:37
And again, all of that proceeds go to City Hope. So,
3:42
you know, and this is a you know, it's a time Scott.
3:46
This really came from the Sun. From the Sun, and part of the
3:51
book is really talking letting the reader tune in to the doctors and the stack
3:58
with City of Hope because we need to protect ourselves at all times and all
4:02
the things that we do. So it's very very important. Oh, when
4:06
you talk about Sun, I mean you're in la I'm in Florida and a
4:10
lot of people a lot of it. Yeah, you know, I mean,
4:13
of course, you get it all year round from in every place,
4:15
but we get it predominantly in the warmer climates for sure. Nic. So
4:19
you know, Fred, We're gonna have a little bit of fun tonight like
4:21
we already have. We're gonna play the name game. I'm going to list
4:25
some names and you just tell me what you're give me one or two sentences
4:28
to describe, unless you feel you on describe a little bit more. Start
4:30
off with Roy Campanella. Roy Campanella a dear friend, one of the most
4:39
courageous people that I ever met in my life. And I was so honored
4:45
to have a friendship with Roy and Roxy and I absolutely thought the world of
4:51
me. And people won't know this, so I had a little bit.
4:55
I add one other thing that's kind of interesting. When U I took over
5:00
the Dodgers a general manager in eighty seven, we went into the spring of
5:05
nineteen eighty eight, and I remember calling a meeting where we would meet in
5:12
Dodgertown. Would be in all places in the Roy Capanella room. So here
5:17
are Tommy, the coaches, the scouts. We've got to make a decision.
5:23
Because I brought in Rick Dempsey, the player he's been with his old
5:28
friends. Now we've got Alex Travino, who had guaranteed contract. And so,
5:34
as I did on many most decisions, I went around the room.
5:41
I wanted their thoughts, and when I got to Roy, I'll never forget
5:47
it, he said, Fred, you really don't have a tough decision to
5:53
make here, he said, Rick Dempsey is your man, and he gave
5:58
me his comparison Dempsey and Trevino. Who could make that judgment better than Roy
6:04
Campanella? And who catches and who catches the last pitch of the nineteen eighty
6:13
eight World Series. Rick Dempsey the player that Roy recommended. So a friendship,
6:19
unforgettable, great story. Don't worry, they get better. All right,
6:24
Let's talk about the obvious guy, Tommy. Let's sort of my first
6:26
major interview men at the nineteen eighty one Baseball Winter Meetings. But I am
6:30
my stories, but I want to hear yours, gentleman that worked with the
6:32
guy. I knew him for a long time. Well when I thought the
6:38
world of Tommy, we had a long, amazing relationship. I won't go
6:45
into the story here, Scott, but I first met Tommy in the spring
6:48
of nineteen sixty nine. I was a relatively young writer. Tommy was the
6:55
manager Spokane, and due to a challenge lunch that he gave to me,
7:02
I played shortstop for his Spokane team in a game at Dodger Town against the
7:09
Bakersfield Club. And so we we spent a lot of time together that that
7:16
spring, and the friendship developed that lasted a course for thirty years. And
7:25
when we had one of our tournaments for City of Hope, Tommy was there
7:30
and accepted the celebration of the Life Awards, so legendary. Every you can't
7:40
you can't say Dodgers without thinking of Tommy. Yeah, he was Dodger Blue
7:45
in every sense of the word. And he lived it, breathed it and
7:46
everything. All right. Next one's a tough one. Vin Scully. Vin
7:51
Scully, I was happy to contribute to a book that's just out eloquence on
8:01
Vinnie by Tom Halfratt. And he was absolutely one of the kindest, most
8:13
sincere, really a spiritual way about Vinnie, always about helping others. It
8:26
was about his kindness and a friendship that is embedded in my heart and soul.
8:37
I'll say one thing about Vin Scully every time I tried to get the
8:39
virile Beach. I missed him by a week. My goodness to come in
8:43
for one week, and that was the weekend I missed. You know what,
8:46
I'll tell you what. Every time, he was always one of my
8:48
favorite announcers. Of course, I always be a little bit of partial to
8:52
Ernie Harwell because he's obviously my nicking oins Detroit and he's a mentor of mind.
8:56
But I love Vin Sculley and everything about him. And when I went
8:58
to the Southern cal Horrio Sport Broadcasting Association went to a banquet over there,
9:03
hoping you show up there. Yeah, you showed up all right by video.
9:05
I always seem to miss that. But you know what, everything about
9:09
Vin Scully lives in my mind and my heart, and I definitely don't well
9:15
a legion of fans, a truly, truly all time great as we all
9:22
know in the sportscasting field, and I'm missing We talked often. There's seldom
9:35
a day that goes by that something doesn't happen where I don't think of any
9:39
well, there's no question he's the greatest broadcaster of all the time. I
9:41
don't care what town you live in, you can't appreciate Vin Scully, then
9:45
you can't appreciate the art of broadcasting, that's for sure, all right.
9:48
Jackie Robinson so happy that you mentioned that name, Scott, because Jackie Robinson
10:01
and being with Jackie was absolutely the most memorable part of my thirty years with
10:11
the Dodgers. Was absolutely nothing close to that. And there were two incidents
10:18
where I had the chance to be with Jackie. In nineteen seventy two when
10:24
we first retired uniform numbers in June of seventy two, no Dodger never had
10:28
ever been retired that day we retired the numbers of Jackie, Roy Campanella,
10:35
and Santykofax. Later that year, in October of nineteen seventy two, at
10:43
the World Series in Cincinnati, I was there with Jackie, Don Newcomb,
10:50
Peter O'Malley, and the others who were close to Jackie. And I'll never
10:56
forget the Scott. He had been invited by the commissioner who Kusha throughout the
11:01
first pitch, and he said, I will if you give me a chance
11:05
to speak, and it's all there on YouTube. Jackie talked that day.
