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Steven James Kline (born August 22, 1972) is an American
college baseball College baseball is baseball that is played by Student athlete, student-athletes at institutions of higher education. In the United States, college baseball is sanctioned mainly by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); in Japan, ...
coach for the IUP Crimson Hawks. He is also a former professional
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
who pitched for the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
,
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
,
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
,
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
, and
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
of
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB) over an 11-year career. Kline attended
West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...
, where he played college baseball for the
Mountaineers Mountaineering, mountain climbing, or alpinism is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains. Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing, skiing, and traversing via ferratas that have become sports ...
.


Career


Cleveland Indians

Kline was selected by the
Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. Since , the team ...
in the 8th round of the 1993 draft as a starting pitcher. In 1994, he led the South Atlantic League with 18 wins (a team record), 174 strikeouts, and 185.2 innings pitched while playing for Single-A Columbus (Georgia), earning him the Bob Feller Award as Cleveland's best minor league pitcher. Following a difficult season in 1996, where Kline went 8–12 with a 5.46 ERA at the Double A level, the Indians began using Kline primarily as a reliever for 1997. Kline made his major league debut with the Indians in their
1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...
season opener. He entered in the 6th inning with 1 out and a runner on base, against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
with the score tied 6-6. He induced a flyout from Scott Spiezio for his first major league out, and the baserunner ( Ernie Young) was
caught stealing In baseball, a runner is charged, and the fielders involved are credited, with a time caught stealing when the runner attempts to advance or lead off from one base to another without the ball being batted and then is tagged out by a fielder wh ...
on the next pitch. He earned his first major league win as the Indians rallied to take the lead in the next half inning with Kline as the pitcher of record. He would go on to strike out his first major league batter (future teammate Jim Edmonds) in his next appearance. Kline ultimately struggled early in the season, and was sent back down to Triple A, where he continued to be used primarily as a reliever. At the 1997 MLB Trading Deadline, Kline was traded to the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
for pitcher Jeff Juden.


Montreal Expos

Kline appeared in 26 games with the Expos in 1997, though he struggled to a 6.15 ERA. Combined, his 1997 ERA between both Montreal and Cleveland was 5.98. However, Kline began to take big strides forward as a left-handed reliever during the 1998 season. He held left-handed batters to a .178 average, and proved that his arsenal of pitches could be successful against both righty and lefty batters as even righties hit only .253 off him. He earned his first major league save on August 9 against the
Arizona Diamondbacks The Arizona Diamondbacks are an American professional baseball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Diamondbacks compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West Division. The franchise was established ...
, entering the game to start the 8th inning in a save situation (ahead 5–2), and finishing off what became an 8–2 victory. He finished 1998 with a 2.76 ERA in 78 appearances. His 78 appearances tied for second in the National League with Robb Nen and Chuck McElroy, and sixth in baseball. In 1999 and 2000, he continued his strong pitching. He posted a career high total for wins in a single season in 1999 (7), and achieved a rare feat by striking out 4 batters in an inning against the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
on August 17. In 2000, Kline was actually used as the closer in June and part of July, amassing a career best 14 saves. He would actually lead or tie for the lead in Major League baseball for relief appearances in both seasons, demonstrating his durability, and the fact that he was a key reliever who had earned the trust of his manager. In December 2000, Kline was part of what at the time was a blockbuster offseason trade between the Expos and
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
as he headed to the Cardinals with pitcher Dustin Hermanson for young pitcher Britt Reames and the injury prone young slugger Fernando Tatis.


