Win-Loss 24-33 Role Baseball player Name Al Levine | Strikeouts 278 Earned run average 3.96 Movies Black Sunday | |
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Education Southern Illinois University Carbondale Similar People John Frankenheimer, Robert Evans, Thomas Harris, Ernest Lehman, Ivan Moffat | ||
Al levine on the scene interview
Alan Brian "Al" Levine (born May 22, 1968, in Park Ridge, Illinois) is a former Major League Baseball relief pitcher who last pitched for the Newark Bears of the independent Atlantic League.
Contents
- Al levine on the scene interview
- Early and personal life
- Baseball career
- Minor leagues
- Major leagues
- Atlantic League
- Later life
- References
Early and personal life
Levine, who is Jewish, graduated from Hoffman Estates High School and Southern Illinois University. In 1989, Levine walked onto the SIU team as a pitcher. Levine is close friends with Toronto Blue Jays catcher Sal Fasano, and Palatine High School coach Paul Belo.
Baseball career
The Chicago White Sox drafted him in the 11th round of the 1991 draft.
Minor leagues
Levine played AA for the Birmingham Barons in 1994, along with Michael Jordan, until he was called up to AAA mid-season. Levine pitched 234 games in the minor leagues, over 11 seasons.
Major leagues
Levine made his major league debut in 1996 with the White Sox. In 1997, he held batters to a .125 batting average when there were 2 out, with runners in scoring position. In December 1997, he was traded by the White Sox with Larry Thomas to the Texas Rangers for Benji Gil.
In April 1999, he was selected off waivers by the Anaheim Angels from the Texas Rangers. In 2000, he held batters to a .186 batting average when there were 2 out, with runners in scoring position. In 2001, he had perhaps his best season. He had a 2.38 ERA for the Angels in 64 games. In 2002, he held batters to a .206 batting average when there were 2 out, with runners in scoring position.
In January 2003, Levine signed as a free agent with the St. Louis Cardinals, but was released in March. In April, he signed as a free agent with the Tampa Bay Devil Rays, who then sold him to the Kansas City Royals on July 31. In 2003, he had another excellent season, splitting it between the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and the Kansas City Royals. He had a 2.79 ERA in 54 games. He held batters to a .189 batting average when there were 2 out, with runners in scoring position. In December 2003, he signed as a free agent with the Detroit Tigers. In 2004, he held batters to a .154 batting average when there were 2 out, with runners in scoring position.
For seven seasons in a row, from 1999–2004, he pitched in at least 50 games each year.
In February 2005, he signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants, who released him in June. On July 7, 2005, he was signed as a free agent by the Florida Marlins, but was released a week later without pitching a game for them.
Levine played for seven major league teams. For his career, he held batters to a .220 batting average when there were runners in scoring position with 2 out.
As of 2014, he was tenth in career ERA and sixth in career games played among Jewish major league baseball pitchers.
Atlantic League
In 2008, Levine pitched for the Newark Bears of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball.
Later life
Levine later lived in Belleville, Illinois.