John Claiborne

Who is John Claiborne?

John W. Claiborne III is a former front-office executive in American Major League Baseball who also was an early president of the New England Sports Network, a regional cable television network primarily owned by the Boston Red Sox that telecasts Bosox baseball and Boston Bruins National Hockey League games.

Claiborne's baseball career began with the New York Mets and ended with the St. Louis Cardinals. After starting out in New York's farm system, he was the Cards' administrative assistant for minor leagues and scouting from 1970–72, and the general manager and chief operating officer of the Redbirds from 1978-80. In between, he was the farm system director of the Oakland Athletics from 1972–75 and the assistant general manager of the Red Sox from 1975–77.

Claiborne ran the A's farm system during the height of the A's dynasty under owner Charlie Finley. Finley served as his own general manager and had a phenomenal degree of success at the major league level with a roster that he had signed and groomed through the player development system.