Yankees World Series Champ Dead at 71

Ken Clay, a two-time World Series winner with the New York Yankees, has died at 71 — closing the chapter on a life that swung from championship glory to years of personal and legal turmoil.

The former reliever passed away Thursday at his home in Lynchburg, Virginia, according to Dr. Jim Warner of Centra Heart & Vascular Institute, who confirmed the news to the Yankees on Sunday. His death was attributed to heart and kidney complications.

Clay etched his name into baseball history during the Yankees’ late-1970s dynasty, making his MLB debut in June 1977 and quickly finding himself on the biggest stage. That year, he appeared in the World Series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping the Yankees capture the title.

He returned to the Fall Classic in 1978 — again facing the Dodgers — though his outing in Game 1 proved rough, surrendering a three-run homer to Davey Lopes. Still, Clay delivered when it mattered most earlier that postseason.

In Game 1 of the 1978 American League Championship Series against Kansas City, Clay entered with the bases loaded and one out — a nightmare scenario for any pitcher. Instead, he rose to the moment, tossing 3 2/3 scoreless innings to secure a crucial save in a 7-1 victory.

But his career quickly unraveled.

By 1979, Clay struggled mightily, finishing 1-7 before being sent down to the minors. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner famously blasted him as a “morning glory” — a stinging label for athletes who shine in practice but falter under pressure.

Clay never fully recovered.

He was traded to the Texas Rangers in 1980 as part of a deal involving Gaylord Perry, made a handful of starts, then was shipped off to the Seattle Mariners. By 1982, his major league career was over.

He finished with a 10-24 record, three saves, and a 4.68 ERA across 111 appearances.

But what came after baseball proved even more turbulent.

In the years following his retirement, Clay faced a string of legal troubles that repeatedly landed him in court. In 1987, he pleaded guilty to stealing more than $16,000 from a jewelry distributor where he worked.

Just five years later, he was sentenced to a year in jail in Virginia for stealing from a car dealership employer.

Then in 2001, Clay admitted to forgery and fraud charges in Florida, after using an ex-girlfriend’s identity to rack up more than $40,000 in credit card debt.

The once-promising pitcher who stood on baseball’s biggest stage ultimately spent decades battling problems far from the mound.

Now, his story ends as a complicated legacy — a World Series champion remembered as much for his struggles after the game as his moments of triumph on it.