11:11
His speech that day, he said baseball has made progress, Jackie said in
11:16
a very polite way, but I will not be happy until I see a
11:22
black man in the third base coaching box, meaning as the manager. Jackie
11:31
died nine days later. He was not in good health. He had diabetes
11:37
in a very serious way and his memory. In fact, when we had
11:46
our golf tournaments for City Hope where we gave the award one year to Tommy,
11:52
one year to Rod Crew, I wanted that celebration of life trophy for
11:56
only one reason. And the most important thing say in this interview Scotty,
12:01
we'll come close to this on that trophy are the words of Jackie Romson.
12:09
And those words are a life is not important except in the impact it has
12:20
on other lives. That was Jackie, always about helping others, never concerned
12:28
about himself. And so I use those words a lot. And the reason
12:35
I use them has Jackie's words have to do with someone who's been a cancer
12:41
patient, like thousands and millions of others. When I walk into City Hope
12:48
and I see the impact that hospitals and other great causes and entities make on
12:56
the lives of other people, I think that Jackie. I think of his
13:01
quote. So it's embedded in my mind, and it's embedded in my soul.
13:05
Well, one thing I like to do every now and then is I
13:09
go to Daytona Beach and go to Jackie Robinson Ball for a canol if you've
13:11
been there. But it's pretty neat how they have a good history up there
13:13
in Daytona Beach for the Daytona Tortu goes and they do a really good job
13:18
honoring his memory there. Well, you brought up Sandy Kochac. Now I
13:20
get to talk about him, So go ahead. What a great segue,
13:24
fred, I swear my godness, maybe we should get the wills and playing
13:30
he'll be the color guy. Go ahead, Sandy, just the end of
13:35
the word for Sandy. Uh perfectionist. That's that was Sandy Uh as a
13:43
what he strives for in his life. And he was a incredible player.
13:52
Picture, he was an incredible teammate. You ask anyone who ever played with
14:00
Sandy. Sandy never forgets his teammates very special to him. And it's a
14:09
uh you know, it's a wonderful memory to have a friendship with Sandy.
14:16
Okay, we know rightfully. So that Jackie Robinson's retired throughout Major League baseball
14:22
al there's a player more worthy of it than him. But a question that
14:24
I tend to get asked a lot, Fred, this should Roberto Clementi have
14:28
his number retired universally like Jackie Robinson. I certainly would be an advocate of
14:39
that. And then someone might say, where do you draw all the line?
14:45
Well, you draw the line as history gives us the people who have
14:52
earned certain areas a certain status. And Roberto, when you think about the
15:01
life of Roberto Clementi, how he lived it. And I've been honored to
15:07
know more about Roberto through a great friendship with Manny Mota and others. But
15:15
when you think about Roberto and you think about Jackie's own quote, a life
15:22
is not important. How did Roberto lose his life? And helping others?
15:28
And I'll tell you one thing, I have no way to know that the
15:35
first person that would probably advocate Roberto having his number retired would be Jackie.
15:41
They are indeed in their own way and so many similarities, but greatness personified.
15:52
Well, Okay, let's go to chatroom, getting some activity there now,
15:56
right, Okay, Walter Mitchell, Yes, clemeny should without a doubt.
16:00
Walter Mitchell again, look at how prevalent the number twenty four. I'm
16:03
Latin ballplayers, okay, and then of course we can't forget by george Ycorn.
16:07
Sandy used to call the NBC Saturday TV Game of the Week with Jim
16:11
Simpson. I also had an opportunity to go out there and meet Sandy Cofax
16:15
at the Florida State League Allfar game back in nineteen eighty five at Ostiola of
16:19
Florida, and he signed a little thing like a little place man. It
16:22
was kind of neat actually that he did. He asked for Vernad Clement.
16:26
He was a gem. So I am curious. So what're your thoughts about
16:30
Joe Davis as a current broadcaster for the Dodgers. He's from the metro Detroit
16:34
area. I met him actually a few years ago, and you know,
16:38
Joe Davis to me, he couldn't ask for a guy to probably pass the
16:44
torch to, you know, obviously he could have had the Tigers job if
16:45
he wanted to be elected to go to LA And my dealings with Joe and
16:49
nothing short of pleasant. Well, I think that Joe's a reputation here in
16:56
Los Angeles, and I guess in the baseball world is is very good and
17:02
is extremely good, and I know he partners with a dear, dear friend
17:07
who I think offers great insights to the game as he's able to with his
17:14
great career, and that's or herscheisters. So you know, I think that
17:22
broadcasting, to me in some ways is more difficult as far as that baseball
17:30
broadcaster reaching into that legendary atmosphere, because the games are delivered in so many
17:38
different ways and there are so many different voices. So we don't have what
17:45
we once had in terms of one announcer being identified with one team year after
17:55
year and decade after decade. But the Dodgers seem to to do a good
18:00
job with the the people that they have, and I don't think anyone offers
18:08
any better insights in the game, certainly from a pitching standpoint than Amal does.
