Jay Kleven

Jay Allen Kleven (December 2, 1949 – June 30, 2009) was a Major League Baseball player in 1976 for the New York Mets. He played in 2 games as a catcher that year due to injuries to starting catcher Jerry Grote and second string catcher John Stearns. Kleven singled in his final at bat as a major leaguer, going one for five for his career. This lone hit of his career came against future Hall-of Famer Bruce Sutter.

Kleven attended California State University, East Bay in Hayward, California, where he played baseball from 1967–1971. He was named to the All Far Western First Team twice and is listed in the CSUEB Intercollegiate Athletics Hall of Fame.^[1]

Notes

Attended San Lorenzo High School in San Lorenzo, California and graduated in 1967. Played varsity baseball and they beat Castro Valley High at Cal State Hayward in a playoff game. It allowed San Lorenzo High to go to the Tournament of Champions. Dedicated the rest of his life to the students of the San Lorenzo Unified School District, where he served mainly as an instructional aide and coach of various athletic teams. Kleven died following hip surgery on June 30, 2009.

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference