Ken Clay, who won World Series championships with the New York Yankees in 1977-78 to highlight his five-year major league career, has died at the age of 71.
Dr. Jim Warner, executive medical director for the Centra Heart & Vascular Institute in Lynchburg, Virginia, notified the Yankees on Sunday that Clay died Thursday at home in Lynchburg. Warner said Clay’s cause of death was heart and kidney issues.
A reliever for most of his career, Clay made his major league debut in June 1977 and appeared in two games in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers. In 1978, also against the Dodgers, he gave up a three-run homer to Davey Lopes in Game 1 in his only appearance.
His best postseason outing came in the opener of the 1978 American League Championship Series against Kansas City. The Yankees led 4-0 when Clay entered with one out and the bases loaded in the sixth inning. Clay pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings and earned the save in a 7-1 win.
Clay was 1-7 in 1979 and finished the season in the minors. He was still in the minors when the Yankees traded him to the Texas Rangers for Gaylord Perry the next year. He made eight starts for the Rangers in 1980, going 2-3, and was traded to the Seattle Mariners after the season. The Mariners released him in spring training in 1982.
Clay made 111 appearances in the majors in his career, including 36 starts, and was 10-24 with three saves and a 4.68 ERA.
Source : https://nypost.com/2026/03/30/sports/ken-clay-two-time-yankees-world-series-champ-dead-at-71/