18:15
Okay, Fred, let's go back to nineteen eighty eight, and I
18:17
think you know exactly where I'm going from it. I don't have as good
18:19
a home run call as Jack Buck or Vin Scully, but if I got
18:25
opportunity, I think I have a pretty good one, but I won't say
18:26
it tonight. Kirk Gibson's home run in nineteen eighty eight, his only at
18:30
bat against the Oakland A's what was I know you built the crux of that
18:36
championship team anyways, but let's talk about that moment. Okay, You've had
18:40
a lot of great moments and Dodgers' history dating back to the Brooklyn Dodgers all
18:45
the way to the LA Dodgers. But when you think about Kirk Gibson coming
18:48
out from one at bat during an entire shering practically gave a walk, tell
18:55
me what's going through your mind, not only when you sign Kirk Gibson,
18:57
but that moment there that will never be a race in time Kirk Gibson.
19:03
Well it as history now shows this. Uh, it was a moment meant
19:15
for Kirk. And I know one thing in knowing Kirk very well and remaining
19:23
close friends since his Dodger days, Kirk Kirk always realized moments, opportunities.
19:37
I think he saw that when he came to the Dodgers and saw the team,
19:42
and he certainly did a lot to help to create an attitude that existed.
19:49
But you, the story is so incredible it would be fiction if if
19:59
it isn't true. But that's who Kirk was in everything that he does.
20:07
What you know is that he's going to be ready for any moment. He
20:11
may fail, he may succeed, right, he will realize the moment,
20:18
be ready for the moment. And this one time, this history shows he
20:26
created one of the great great moments. As you say, Scott, about
20:30
your history. Yeah, they always say everything made in Hollywood all was In
20:34
this case, you know what's going to be made here in Deerfield Beach,
20:37
Florida. Candy Emling's gonna give us a station break to promote another book and
20:41
then some and we'll continue the conversation to this is the motest day Man Mouse
20:45
Show. I have pleased to be joined by legendary Vice president and General Manager
20:49
Fred Claire, the architect of the Los Angeles Dodgers and their championship teams.
20:53
Katy's gonna also ask you a question that she asked a station break. So
20:57
he has another book out there. How's that, Fridy. But this broadcast
21:03
is brought is brought to you by the South Florida Tribune Publishing Company, which
21:08
published a book last November called Lessons from the Microphone, Tuning into the Enduring
21:14
Wisdom of Visionary Leaders. It is written by Scott MotorCity Madmouth Morgan Roth and
21:21
the forward is written by George Iikorn. There's even a picture of Scott and
21:26
Tommy in there, and Scott Muhammad Ali, a young Scott and a young
21:30
Muhammad Ali. But it talks about his forty plus years in the industry.
21:36
Go get it. You gotta get your copy today. Read it cool stories.
21:42
It's available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, Google, and
21:47
Apple. You can also please go to our website www dot Solflorida Tribune dot
21:52
com. If you see the red subscribe button in the lower right hand corner,
21:56
please subscribe. Nights we talked baseball Tuesday nights, we talked football Wednesdays
22:03
and Thursdays. We talk all kinds of sports. You never know what we're
22:06
going to have. If you like to listen to podcasts, it's available wherever
22:10
you get your podcast. I heard Radio, Google, Apple, you name
22:12
it, We're there. Back to you, Scott, all right, Well,
22:17
also, you know what we also broadcast Thursday, depending on So Candy's
22:21
question is in your career, what is your greatest accomplishment? Great question.
22:25
I like that one, Scott. I think I won't term it an accomplishment
22:33
per se. Okay, I would say the greatest memories that I have are
22:47
really the fortunate for thirty years to be a part of an organization with still
22:57
many incredible people. The legendary players are obvious, but it's the the people
23:11
who worked in our scouting department, the people who worked in our player development
23:18
department, the people at Dodger Stadium and in the front office. There was
23:23
never a day where I drove into Dodger Stadium without thinking and knowing how blessed
23:33
I was to be in the company so many people. And I've been further
23:41
blessed by being able to be connected to so many lives through that Dodger day.
23:48
So it's not a moment, It's not a one. It's a collection
23:56
of friendships that will remain with me for certainly and obviously all my life.
24:03
Okay, well, you know what, you knew this was coming. I
24:06
think we talked about it before, but you don't mind talking about everything.
24:08
We'll talk about your predecessor, Al Campanis. I met him, Tommy,
24:14
not even Steve Brenner many years ago at the eighty one Winter Meetings, but
24:17
on that one faithful night on ABC News Nightline. You know, Al Campanis
24:23
talked about whether afric African Americans could go out there and manage, and he
24:27
said a lot of racial things. And I know in that interview Ted Copple
24:32
did everything he could to try to save him from paying himself. I remember
24:37
that interview. You know how it is spread sometimes or you remember interviews as
24:41
if they had happened yesterday. And this is what I'm thinking of us.
24:45
Al. Okay, you've been with the organization forty one years. I'm thinking
24:48
to myself, he's trying to save you for problems. Okay, But on
24:52
that one faithful night, what was going through your mind when Al Campanis made
24:57
the comments that he he had, knowing full love that the Dodgers have always
25:02
been one of those organizations which has been minority friendly. Scott, A great
25:10
question. And I didn't see the interview that night for one reason, Al
25:18
did not tell any of us in the Dodger organization that he was going to
25:26
be doing that interview. In fact, during the game, Steve Brenner,
25:30
our publicity person, was there, and an ABC person came up and said,
25:36
where's mister Campanis, And Steve looked at him like in a question.
25:41
He said, why are you asking? He said, because he's going to
25:45
go on our show after the game. So what happened? Scott? And
25:52
Al was a dear, dear friend, as is his son today, Jimmy
26:02
and his grandson, jim Al campandis it's the fortieth anniversary of Jackie Robinson.
