Steven James Kline (born August 22, 1972 in Sunbury,
Pennsylvania) is a Major League Baseball relief
pitcher who plays for the San Francisco Giants.
Previous to that he had played for the Cleveland
Indians (1997), the Montreal Expos (1997-2000) and
the St. Louis Cardinals (2001-2004) and the
Baltimore Orioles (2005). 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) Renterķa 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 resigned Kline to a
two year deal.
Kline is a fan favorite in San Francisco and
generally regarded by many Giants fans as the most
approachable and friendly player on the team. He is
known to joke with fans, answer questions, and sign
above-and-beyond the expected amount of autographs.
