He returned to California as a member of the Class C Bakersfield Indians in 1946, playing third base and only posting an .838 fielding percentage while batting .266.

In his 11th pro season, at age 27, he was invited to the big-league Cardinals' 1955 spring training camp, but he wasn't given the opportunity to pitch.

He began 1956 in Omaha, but after three games, he was assigned by the parent Cardinals to the Sioux City Soos of the Western League, where on May 15 he became a player-manager at age 27.

Clear finally left the Cardinals' chain in 1957, joining the Pirates as the player-manager of the Douglas Copper Kings of the Class C Arizona–Mexico League.

He was second in the league in ERA behind Don Bruns, tied Candido Andrade for the win lead, and led with 28 complete games (in 31 starts).

Then he became a scout and minor-league instructor for 21⁄2 seasons, until July 1976, when he officially donned a Major League Baseball uniform for the first time as the Angels' bullpen coach under newly-named manager Norm Sherry.

[3] He held that role for the next 11 full seasons, through 1987, working under Sherry, Dave Garcia, Jim Fregosi, Gene Mauch and John McNamara.

In 1979 and 1980, he was joined on the Angels' roster by his nephew Mark, who worked out of Bob Clear's bullpen for his first two seasons in MLB before being traded to the Boston Red Sox.