26:11
It's nineteen eighty seven. Jackie broke into nineteen forty seven. It's the fortieth
26:17
anniversary. And Ted Copple asked a very basic question, right, mister campanis
26:26
why aren't there more blacks in leadership position in baseball? Owt to his know,
26:37
his greatest regret of certainly is the life right. He loved baseball.
26:45
He tried to defend baseball where there was no defense, and his remarks obviously
26:55
spread even before the Internet, throughout the universe. And Peter O'Malley, there
27:03
were three games in Houston and before the third game asked for Al's resignation.
27:10
I'll never forget Peter was without the airport, leave me Houston to fly back
27:15
to Los Angeles opening day the next day, and Peter speaks to me and
27:23
he said two things. He said, Fred, you have to take this
27:29
job. It's so important to us. And then he said, Fred,
27:33
AL wants to say something to you, and Al said, I'll never forget.
27:41
Sadly, he said, Fred, I wish you could have been with
27:47
me last night. And I said, Ol, I wish you would have
27:52
told me or someone, because I think that we could have given Al more
27:57
of a nature of the all the types of questions that he could be asked.
28:03
But how in his defense of the game really cost him his his job
28:12
as the Dodgers, and Al knew it that night. It's been written that
28:17
he went back to the hotel and there was Vin sculling, and Al said
28:22
to Vinny had once roomed together a trip to Japan or some trip. He
28:26
said rooming. I think I really made a huge mistake tonight, And and
28:36
indeed he had so a very sad chapter. But Al went on he did
28:45
what he could in terms of trying to be helpful in the cause of diversity.
28:53
But it was a very sad ending to a really wonderful career in baseball.
29:00
I think the most important thing, Scott, the players who knew how
29:04
the best. This is the key. He made a huge mistake. Something
29:11
question right, Don Newcombe, Sweet Lou Johnson, all of the others,
29:18
Hal Downey, all of the others knew Al as a person who's a baseball
29:25
man, and knew the opportunities that he gave and where he tried to help
29:30
so many people, including Jackie himself. It was Al who helped school Jackie
29:36
at second base. It was Al who was a key part in the signing
29:41
of Roberto Clemente. So it was a sad chapter, and I feel fortunate
29:48
that I maintained a friendship with his family. Well, you know, let's
29:55
face it, I got to know him at the Baseball Winter meetings. He
29:57
taught me something I didn't know now. And let me tell I was only
30:00
nineteen years old, or just about close to nineteen, and I'll never forget
30:03
Scott. You know, there's three ways to handle the trade. Immediate league
30:08
and then midterm and then long term. And that was my first piece of
30:11
faithball knowledge that he taught me. But it is too bad because he came
30:17
across as a very sincere individual and he had one bad night where unfortunately his
30:22
reputation fell beneath him. But to me, you know, it's just one
30:26
of those things where he made a mistake. Unfortunately, the one thing that
30:30
so many people have done. Is when you make a mistake, don't do
30:33
it on race or minorities, because that's like remember the game when I was
30:37
playing as a kid called hay Man. You know, I enjoyed playing that
30:41
game because you know, you lose the next game, you do the next
30:42
one, but you don't do it when the stakes are that high, especially
30:47
with an announcer like Ted Copple, who was very from eye here I've never
30:51
met him, very sincere and does everything that he can to try to help
30:56
you, but there's just no way that he can help him. That no
30:59
very sad a sad time. So all right, let's go on to a
31:03
different note that recently happened. We have the rick Wood Field game between the
31:07
Saint Louis Cardinals and the San Francisco Giants and the tribute to the negro Leagues.
31:14
What are your thoughts about when that game was playing in such a historical
31:18
venue like that, you know, talking about celebrating the negro leagues. I
31:22
thought it was tremendous. I think that all baseball can do and it needs
31:33
to do more and continue to do more. But I think that the diversity
31:41
of the game is such a important part of the history of the game.
31:48
And I'm really happy to see that many of the records and the achievements of
31:55
those players who played in the Negro leagues, that they're being acknowledged more than
32:04
they have in the in the past, because I joined the Dodgers at a
32:13
time when I understood from Roy Campanella, from Don Nukeomb, from Jim Yilliam,
32:23
these weren't just people who who had a passing part in terms of the
32:32
importance of diversity and the need for progress. They were players who came out
32:38
of the Negro leagues to achieve their their positions in the major leagues. So
32:46
they they were, they're very, very important, and Jackie of course led
32:52
the way. But right there with him was Roy Campanella. Right there with
32:55
him was Don Newcomb, and right there with him is was Jim Gillian.
33:00
And I've been honored to do a forward for a book on Jim that will
33:07
be coming out soon, and I couldn't be happier to see more recognition given
33:15
to his incredible life and incredible career. We cannot forget the past, and
33:22
we cannot forget the people who have contributed to our game. YEA, one
33:28
of the things I'd like to do down the road when I get out to
33:30
Kansas City again, is I plan to take my wife over to the Negro
33:34
Leagues Museum. I know that's a great historical place. I've taken her to
33:37
the Field of Dreams, and I took her to Cooper's Down. Cooper's Downs
33:40
a little expensive. That's what you can see around my house anyways, And
33:44
I won't get into what the bottom line was because then my hair will fall
33:47
off. With little there is anyways, but you know it is. It's
33:52
just sad that Willie Mays unfortunately, I think passed like one or two nights
33:55
before, and I know he wanted to be at that game. But it
33:58
was also great to see Reggie Jackson talked about the stories of the problems.
