Former MLB Dodgers GM Speaks On Growing Baseball In New Zealand, Internationally

Former MLB L.A. Dodgers GM Fred Claire said that New Zealand "needs to get a team operating in the Australian Baseball League," according to Cameron Smith of FAIRFAX NZ NEWS. Claire, who has been involved in baseball in the U.S. for more than 30 years, "wants baseball to succeed" in New Zealand and internationally. Claire "will be involved in growing the game in New Zealand" where he recently signed up as a special adviser to Baseball New Zealand CEO Ryan Flynn. Claire: "I'm willing to help in whatever way I can." For baseball to grow in New Zealand, "the plan is simple -- develop it at the grassroots level." Claire: "It's a great game for the youth. I saw the growth of baseball in Australia ... and even now baseball is not at the top rock of Australian sports, but it's growing" (FAIRFAX NZ NEWS, 4/7).