St. Louis Cardinals

During his time in St. Louis, Kline quickly became a fan favorite, known for the dirty hat he always wore when pitching. It was even inspiration for a Cardinals promotion at the ballpark in 2002, which the team called "Steve Kline Hat Day," and an ESPN feature on the subject. Kline was also active in the community with charity work, and quickly became known as an "everyman" who enjoyed spending time with fans and signing autographs. Kline easily ended up being the catch of that trade as he had his best season to date in 2001, finishing 3–3 with a 1.80 ERA and again leading all of MLB in relief appearances with 89, setting a new MLB record for a left-hander in a single season. It was the third consecutive season Kline had tied or led MLB in appearances. He held left-handed batters to a .149 batting average. Additionally, not only did Kline not allow a left-handed batter to hit a home run off him all season, he did not allow a single
extra-base hit In baseball, an extra-base hit (EB, EBH or XBH), also known as a long hit, is any hit (baseball), base hit on which the batting (baseball), batter is able to advance past first base without the benefit of a fielder either committing an error (base ...
to a lefty either. After his strong campaign, Kline even received an MVP vote, the only time in his career he did so. He remained one of the top left-handed relievers in baseball through the 2004 season, though, rather infamously in 2001 and 2002, he threw the pitches that ended both Cardinals' seasons during the MLB playoffs. In 2001, he gave up a walk off series winning single to Tony Womack of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the
Division Series The Division Series is the quarterfinal round of the Major League Baseball postseason. Four series are played in this round, two each for both the American League and the National League. 1981 season The first use of the term "Division Series ...
, and in 2002,
Kenny Lofton Kenneth Lofton (born May 31, 1967) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. Lofton was a six-time All-Star (1994–1999), four-time Gold Glove Award winner (1993–1996), and at retirement, was ranked 15th among ...
got him for a similar hit in the
NLCS The National League Championship Series (NLCS) is a Playoff format#Best-of-seven playoff, best-of-seven playoff and one of two League Championship Series comprising the penultimate round of Major League Baseball's (MLB) Major League Baseball po ...
to send the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
to the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
against the
Anaheim Angels The Los Angeles Angels are an American professional baseball team based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The Angels compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) West Division. Since 1966, the team has pl ...
. However, he was a key cog in both postseasons for the Cardinals. In fact, in 2001, Kline was called upon to close out both Cardinals victories in their 5-game Division Series loss to the Diamondbacks, and he responded with 2 saves in those clutch situations. Kline's overall effectiveness against left-handed batters was again highlighted on August 12, 2002, despite the fact that in that game he gave up a home run to left-handed slugger
Brian Giles Brian Stephen Giles (born January 20, 1971) is an American former Major League Baseball outfielder. During his career he played for the Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and San Diego Padres. The left-handed Giles was a two-time All-Star an ...
. It was noted that the home run was the first Kline had allowed to a left-handed batter in over 2 years (the last had been to Troy O'Leary on July 17, 2000). Kline appeared in his 500th Major League game on August 13, 2003, pitching 1.1 scoreless innings against the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
. Kline posted a career year in
2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...
, at 2–2 with a 1.79 ERA. He did not surrender an earned run pitching at home at
Busch Stadium Busch Stadium (also referred to informally as "New Busch Stadium" or "Busch Stadium III") is a baseball stadium located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is the home of Major League Baseball's St. Louis Cardinals. It has a seating capacity of 44,383, ...
, and held left-handed batters to a .143 average. He was also part of the Cardinals' run to the World Series, where they fell to the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
. However, he was not able to pitch in the World Series after aggravating a finger tendon injury in the 2004 NLCS against the
Houston Astros The Houston Astros are an American professional baseball team based in Houston. The Astros compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. They are one of two major leag ...
. During the 2004-05 offseason, Kline signed as a free agent with the
Baltimore Orioles The Baltimore Orioles (also known as the O's) are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East Division. As one of the America ...
.


Baltimore Orioles

During his first week of play with the Orioles, Kline lashed out at his teammates for not supporting him like his Cardinals teammates had when he said, "I'm so used to (Edgar)
Rentería Errenteria (, ) is a town located in the province of Gipuzkoa in the Basque Country (autonomous community), Basque Autonomous Community, in the north of Spain, near the French border. The river Oiartzun (river), Oiartzun cuts its way through the ...
and Jimmy ( Edmonds) running down my mistakes and picking me up." He also bashed his home fans when he declared, "There's nothing worse than getting booed at home. St. Louis fans are too good for that. They understand the game more than most people." Following the 2005 season, in which he posted a 4.28
ERA An era is a span of time. Era or ERA may also refer to: * Era (geology), a subdivision of geologic time * Calendar era Education * Academy of European Law (German: '), an international law school * ERA School, in Melbourne, Australia * E ...
, Baltimore traded Kline to the
San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are an American professional baseball team based in San Francisco. The Giants compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
for set-up reliever LaTroy Hawkins.


San Francisco Giants

Following the struggles of his 2005 campaign, Kline had a successful debut season in
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
with the Giants, posting a 4–3 record to go along with a 3.66 ERA. He appeared in his 700th game on July 26, 2006, pitching a scoreless inning against the
Washington Nationals The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. They play their home games at Na ...
, who of course had been the Expos when Kline had pitched for them earlier in his career in Montreal. All told, he would appear in 72 games in 2006. On December 8, 2006, the Giants re-signed Kline to a two-year deal. Kline was used as a left-handed specialist in the 2007 season, pitching in 68 games, and worked 46 innings with a 4.70 ERA and a 1–2 record. However, Kline struggled in 2007 compared to his earlier success, as lefties hit .318 off him. On May 13, 2007, while the Giants were routing the
Colorado Rockies The Colorado Rockies are an American professional baseball team based in Denver. The Rockies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. Th ...
15–1, in the 8th inning, Kline gave up a single to Yorvit Torrealba. Torrealba stole second, meaningless to the Giants, and scored on a base hit for the Rockies' second run. Kline told the newspapers he was angry at Torrealba for stealing a base in a 15–1 game, saying "You know what? I'm a dumb hick, and I forget a lot of things, but I'm not gonna forget that." Torrealba responded by saying "What's he gonna do? Hit me with an 84 MPH fastball?" The next time Kline faced the Rockies, on May 26, 2007, Torrealba was hit on the first pitch by Kline with an 88 MPH fastball. As Torrealba walked to first, he said something angrily to Kline, and the benches cleared. The two had to be restrained by teammates and the umpires while they struggled to fight each other. After a poor
spring training Spring training, also called spring camp, is the preseason of the Summer Professional Baseball Leagues, such as Major League Baseball (MLB), and it is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spri ...
before the season, Kline was
designated for assignment Designated for assignment (DFA) is a contractual term used in Major League Baseball (MLB). A player who is designated for assignment is immediately removed from the team's 40-man roster, after which the team must, within seven days, return the pla ...
on March 30 and was released on April 5. On April 10, 2008, Kline signed a minor league contract with the
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
and was assigned to their Triple-A affiliate, the
Lehigh Valley IronPigs The Lehigh Valley IronPigs are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. They are located in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and they are named in reference to pig iron, used ...
. On June 9, 2008, Kline was ejected from a game for making contact with an
umpire An umpire is an official in a variety of sports and competition, responsible for enforcing the rules of the sport, including sportsmanship decisions such as ejection. The term derives from the Old French , , and , : (as evidenced in cricke ...
; facing a fine and possible suspension, the Phillies released Kline two days later, on June 11, 2008. Kline finished his career tied for 11th all-time among left-handed pitchers with 796 appearances.