34:02
I agree. I thought that Reggie's a friend. I thought that his comments
34:08
were very appropriate. And when you talk about Willie, I've been in touched
34:13
the last few days. In fact, I talked to him yesterday with Joey
34:16
mount Patano, who was a teammate of Willie's and who flew from his home
34:22
in Arizona to be there for the celebration of Willie's career, and Joey has
34:28
many wonderful stories about Willie and when Willie first came up and now sadly,
34:35
and we talked about the passing of time. Joey mount Patano is the last
34:39
surviving member with the passion to Willie of the nineteen fifty four world champion New
34:45
York Giants. That's interesting. Okay, let's talk about the Dodgers title.
34:50
During the COVID nineteen year. Everybody and obviously locked up in two stadiums,
34:53
Houston and Texas. How do you, I mean, obviously, you win
34:58
a championship no matter what it is. What's your best interpretation of that title?
35:02
During that year? Nobody will ever put an asterisk on anything, but
35:07
you know, obviously it was a you're gonna get a championship. You do.
35:09
But what are your thoughts about the COVID nineteen title and how you view
35:13
it and how other people view it. Well, it's a strange word,
35:19
she used, but it's unfortunate and that the accomplishments of a team that won
35:28
a world championship is kind of moved off to the side or has an asterisk
35:35
beside it. So I guess my feeling about it is one of feeling that
35:43
those players on the Dodgers, and many many outstanding players in a way got
35:52
robbed of something that should have been an enormous celebration that they they did with
36:00
all the factors of COVID in the short season and everything else. They didn't
36:05
have the celebration of AD eight. They didn't have a celebration of fifty nine.
36:14
But that's what happened of the Dodgers today. I have tremendous respect for
36:23
Dave Roberts, who's become a great friend through the years. I think the
36:29
world of Dave and I want to see Dave win another World championship, to
36:37
give him two, just as Tommy had two. And I think that I
36:44
think that that will happen. I don't know what will happened this year,
36:46
but I think it will happen because the Dodgers have tremendous talent on their team,
36:52
and Dave is, in my view, as capable as any manager in
36:58
the major leagues. I think the world of him. All Right, I
37:00
want to talk about a former manager of yours who's a good friend of mine
37:04
as well, Don Manningly. Okay, do you think that Don Manningly Fred
37:07
should be in the Hall of Fame. I personally will always say yes,
37:12
no matter what. Had a thirteen year career and are undoubtedly one of the
37:15
best hitters in the game. I know other players that have gone in there
37:20
with similar stat but Don doesn't get the recognition that he rightfully deserves. I
37:24
personally think he belongs in the Hall of Fame. But I'm interviewing you,
37:28
what do you think? Well, I guess two things. When I think
37:32
as a non I think of a Hall of Fame type person. Number One,
37:37
yeah, I've never strangely enough, with my career, I've never been
37:44
one that has made a close study or paid attention every year who should be
37:50
in, who should be down the end In general manager days, I didn't
37:55
have the time to think about history. I was concerned about what we were
37:59
going to do to night's game. So I don't I think Don is a
38:04
Hall of Fame person, and I'm certainly have no opposition to be a Hall
38:09
of Fame player and uh the so I I I hope it happens uh for
38:19
him. I don't know when that in his class, when that vote comes
38:23
up again. As far as players, you've been out of the game.
38:29
But I wish the best for him. I think the world of it,
38:32
okay, you know, and let's stay in the Hall of Fame because I
38:36
know they have the Hall of Fame fassivities coming up soon of people that should
38:38
be in there that aren't in there. Do you think that Pete Rose will
38:43
ever get in once he is post once he passes away. I I think,
38:47
uh, Scott, I think Pete rowe should be in the Hall of
38:51
Fame, Okay, no doubt in my mind. And the reason I say
38:54
that, I think the plaque of Pete Pete wrote had a career that was
39:02
a Hall of Fame caliber. Nobody, no one can question that. So
39:07
on that plaque the plot is meant to record districts. Pete Rose achieved this.
39:17
He also, as part of his career, was banned from the game
39:22
for this. Those are facts. We can't change the facts. It's like
39:29
on your tombstone you're born a certain year and you died of first year.
39:32
Those are facts. So I have no problem although that the rule that Pete
39:37
broke, believe me, is the most important rule in our game. It
39:45
was the one rule that as a general manager, every string I had to
39:52
be there as the rule was read to the players and if the player missed
39:57
that meeting, he had to come into my office and either I read or
40:01
had someone read in that rule. You will not ever, under any circumstances
40:08
bet on the game. And I think baseball and all sports, mark my
40:15
words, better be paying very close attention because with all that's happening, and
40:22
sports align themselves more with gambling than ever before in the history of sports.
40:31
Professional legs, college legs need to be more involved, watching more closely,
40:39
pay more attention because they the one thing that all of those sports have in
40:46
common regretted regarding their viability. Right, one word, integrity. Don't you
40:57
ever lose it or you've lost the game? All right, Well, boy,
41:01
I'll tell you would be a great sidekick here in the booth when I'm
41:05
glad to have you in my booth tonight. Anyways, So when you mentioned
41:08
the Hall of Fame, where those going to the Hall of Fame, I
41:13
would advise him when they go to Coopers down the Hall of Fame and a
41:15
young man who helped him met her, I believe that he would say that
41:22
Joshua, which is now the president of the Hall of Fame for from the
41:24
dimebacks, if you're looking for an item in the Hall of Fame. You
41:30
can find the nineteen eighty eight World Series ball in the Hall of Fame.
