Steve Kline (left-handed pitcher)
| Steve Kline | |||
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Kline with the San Francisco Giants
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| Pitcher | |||
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Born: August 22, 1972 Sunbury, Pennsylvania |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 2, 1997, for the Cleveland Indians | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| September 25, 2007, for the San Francisco Giants | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 34–39 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.51 | ||
| Strikeouts | 493 | ||
| Teams | |||
Steven James Kline (born August 22, 1972) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Montreal Expos, St. Louis Cardinals, Baltimore Orioles, and San Francisco Giants over an 11 year career. Kline attended West Virginia University, where he played college baseball for the Mountaineers.
Known for his colorful sound bites, he has accused umpires of favoring the New York Yankees and has jokingly said he thought about putting one ump in the "Kobra Klutch". 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.
Though he did not bat often, Kline, a switch hitter, chose to bat right-handed against right-handed pitchers three times in his career.
Kline was selected by the Cleveland Indians 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 season opener. He entered in the 6th inning with 1 out and a runner on base, against the Oakland Athletics 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 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.
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