Ryan Klesko

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**Ryan Klesko**
Born: June 12, 1971 (1971-06-12) (age 36)
Free Agent — No.
First baseman / Left fielder
Bats: Left	Throws: Left
Major League Baseball debut
September 12, 1992 for the Atlanta Braves
Selected MLB statistics (through August 26, 2007)
Batting average	.279
Home runs	278
Runs batted in	984
Teams
Atlanta Braves (1992-1999) San Diego Padres (2000-2006) San Francisco Giants (2007)

Ryan Anthony Klesko (born June 12, 1971 in Westminster, California, Also attended Westminster High School In Westminster, California. Ryan is a first baseman and corner outfielder, who last played for the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. Previously, Klesko played with the San Diego Padres and Atlanta Braves. He bats and throws left-handed.

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; posted career-highs in RBI (113), runs (105), stolen bases (23) and slugging average (.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 .373 on base percentage with a .551 slugging average, for a .924 OPS.

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.

1 Highlights
2 Off the field
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Highlights

All-Star (2001)
19 multi-homer games
Ten career grand slams
One of the top 500 home run hitters in league history
Member of the 1995 World Series Champion Atlanta Braves, for whom he became the first player to hit a home run in three consecutive road games (Games 3,4 and 5 in Cleveland).

[edit] 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 homestand. Surprsingly, he is also a very accomplished hypnotist. 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 hosts Ryan Klesko's Adventures, a show on the Outdoor Network following Ryan on a variety of outdoor activities, including hunting, fishing, and surfing.