Former New York Yankees pitcher Ken Clay, who contributed to the team’s back-to-back World Series victories in 1977 and 1978, has passed away at 71 years old.
The Yankees received notification on Sunday from Dr. Jim Warner, executive medical director at Lynchburg’s Centra Heart & Vascular Institute in Virginia, that Clay had died Thursday at his Lynchburg residence. Warner reported that heart and kidney complications led to Clay’s death.
Primarily working as a relief pitcher throughout his career, Clay first reached the majors in June 1977 and participated in two World Series games against the Los Angeles Dodgers. During the 1978 World Series rematch with Los Angeles, he allowed a three-run home run to Davey Lopes in his sole Game 1 appearance.
Clay’s finest postseason performance occurred in the opening game of the 1978 American League Championship Series versus Kansas City. Entering the game with New York ahead 4-0, Clay took the mound in the sixth inning with one out and runners on all three bases. He delivered 3 2/3 innings without allowing a run and secured the save in the Yankees’ 7-1 victory.
The 1979 season proved difficult for Clay, who posted a 1-7 record and ended the year playing in the minor leagues. While still in the minors, New York dealt him to the Texas Rangers in exchange for Gaylord Perry. Clay started eight games for Texas in 1980, compiling a 2-3 record, before being dealt to the Seattle Mariners following the season. Seattle released him during 1982 spring training.
Throughout his major league tenure, Clay appeared in 111 games, making 36 starts, and finished with a 10-24 record, three saves, and a 4.68 earned run average.
During Clay’s struggles in 1979, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner publicly criticized his performance, infamously labeling him a “morning glory,” comparing him to racehorses that excel during practice sessions but fail to deliver during actual competition.
Clay encountered several legal troubles after his baseball career concluded. In 1987, he entered a guilty plea in Virginia for theft of more than $16,000 from a ring distribution company where he was employed. Five years later, he received a one-year Virginia jail sentence for stealing $550 from an automotive dealership employer. In 2001, Clay admitted guilt to forgery and additional charges in Florida, agreeing to reimburse creditors over $40,000 for fraudulently using his former girlfriend’s identity to deceive three credit card companies.
