Ryan Klesko: Difference between revisions

Ryan Klesko
Ryan Klesko
	Left fielder / First baseman
	Batted: Left Threw: Left
debut
	September 12, 1992, for the Atlanta Braves
Last appearance
	September 29, 2007, for the San Francisco Giants
Career statistics
Batting average	.279
Home runs	278
Runs batted in	987
Teams
	Atlanta Braves (1992–1999); San Diego Padres (2000–2006); San Francisco Giants (2007);
Career highlights and awards
	All-Star selection (2001); World Series champion (1995);

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Revision as of 08:05, 21 August 2010

Ryan Anthony Klesko (born June 12, 1971 in Westminster, California), is a former first baseman and corner outfielder, who last played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He attended Westminster High School in Westminster, California.

Klesko hit at least 21 home runs in eight of his 13 major league seasons, with a high of 34 homers in 1996. His most productive season came in 2001, when he hit .286 with 30 home runs and posted career-highs in RBI (113), runs (105), stolen bases (23) and slugging percentage (.539), and made the National League All-Star team. In 2002, he hit .300 with 29 HR and 95 RBI, and collected career-highs in hits (162) and doubles (39). Defensively he has shuttled around the outfield and first base.

In his career he has a .370 on base percentage with a .500 slugging average, for a .870 OPS. His .525 slugging percentage as a Brave ranks 4th all-time among the team's career leaders, ahead of Eddie Mathews. His .886 OPS as a Brave ranks him 5th among Braves' all-time leaders.^[1]

Klesko became the first player to hit a home run in three consecutive World Series road games when he did so against the Cleveland Indians in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the 1995 World Series.

Klesko missed nearly the entire 2006 season due to major shoulder surgery. He returned on September 21, drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter in his first plate appearance. On December 19, 2006, Klesko signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.

Klesko announced his retirement from baseball on April 18, 2008.^[2]

Off the field

Klesko has been actively involved with the Padres Community Relations efforts. In 2001, he received the Chairman's Award, presented annually by the Padres Community Relations Department to the player who best exemplifies the community spirit of John Moores and his family. During his five Padres seasons, Klesko has given his time and money to support numerous philanthropic endeavors in the San Diego community. He has served as the club's spokesperson for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, hosting Make-A-Wish children for batting practice, a pregame ceremony and a ballgame each home stand. Through his Klesko's Korner program, he has regularly provided Padres tickets to children and families facing cancer for the last four years, and he has also been a leading supporter of the Padres Scholars program.

ESPN reporter Pedro Gomez reported on November 16, 2007, Klesko and teammate Barry Bonds were hunting together in Colorado at the time Bonds was notified he was indicted by a federal grand jury in the United States District Court for the Northern District of California.

References

^ http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/leaders_bat.shtml
^ "Klesko retiring from majors after 16-year career, agent says". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-08-01.

External links

Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
Klesko to retire from MLB

[1] ttp://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/leaders_bat.shtml

[2] "Klesko retiring from majors after 16-year career, agent says". ESPN.com. Retrieved 2008-08-01.

[1]

[2]