41:32
I don't know whether you know that or not, Scott, I do not.
41:36
Nineteen eighty eight World Series ended. Rick Dempsey came up to me,
41:40
gave me a big hug, reached in his back pocket and caught the final
41:45
picture moral herscheizer and said, Fred, this ball belongs to you. Wow.
41:51
And then receiving that ball. And then I read a story a year
41:54
or two later that there was that time only one ball from the final hour
42:00
of the Hall of Fame. And I called my friends at the Hall of
42:02
Fame and I said, seeing that's the only one ball from the final out
42:08
I was there to represent that year, I said I have a baseball.
42:13
They said, yeah, we know you do, Fred, And I said,
42:17
I want to donate it to the Hall of Fame so all fans can
42:21
see it. And the guy asked me, Fred, do you have any
42:24
idea what that ball's worth? And I said, you don't have that much
42:29
money. They flew out the next day got the ball. The ball rest
42:34
in the Hall of Fame, representing that wonderful nineteen eighty eight season. An
42:45
incredible historic season. I think his most baseball fans for degree. I'll check
42:51
it out. Good stuff. Okay, So anyways, as we continue a
42:53
little bit of history here with Fred Clare, let's talk about the all time
42:58
Hoole run. You know, I've always viewed because of obviously the steroids,
43:01
and I still recognize Hank Garon's the all time home run king, and Barry
43:06
Bonds obviously holds a record because he has more of them. Okay, but
43:10
what's your interpretation about Bonds and Aaron. I know that debate is around baseball
43:15
and you know, with State's reality. Yeah, I think Scott. Yeah.
43:22
I hate to use the word sad when it comes to great accomplishments,
43:25
right, but the cloud that hangs over it, it's sad because performance enhancing
43:37
drugs played a part in the history of our game. And when you take
43:45
a player like Barry Bonds in the Hall of Fame, very like Pete Rose,
43:52
he was by his accomplishments before anybody knew anything about performance enhancing. So
44:00
I don't I really don't get I love the history, but it's kind of
44:08
strange. But when I think about it, the history of the home run
44:14
that I cherish the most. And this will really date me, but it's
44:17
true, Dave Ruth And the more I see and learn that career, that
44:24
incredible career and what he meant to the game, I don't know that you
44:30
can take any one player in a long period of time and see a player
44:37
that's so impacted the sporting world in our country. Right, Okay, get
44:46
all that leads me, and let's go to Walter Mitchell's question. Does that
44:49
mean that the steroid era should get in? I mean, you know,
44:52
again, that's a question is gonna be bannered around between the different writers that
44:57
are voting now versus the other ones, because obviously they change as time goes
45:00
on. But you know, and I'm going to bring up a couple of
45:02
examples, you know, believe it or not. Frett I worked with Sammy
45:06
Sosa in nineteen eighty seven when I was the director of public relations to the
45:09
Gastonia Rangers. Never thought he'd make it as much as he did, but
45:13
we were actually pretty good friends and we even know and let's not kid her,
45:16
so we can say we want about the steroid era. But if it
45:20
weren't for a McGuire and Sosa, baseball would be in trouble after that debilitating
45:24
strike that took many years to recover. But let's maintain the purpose of Walt's
45:30
question. Should the steroioidic get in at some point? Yeah, I'm sorry,
45:37
Scott, repeat that if you would. Oh, that's okay, no
45:40
problem, I'll repeat the question. You know, does that mean that steroid
45:45
era should get in? And Walter says, let's be honest. Drugs have
45:49
been a part of every sport, from players taking uppers back in the day
45:52
until the ped era. If I were looking at drug use, it's open
45:55
court secret that went on. So how would you go? It's part of
46:00
history. It's just as I said about Pete Rose. It's part of baseball's
46:06
history. It shouldn't be it should be discarded from the books and from history.
46:14
The one thing, the one thing that we should as people, as
46:22
a sport, as a country, the one thing that we should be able
46:27
to do, is to learn from our history and benefit our history, not
46:35
to try to ever deny it, not to cover it up, not to
46:38
recognize people who made great achievements in the game. Sammy Sosa a great player.
46:46
Mark Maguire, I remember when he was on the Olympic team in Los
46:51
Angeles, Barry Bonds, all those players great, great legendary players, and
47:00
then so I I respect them for what they were able to do as Major
47:08
League baseball players. All right, so tell me your thoughts about social media.
47:15
We know full well let me tell you if they had that with campanis
47:17
going on, then it could have been way worse than it was when they
47:21
didn't have it. But let's talk about social media in general. What are
47:23
your thoughts about at number one and the powerful nature for which it can go
47:28
out there and really destroy reputation. Adam Bloomstein says, what's going on?
47:32
Friend? So he just lets say hello to Yeah. So with social media,
47:37
some thoughts, Well, I think it's not only here and now it's
47:45
going to get greater day by day. So we're going to have to learn
47:53
to when I say social media, it continues to grow. And what is
48:01
really helping the growth of that is clearly artificial intelligence. So it is a
48:10
a part of of what we do in our daily lives in every way.
48:21
It has a huge impact on sports and probably even more important, not probably
48:30
even more important, an important part in our political landscape. So it is
48:38
here, it is growing, and it is up to the people who govern
48:49
in all of these areas how it's dealt with, because it's not going to
48:52
go away. And then and it's made. It's a huge, huge impact
49:01
in all of our lives in every single way, without question, huge.
49:07
Right. Okay, let's talk about baseball today, right, Okay, we're
49:10
talking about the different rule changes, the analytics. Now they're talking about robot.
