Steve Kline (left-handed pitcher)

Infobox MLB player


width = 150px
name=Steve Kline
position=Relief pitcher
team=Free Agent
number=--
bats=Right
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date and age|1972|8|22
debutdate=April 2
debutyear=1997
debutteam=Cleveland Indians
statyear=2007
stat1label=Win-Loss
stat1value=34-39
stat3label=Earned run average
stat3value=3.51
stat4label=Strikeouts
stat4value=493
teams=
*Cleveland Indians (by|1997)
*Montreal Expos (by|1997-by|2000)
*St. Louis Cardinals (by|2001-by|2004)
*Baltimore Orioles (by|2005)
*San Francisco Giants (by|2006-by|2007)

Steven James Kline (born August 22, 1972 in Sunbury, Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball relief pitcher who is currently a free agent. Previous to that he had played for the Cleveland Indians (by|1997), Montreal Expos (1997-by|2000), St. Louis Cardinals (by|2001-by|2004), Baltimore Orioles (by|2005), and San Francisco Giants (by|2006-by|2007). He is not related to Steve Kline, a former MLB right-handed pitcher.

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.

During his first week of play with the Orioles, Kline lashed out at his fellow teammates for not supporting him like his Cardinals teammaters had when he said, "I'm so used to (Edgar) Rentería 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, Baltimore traded Kline to the Giants for set-up reliever LaTroy Hawkins.

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. After a poor spring training before the by|2008 season, Kline was designated for assignment on March 30 and was released on April 5. On April 10, 2008, Kline signed a minor league contract with the Philadelphia Phillies and was assigned to their Triple-A affliate, the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in Allentown, Pennsylvania. On June 9, 2008, Kline was ejected from a game for making contact with an umpire; facing a fine and possible suspension, the Phillies released Kline two days later, on June 11, 2008.

Controversy

On May 13, 2007, while the Giants were routing the Colorado Rockies 15-1, in the 8th inning, Steve 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, Kline hit Torrealba on the first pitch 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.

Facts

*Kline attended college at West Virginia University
*He is married to Martine Pepin and they have two daughters, Audrey Jade and Mia Rose
*He currently lives in Windfield, Pennsylvania with his wife and two daughters.
*His wife is pregnant with their third child.

External links

*
* [http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/players/profile?statsId=5778 ESPN Player Profile]
* [http://www.insidestl.com/mckernan/index.php?storyid=45 An InsideSTL Interview: Steve Kline]