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 * [[World Series]] champion ({{wsy|1995}})
 }}
-'''Ryan Anthony Klesko''' (born June 12, 1971 in [[Westminster, California]]), is a former [[first baseman]] and [[corner outfielder]], who last played for the [[San Francisco Giants]] of [[Major League Baseball]]. He attended [[Westminster High School]] in [[Westminster, California]]. Ryan previously played with the [[San Diego Padres]] and [[Atlanta Braves]]. He bats and throws left-handed.
+'''Ryan Anthony Klesko''' (born June 12, 1971 in [[Westminster, California]]), is a former [[first baseman]] and [[corner outfielder]], who last played for the [[San Francisco Giants]] of [[Major League Baseball]]. He attended [[Westminster High School]] in [[Westminster, California]].
 Klesko hit at least 21 [[home run]]s in eight of his 13 major league seasons, with a high of 34 homers in {{mlby|1996}}. His most productive season came in {{mlby|2001}}, when he hit .286 with 30 home runs and posted career-highs in [[Run batted in|RBI]] (113), [[Run (baseball)|runs]] (105), [[stolen base]]s (23) and [[slugging percentage]] (.539), and made the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|National League All-Star]] team. In {{mlby|2002}}, he hit .300 with 29 HR and 95 RBI, and collected career-highs in [[hit (baseball)|hits]] (162) and [[double (baseball)|doubles]] (39). Defensively he has shuttled around the outfield and first base.
 In his career he has a .370 [[on base percentage]] with a .500 slugging average, for a .870 [[on-base plus slugging|OPS]]. His .525 slugging percentage as a Brave ranks 4th all-time among the team's career leaders, ahead of [[Eddie Mathews]]. His .886 OPS as a Brave ranks him 5th among Braves' all-time leaders.<ref>http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/ATL/leaders_bat.shtml</ref>
+Klesko became the first player to hit a home run in three consecutive World Series road games when he did so against the [[Cleveland Indians]] in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the [[1995 World Series]].
 Klesko missed nearly the entire {{mlby|2006}} season due to major shoulder surgery. He returned on September 21, drawing a walk as a pinch-hitter in his first plate appearance. On December 19, 2006, Klesko signed a one-year contract with the San Francisco Giants.
@@ Line 40: / Line 42: @@
 ==Off the field==
-*Klesko has been actively involved with the Padres Community Relations efforts. In 2001, he received the Chairman's Award, presented annually by the Padres Community Relations Department to the player who best exemplifies the community spirit of John Moores and his family. During his five Padres seasons, Klesko has given his time and money to support numerous philanthropic endeavors in the San Diego community. He has served as the club's spokesperson for the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation]], hosting Make-A-Wish children for batting practice, a pregame ceremony and a ballgame each home stand. While it was previously reported that he was a skilled hypnotist, Klesko denied this on 4/21/09 on WFNZ's Mac Attack, claiming he had no idea where the rumor started.  Through his Klesko's Korner program, he has regularly provided Padres tickets to children and families facing cancer for the last four years, and he has also been a leading supporter of the Padres Scholars program.
+*Klesko has been actively involved with the Padres Community Relations efforts. In 2001, he received the Chairman's Award, presented annually by the Padres Community Relations Department to the player who best exemplifies the community spirit of John Moores and his family. During his five Padres seasons, Klesko has given his time and money to support numerous philanthropic endeavors in the San Diego community. He has served as the club's spokesperson for the [[Make-A-Wish Foundation]], hosting Make-A-Wish children for batting practice, a pregame ceremony and a ballgame each home stand. Through his Klesko's Korner program, he has regularly provided Padres tickets to children and families facing cancer for the last four years, and he has also been a leading supporter of the Padres Scholars program.
 *[[ESPN]] [[reporter]] [[Pedro Gomez (sports reporter)|Pedro Gomez]] reported on November 16, 2007, Klesko and teammate [[Barry Bonds]] were [[hunting]] together in [[Colorado]] at the time Bonds was notified he was [[Indictment|indicted]] by a [[United States federal courts|federal]] [[grand jury]] in the [[United States District Court for the Northern District of California]].
-*Ryan was the spokesman for a local boot store in San Diego, appearing in an oft-shown advertisement, in which he invites viewers to browse the store's selection of boots, urging them to "come down to Bootworld and tell them I sent ya." The ads still continue to appear sporadically during Padres games even though he is no longer with the team.
-Ryan is also an avid Surfer
-==Trivia==
-{{trivia|date=November 2009}}
-Klesko became the first player to hit a home run in three consecutive World Series road games when he did so against the [[Cleveland Indians]] in Games 3, 4, and 5 of the [[1995 World Series]].
-Klesko is the only player to ever have 3 bats broken in 1 at-bat against Mariano Rivera's cut fastball. {{Citation needed|date=October 2009}}
-Klesko has two sons Corey and Williard.
 ==See also==

v t e Atlanta Braves 1995 World Series champions
2 Rafael Belliard 4 Jeff Blauser 7 Dwight Smith 8 Javy López 9 Marquis Grissom 10 Chipper Jones 11 Charlie O'Brien 12 Eddie Pérez 16 Mike Mordecai 17 Luis Polonia 18 Ryan Klesko 20 Mark Lemke 23 David Justice 24 Mike Devereaux (NLCS MVP) 26 Alejandro Peña 27 Fred McGriff 29 John Smoltz 31 Greg Maddux (NL CYA) 33 Steve Avery 38 Greg McMichael 43 Mark Wohlers 47 Tom Glavine (World Series MVP) 50 Kent Mercker 51 Pedro Borbón Jr. 52 Brad Clontz
Manager 6 Bobby Cox Coaches Third Base Coach 22 Jimy Williams Hitting Coach 28 Clarence Jones Bench Coach 37 Jim Beauchamp First Base Coach 39 Pat Corrales Bullpen Coach 42 Ned Yost Pitching Coach 54 Leo Mazzone Coach 59 Frank Fultz
Regular season National League Division Series National League Championship Series