49:14
I'm we don't do bad. But you know, you have the wider
49:16
bases, the pitch clock, the three round visit, you know, the
49:20
drille that you know, the ghost runner how and Joe Madden has been very
49:24
critical recently about the way the game has changed. But let's talk about what
49:30
your interpretation or feelings are about baseball in its current state today, with everything
49:35
else, many many parts of it. I do not like at all.
49:42
This business of an extra ending starting to run on second basis absolutely the dumbest
49:49
thing that I've ever heard. If someone could give me a good reason,
49:53
because there is no good reason, it is absolutely crazy. I think baseball
49:59
we're frankly, reaches too far on some things to be different. I'll give
50:05
you a perfect example. I thought last night or the All Star Game,
50:12
last night. The uniforms were terrible. They could not have been worse.
50:19
You couldn't separate. You know, here's baseball trying to grow its game and
50:23
grow the teams. You see these players, great young players. If you're
50:30
not familiar with it, you know whether the guy plays where the Indians or
50:32
the Dodgers or the Giants or whoever. That was absolutely terrible, and I
50:42
think baseball did itself a disfavor. So the point is this, Okay,
50:47
you want to improve, we want to be up to date, we want
50:52
to be creative, we want to change the game. Don't lose the values
50:57
of the game. And baseball is trying too hard to be different from the
51:05
great game than it is and it's not working well. So there's a lot
51:09
I don't like. Okay, Well, you've got a mega superstar at Dodger
51:15
stam. His name is Sho Hao Tani. Obviously this year is the DH
51:20
but obviously he's a two way player. What are your thoughts at show Hao
51:22
Tani. Well, I think he's tremendous and I'm happy he's with the Dodgers,
51:31
and I think that's great. Mister wald O'Malley was one of the pioneers
51:37
and taking baseball to Japan. I had the great honor as the general manager
51:42
of the Dodgers to sign the first player from Japan. There had been one
51:47
years earlier, but not really of a significance or kind of a different framework.
51:52
But had Deyo Nomo broke the barrier and I signed to Dayo Nomo.
52:00
That story chapter and verse. Part of it is how he came about and
52:04
how we signed him, and again it shows the expansion of the game and
52:10
water O'Malley always believed in and felt, and I think this will probably happen
52:17
because he was the greatest visionary I was ever around. One day you will
52:22
have a repeating his words if you if you would, it's not fair.
52:27
One day you'll have a major league team in Mexico. One day you'll have
52:30
a major league team in Japan, you know what? For some reason in
52:34
that years decades before, so I think O'tani is great and I'm happy to
52:42
see him with the Dodgers. And I'm sure the Angels are very unhappy or
52:47
should be very unhappy not to have him on their team because this guy,
52:52
this player is a very pretty pretty obviously very significant town. For some reason,
52:59
I you were going there. I just knew it get in You know
53:01
you as long as I have for as many years, you're going to go
53:05
with an expansion. So you talk about internationally. So let me just put
53:07
you out on this. Would there gonna be any two particular areas in the
53:12
United States where that you would view as high potential expansion candidates? And then
53:16
the follow up to that is, what are your thoughts about the AIS going
53:20
to Vegas? So answer the expansion question first, and then the A's going
53:22
to I don't see an area in the United States for expansion, and I
53:34
will move right into what's taking place with Oakland going to Vegas, but first
53:40
playing in Sacramento. If that's not the most mixed up, craziest thing I've
53:49
ever heard of, you have to tell me what parallel is that. It
53:54
doesn't make any sense. It absolutely makes no sense. And I feel bad
54:01
for the people in Oakland, and one of the wonderful Oakland executives, a
54:06
dear dear friend of mine, who Andy Gulich, who's been involved with the
54:12
A's for years and trying to do the best to help resolve the situation that
54:17
is a absolute mess. Again, don't don't stray so far in different directions
54:29
that you're losing the core elements of the game. I don't think that makes
54:34
any sense. But you know, Scott, I can say that now because
54:40
no one in baseball listen is to me anymore anyway, so I've got the
54:45
freedom to say it. I would have said it anyway. I always did,
54:52
as people know. But no, I we got to do better than
54:55
that. We got to do better than that we have we have to be
54:59
better than that. Fred, your opinions are value. Don't underrest tomate that,
55:04
my friend, don't do that. But I'm going to ask you this.
55:07
Would you view Nashville and Charlotte as viable expansion possibilities Nashville and Charlotte,
55:14
North Carolina? You know, I haven't really made enough to study it.
55:20
Seems like I would go to Nashville about every five years for the winter meetings,
55:23
so I can tell you all about the Upper hotel, which is big
55:28
enough to host of to build a stadium. I don't know, and in
55:31
fairst to those communities, and I do want to be fair, I can't
55:36
make that judgment. I would have to make a much deeper study. But
55:43
I think the fact that we've got a team now granted permission, as I
55:50
understand that, to make a move, but they can't go there now,
55:53
and so they've got to go to this other site to play until that's resolved.
56:00
That that tells me we're not baseball. The expansion of baseball should be
56:07
a much further look. The expansion of baseball should be what was in the
56:14
vision of the wonderful water A malley might be Tokyo might be Mexico City,
56:22
right, with all due respect, not Charlotte, not Niceville, not Sacramento,
56:27
and not Las Vegas. Think bigger than that. Well, you set
56:30
a mouth over there. I'll tell you when the time comes. I learned
56:34
how to do reels. Although I have other people doing it. We'll have
56:37
a lot of reels off this conversation. Are the technologies I swear I'm doing
56:42
better, But the one that helped you get on here is way better than
56:45
this. In charge of fixing a lot of that. So with that said,
56:49
okay, do you say that they're not candidates? And I think Mexico
56:52
and Tokyo or somewhere out there Korea might be one too, because I know
56:57
there are What are your thoughts about the world Baseball Classic Can the Olympics.
