1973 Profile: Steve Kline

"The heir. The likely successor to Mel Stottlemyre as ace of the Yankee staff. Kline throws the same heavy sinker which has made Stottlemyre so effective. He has the ability to turn a game into infield practice. He had a 13-4 record with a 1.69 earned run average on August 10 but slipped during the last six weeks of the season.
'He'll have to get his curve a little better,' manager Ralph Houk says. Still, he had a fine 2.40 ERA and four shutouts in his second full season.
Born October 6, 1947 in Wenatchee, Washington, Steve has attended Washington State, the University of Miami and Cal Tech in quest of his math degree. Bright and affable, he's an all-around athlete."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1973 Edition

Pitcher
New York Yankees
1972 - W-L: 16-9/ERA: 2.40/SO: 58
"The surprise ace of the Yankees' staff in 1972, Kline is essentially a control pitcher with a good slider and an assortment of other pitches. He had a shot at 20 victories until the Yankees slumped in the midst of a four-team race near the end of the season.
General Manager Lee MacPhail and Manager Ralph Houk stuck with Steve after so-so 6-6 and 12-13 performances in 1970 and 1971."

-Cord Sportsfacts Baseball News 1973

"This bright, personable, handsome young man is a mathematics major. He is also a pitcher who won 16 games for the Yankees in 1972 and through most of the season had the lowest earned run average in the American League.
Always a well-thought-of prospect, Steve progressed steadily through the Yankee farm system until arriving on the major league scene in the summer of 1970. He improved each year before blossoming as a star last season, and at age 25, a world of glittering tomorrows are before him.
Steve comes from Mel Stottlemyre territory - the state of Washington, where they apparently turn out pitchers who throw tantalizing sinkers and force hitters into frustration.
Steve Kline is about as handsome as he'll ever be, but as a pitcher - many more great deeds seem sure to come."

-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook

"Steve takes his place among the better pitchers in baseball after his fine 1972 season when he won 16 and lost 9 with an ERA of 2.40, eighth best in the AL, in only his second full season in the major leagues. His ERA was among the top three in the AL for most of the season, being below 2.00 as late as September 7. He set career highs in games, games started, wins, innings pitched and ERA.
Steve is one of many bright young players who are taking advantage of Baseball's College Scholarship Program. He has attended Washington State, the University of Miami and California Polytechnic during the off-season in quest of a math degree.
A product of the state of Washington, he was signed by scout Eddie Taylor, who also inked Mel Stottlemyre.
The Mayor's Trophy Game will always hold a special place in Steve's heart, as it was in this exhibition game in his rookie year of 1970 that he hurled a complete game victory and thereby pitched himself back into the starting rotation.
One of the most eligible bachelors on the club, Steve's hobbies are hunting and fishing."

-1973 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide