Ryan Klesko Interview

Here is an interview from a few years ago with Ryan Klesko.

Just think if John Schuerholz had given up Ryan Klesko.

The Braves may have never won the World Series in 1995.

Schuerholz somehow kept Klesko when he was talking trade with the Padres in 1994. Klesko was Atlanta’s best prospect then, a first baseman. But the team needed a veteran bat in the lineup and San Diego had made Fred McGriff available.

The Braves got the Padres to take Melvin Nieves as the top prospect back in the deal instead of Klesko, even though the Padres wanted the Southern California native in the deal. It was one of Schuerholz’s best moves as Atlanta’s general manager to keep Klesko.

Klesko would play in parts of eight seasons with the Braves. He hit .281 with a .361 on base percentage, 139 home runs, 450 runs batted in and 684 hits. Klesko then went on to play for the Padres (when he was traded with Bret Boone and Jason Shiell for Wally Joyner, Reggie Sanders and Quilvio Veras) for eight seasons and the Giants for one last year in 2007.

In the 1995 postseason, Klesko was a star. He hit .467 (7-15) in the National League Division Series against the Rockies. Then he went 0-10 in the series with the Reds as the Braves won the pennant. But with three home runs against the Indians, Klesko made his mark on the 1995 postseason.

Listen to The Bill Shanks Show weekdays at 3:00 p.m. ET on Middle Georgia’s ESPN. You can listen online at TheSuperStations.com. Follow Bill on Twitter at @billshanks and you can email him at thebillshanksshow@yahoo.com.