Post-playing career

Steve Kline, as pitching coach of the Augusta Greenjackets After his release from the Phillies in 2008, Kline retired and began coaching in the Giants instructional leagues. On December 17, 2008, he was announced as the pitching coach for the Single-A Augusta GreenJackets. On May 10, 2011, he was suspended after he head-butted an umpire. He was later suspended for 15 days and fined $500 for the incident. On January 26, 2012, he was announced as the pitching coach for the Class A Advanced
San Jose Giants The San Jose Giants are a Minor League Baseball team of the California League and the Single-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Located in San Jose, California, the Giants play their home games at Excite Ballpark. Games San Jose Giants g ...
. Then, in the World Baseball Classic Qualifier, which took place in Taiwan from November 15 to 18, 2012, Kline was the pitching coach of team New Zealand. He returned as the Augusta GreenJackets' pitching coach for the 2013 and 2014 seasons. He served as the pitching coach for the
Richmond Flying Squirrels The Richmond Flying Squirrels are a Minor League Baseball team based in Richmond, Virginia. The team, which is a part of the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants major league club, and plays at The Diamond. Th ...
, the Double-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants, from 2015 to 2017 and again from 2020 to 2021. He spent most of the 2018 and 2019 seasons as the pitching coach for the club's Triple-A affiliate, the
Sacramento River Cats The Sacramento River Cats are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and are the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Prior to 2015, the River Cats were the Triple-A affiliate of the Oakland ...
, with a brief stint as the San Francisco Giants' bullpen coach in 2019. On June 4, 2021, he was named head coach of
Indiana University of Pennsylvania Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) is a Public university, public research university in Indiana, Pennsylvania, United States. The university is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and Carnegie Classification o ...
's Division II baseball team.


Pitching style

Known for his colorful sound bites, he has accused umpires of favoring the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
and has jokingly said he thought about putting one ump in the "Cobra Clutch". One of Kline's signature pitches is a sinker that seems to "roll off the kitchen table". He utilized this pitch frequently when serving as a setup man for the St. Louis Cardinals. He also had an above average slider that he often featured against left-handed batters throughout his career, and would throw the occasional
changeup A changeup is a type of pitch in baseball and fastpitch softball. The changeup is a staple off-speed pitch often used in a pitcher's arsenal, usually thrown to look like a fastball, but arriving much more slowly to the plate. Its reduced spee ...
. Though he did not bat often, Kline, a
switch hitter In baseball, a switch hitter is a player who bats both right-handed and left-handed, usually right-handed against left-handed pitchers and left-handed against right-handed pitchers, although there are some exceptions. Characteristics Right-han ...
, chose to bat right-handed against right-handed pitchers three times in his career.


See also

* List of Major League Baseball single-inning strikeout leaders * Steve Kline (right-handed pitcher) *
Steven Klein (disambiguation) Steven Klein or Kline may refer to: Sports * Steve Kline (left-handed pitcher) (born 1972), MLB pitcher * Steve Kline (right-handed pitcher) (1947–2018), MLB pitcher *Steve Klein (soccer) Steve Klein (born May 11, 1975) is an American soccer co ...


References


Steve Kline to serve as San Jose Giants Pitching Coach


External links


An InsideSTL Interview: Steve Kline
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kline, Steve 1972 births Living people American expatriate baseball players in Canada Baltimore Orioles players Baseball coaches from Pennsylvania Baseball players from Northumberland County, Pennsylvania Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Burlington Indians players (1986–2006) Canton-Akron Indians players Cleveland Indians players Columbus RedStixx players Lehigh Valley IronPigs players 21st-century American sportsmen Major League Baseball pitchers Minor league baseball coaches Montreal Expos players New Haven Ravens players Ottawa Lynx players People from Sunbury, Pennsylvania Peoria Chiefs players San Francisco Giants players St. Louis Cardinals players Watertown Indians players West Virginia Mountaineers baseball players IUP Crimson Hawks baseball coaches