57:00
Do you feel that those are excellent forms of international competition. Yeah, I
57:05
love it. I love it because we were very much involved Scott with international
57:12
baseball. Walter Maley was a pioneer. Peter O'Malley made tremendous, tremendous contributions.
57:20
I've got a good memory. I remember nineteen eighty four. Peter was
57:24
the one responsible, along with Bowie and Ron Dato, to do the work
57:30
to make baseball a demonstration sport. Actually, I was actually at can find
57:39
McGuire and Bonds and others as part of all of that. We need to
57:45
grow. And I couldn't have been happier with the Mature League draft because the
57:52
first player selected was from Australia. I remember as a very young guy going
58:00
to Australia when baseball was just really getting started, and when I saw their
58:07
start, I had two of our wonderful scouts, Monty Basketball and Red Adams
58:15
make a trip due to friends I made with the Australian Baseball Federation. Baseball
58:22
needs to grow and baseball needs to grow globally, and I called Craig Shipley.
58:30
I haven't spoken to him yet because we signed him. He I believe
58:35
Craig was the first player ever signed out of Australia. Now you have a
58:40
draft with teams playing throughout this country at the high school and college level,
58:49
and you have a player from Australia. That's tremendous, right, tremendous.
58:55
And I've got a dear friend who helped brought me on as an advisor,
59:00
Ryan Flynn, with baseball in New Zealand. He did so much and brought
59:05
over players. Baseball needs to expand, and baseball needs to expand globally,
59:12
think b I love that. You know. The only time I was ever
59:15
at Dodger Stay was actually in nineteen eighty four watching the Korean play. It
59:19
was kind of neat, really, And so one other thing I want to
59:22
do before we go back to the books and we'll call it a night.
59:23
What are your thoughts about interleague play? I like it because you get to
59:27
see and it's here, Scott, it's here. Yeah, I've got time
59:31
for one more question. And so if you've got one last stop, because
59:40
I have a wonderful wife and dinner calls and so if you've got one last
59:46
question, I will feel it. Well, I've got the last question.
59:51
Is I want you to go ahead and talk about your book one more time
59:53
and how to get it, and we'll call it a night. Thank you
59:55
for that. The book is extra Fred Claire's Journey the City Hope. And
1:00:04
I'll tell you something. We've been talking about teams. We've been talking about
1:00:07
people from baseball. This is the greatest team, the greatest team I've ever
1:00:17
been a part of, City of Hope. The work that they do and
1:00:22
the work that others, not just City of Hope hospitals, people in need,
1:00:30
people fighting cancer and other illnesses. And I think of Jackie's words that
1:00:37
we mentioned earlier. A life is not important except on the impact it has
1:00:44
on other lives, or so Scott's audience and followers, think about that impact
1:00:52
other lives in a positive way. Be the best that you can be,
1:00:55
and be the best that you can be in helping others, and you will
1:01:01
find that that's the best thing you can do. So, Scott, it's
1:01:05
been a pleasure to be with you. Well, we'll do it again down
1:01:07
the road. Now that your wonderful Candy has figured out how to get me
1:01:12
online, we can do this then again at some point not too far from
1:01:17
here. That sounds good. Candy just needs twenty seconds to let everybody know
1:01:21
how they can find it real quick. And then that way, that's where
1:01:23
your book. Do you have twenty seconds? Can you spare that you met?
1:01:29
Candy can tell us that it can be found on Amazon or Barnes and
1:01:34
Noble. All that proceeds to City of Hope and where our broadcast is going.
1:01:37
Thanks Fred, and I'm so glad you came on MotorCity Man made my
1:01:42
day. But you've been a friend forever anyway, so friends are always friends.
1:01:45
Go ahead, Candy, I want to make sure he gets to dinner,
1:01:47
So go buy his book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble or Kindle Extra
1:01:52
Innings by La Dodgers Fred Claire, or go buy Scott's book Lessons from the
1:01:57
Microphone, Tuning into the Enduring Wisdom of Visionary Leaders. They're both available on
1:02:02
Amazon. Go get your copies today. What else would you like? Well
1:02:08
that's the abbreviate. Go ahead, Candy, and this all broadcast of being
1:02:12
heard on iHeartRadio as well a lot of social media platforms as well. So
1:02:15
Fred will do another best there and make sure the message of your book gets
1:02:20
out. And once again, I am so thrilled that you were able to
1:02:22
take time to join us tonight on the Motor City man Mouth. So so
1:02:25
on behalf of Fred Claire. My name is Scott mortar Mouth, the Motor
1:02:29
City man Mouth. Thank you for joining us tonight. The Sports Exchange is
1:02:32
next. Good night everybody, and we'll see you next week on the MotorCity
1:02:37
mad Mouth and Sports Exchange. Thanks again, Fred, God bless and continue
1:02:40
health. E've been great tonight, God bless, thank you, Thank you,
1:02:44
man shot, best to you and Candy. Take good care of it.
1:02:46
Yeah you the best of you and your wife too, Gred, always
1:02:49
the best of health. All right, thank you? Well I get them
1:03:16
with tomics I never visualized I can do because the thing was going so well. Okay