PITTSBURGH – "Nasty hat, nastier stuff."

That was the call from the broadcast booth when MLB reliever — and now IUP baseball head coach — Steve Kline came to the mound during his 13-year Major League career.

Kline, who pitched for seven teams and posted a 3.51 career ERA, will be inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, Robert "Tick" Cloherty – Western Chapter. He has led the IUP baseball program since 2022, guiding the Crimson Hawks to the NCAA Division II College World Series in 2024. Kline has won 118 games at IUP.

One of the most unique stats from Kline's MLB career involves one of the game's greatest hitters. San Diego Padres legend Tony Gwynn struck out looking just 34 times in his 20-year career — and one of those came against Kline.

Kline was drafted in the eighth round by the then-Cleveland Indians in the 1993 MLB Draft. He recorded two seasons with a sub-2.00 ERA, both with the St. Louis Cardinals, and finished six seasons with a .500 record or better as a reliever. In all, he pitched 682.1 innings in the majors and struck out 493 batters.

After his playing career, Kline worked as a scout for the San Francisco Giants and was part of the group that helped discover the team's current ace, Logan Webb.

Kline will be officially inducted into the Hall of Fame on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the Sheraton Station Square Hotel in Pittsburgh. The ceremony begins at 6 p.m.