After seven seasons in the minor leagues, James reached the majors as a right-handed setup man for the California Angels in 1995. He pitched in 173 games for the Angels from 1995 through 1997, but missed nearly all of the next two seasons with elbow problems. Following “Tommy John” surgery in June 1998, James didn’t return to the big leagues until April 2000 with the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished his comeback season with two wins, two saves and a 3.16 ERA over 51 appearances. Kline added a relief victory in Game One of the NLDS vs. the Atlanta Braves, but was hammered for three home runs in two and one-third innings against the New York Mets in the League Championship Series.
