Ron Kline

From BR Bullpen

Ronald Lee Kline

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 3", Weight 205 lb.

Debut April 21, 1952
Final Game June 13, 1970
Born March 9, 1932 in Callery, PA USA
Died June 22, 2002 in Callery, PA USA

[edit] Biographical Information

Right-hander Ron Kline was signed as an amateur free agent by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the 1950 season. The 18 year old would spend his initial season with the Bartlesville Pirates of the class D Kansas-Oklahoma-Missouri League and would win 5 and lose 2 with a 3.81 ERA. 1951 would see him back with Bartlesville, this time going 18-4 with a 2.51 ERA. Ron's 18 wins and 208 strikeouts would lead the league and make him the starting pitcher in the KOM All-Star game. He would finish up the year with the New Orleans Pelicans of the AA Southern Association going 1-3 with a 3.86 ERA.

In 1952 Ron would pitch for the Burlington-Graham Pirates of the class B Carolina League going 3-6 with a 3.51 ERA and also get his first look at major league hitters at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh appearing in 27 contests without much success, going 0-7 with a 5.49 ERA, and would spend the next two years (1953-54) in the United States Military Service during the Korean War.

As a starting pitcher for the Pirates in 1952 and from 1955 to 1959, Ron struggled to a 53-83 record, leading the National League in losses in both 1956 and 1958. He was traded to the Cardinals after the '59 season, missing out on Pittsburghs 1960 World Series Championship. He moved over to the American League in 1961 with the expansion Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers before becoming one of the better relievers while with the Washington Senators from 1963 to 1966. The 6' 3" right-hander had four straight good years in Washington, picking up 73 saves including a league-leading 29 in 1965.

After going 7-1 with 5 saves for the Twins in 1967, he came full circle back to Pittsburgh in 1968 as a polished veteran bullpen ace, going 12-5 plus seven saves with an excellent 1.68 ERA. Ron was then with San Francisco, Boston and his tenth and final team, the Atlanta Braves, before concluding his 17 year career in 1970 with a record of 114-144 and 108 saves in 736 games.

Kline was the only pitcher to defeat the Brooklyn Dodgers / Los Angeles Dodgers, the New York Giants / San Francisco Giants and the New York Yankees and the New York Mets during regular season games. Warren Spahn and Vern Law also accomplished the feat but their victories against the Yankees came in World Series competition.

Following his retirement from baseball, Kline served as mayor of Callery, Pennsylvania, his home town. Callery is a small town (pop. 444), located in Butler County, about thirty or thirty five miles north of Pittsburgh. Kline died on June 22, 2002 at his home and was ill with heart and kidney problems at the time of his death.