Al Leiter
Encyclopedia
Alois Terry "Al" Leiter (icon; born October 23, 1965) is a former Major League Baseball
left-handed
starting pitcher
. He is now a studio analyst for MLB Network
, and a color commentator for the YES Network
.
.
Leiter was a prospect with the New York Yankees
along with his brother Mark
. Leiter made his major league debut as the starting pitcher for the Yankees on September 15, 1987, earning the win
in a Yankees 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
at Yankee Stadium
. Leiter struggled with blisters on his pitching hand to such a degree that the Yankees gave up on him at the age of 23 and dealt him to the Toronto Blue Jays
for outfielder
Jesse Barfield
on April 30, 1989. Early in his Blue Jay career, he was able to overcome the blisters with an exotic liniment
(that he used throughout his career) and was seen as a very promising prospect.
Leiter has also mentioned on a YES Network
broadcast that early in his career with the Yankees, manager Billy Martin
would walk up to him and ask him why he was lifting weights. Leiter responded, "To strengthen my arm." Billy was quoted as saying, "If you want to strengthen your arm, do some long toss." In his final start for the Yankees during his first stint, Dallas Green left Leiter in to throw 162 pitches in a cold damp day in 1989.
In 1989, after being dealt to Toronto, the left-hander had arthroscopic surgery. He pitched in fewer than 20 innings for the Blue Jays from 1989-, because of the surgery, a pinched nerve in his elbow, tendinitis, and another arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. His statistics during this period were a 5.17 ERA, 15 2/3 IP, 14 H, 10 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, 1 GS, 0-0. Leiter finally got over his injury troubles in , making 32 appearances (12 starts) for the Blue Jays. That year he appeared in 5 postseason games and even picked up a win in relief (and hit a double
) in Game One of the 1993 World Series
, as the Blue Jays went on to win their second consecutive World Championship. Leiter pitched effectively for the Blue Jays for the next two seasons before departing via free agency
in .
as a free agent. In his first season as a Marlin, Leiter made his first All-Star
team, going 16-12 with a 2.93 ERA
and 200 strikeout
s. On May 11 of that year, Leiter pitched a no-hitter
against the Colorado Rockies
, the first in Marlins history.
In , Leiter won another World Series
as the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians
. Leiter started Game 7 for the Marlins, pitching 6 innings and giving up two earned run
s while being credited with a no decision. The Marlins would go on to win the game 3-2 in 11 innings to capture the championship.
in part of the Marlins "fire-sale" where owner Wayne Huizenga
traded away almost all of the team's higher priced players.
In Leiter's first season as a Met, he reached a career high in wins going 17-6 and a career low in ERA finishing with a 2.47 ERA. In , when the Mets were tied with the Cincinnati Reds
for the National League Wild Card spot after 162 games, Leiter was the Mets starting pitcher in the "winner take all" one game playoff in Cinergy Field
in Cincinnati. Leiter pitched a 2-hit complete game
shutout
to earn the win in the Mets 5-0 victory. The win put the Mets in the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. The Mets would go on to lose the 1999 National League Championship Series
to the Atlanta Braves
4 games to 2.
In , Leiter made the All-Star team once again going 16-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 200 strikeouts. The Mets made the playoffs again in 2000 and this time reached the World Series. Leiter started Game 1 of the 2000 World Series
at Yankee Stadium and Game 5 at Shea Stadium
. Although he managed to achieve a 2.87 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings, the Mets lost both games he started and eventually lost the World Series 4 games to 1.
On April 30, , Leiter became the first Major League pitcher to defeat all 30 teams, after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks
10-1. Leiter would pitch for the Mets until the end of the season. In his seven seasons in a Met uniform, all wearing number 22, he went 95-67 with a 3.42 ERA. At the time he left the Mets, he ranked highly on several Mets all-time lists including wins (6th), strikeouts (7th with 1106), innings pitched (7th with 1360.0), and games started (6th with 213). He was the Mets Opening Day
starting pitcher in 1999, , and 2002.
In ten straight seasons, from 1995 to 2004, Leiter had at least 10 wins and at least a .500 record.
. His former team, the Marlins, signed Leiter to a one-year, $8 million contract on December 8, 2004.
Leiter struggled during his return to the Marlins. He walked
more batters than usual (60 in 80 innings, in addition to 88 hits). In 17 appearances (16 starts), he had a 3-7 record and a 6.64 ERA, and he took much criticism for the Marlins' first-half struggles in 2005 (they were 7 games behind the surprising Washington Nationals
at the All-Star break). He was demoted to the bullpen in late June, but he returned to the rotation after an injury to Josh Beckett
. On July 10, when the Marlins played their last game before the three-day All-Star break, he gave up six runs in three-plus innings.
On July 14, 2005, the Florida Marlins designated Leiter for assignment. The next day, he was acquired by the New York Yankees, who had four starting pitchers on the disabled list, for a player to be named later. His first start as a Yankee since April 26, 1989, came on July 17, 2005, against the division-leading Boston Red Sox
. Leiter won the game, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits
, and striking out eight. After several starts with mixed success, he informed Joe Torre
that he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen, where he would stay for the latter part of the season, yielding his starting slot to Aaron Small
.
Leiter worked out of the bullpen in the 2005 American League Division Series
pitching in four of the five games between the Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
. The Angels won the series 3 games to 2. In his final official appearance in a Major League uniform, Leiter earned a win pitching 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won the game 3-2.
Leiter signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in ; however, he stated he would likely retire. The primary reason he spent part of spring training
with the Yankees was to keep in shape for the World Baseball Classic
. After the United States team was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, he officially retired in an interview on YES, after a Yankees spring training victory versus the Indians where Leiter pitched 1/3 an inning.
and a studio analyst for the YES Network
. He won a NY Emmy in 2007 for the "Manny game" in Boston. In 2009, Leiter became a studio analyst for MLB Network
in addition to his commentating job for the YES Network
. 2009 National Emmy Award Nomination Studio Sports Analyst.
. He also won the Branch Rickey Award
in 1999.
. Leiter has also expressed interest in possibly running for political office as a Republican
in his home state of New Jersey, and served as a member of NJ Governor Chris Christie's Transition team. He was appointed as member to the NJ Sports, Gaming, and Entertainment Committee. Governor Christie nominate/appointed him for the NJ Hall of Fame Commission.
He is of Austria
n, Czech
and British
descent. http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=80672&vid=1&download=1
As well as baseball, Al Leiter is a great hockey player as well. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings but never played in the NHL.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed
Left-handed
Left-handedness is the preference for the left hand over the right for everyday activities such as writing. In ancient times it was seen as a sign of the devil, and was abhorred in many cultures...
starting pitcher
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. He is now a studio analyst for MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
, and a color commentator for the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
.
Early career (1987-1995)
Leiter attended Central Regional High SchoolCentral Regional High School
Central Regional High School is a four-year public high school located in the Bayville section of Berkeley Township, Ocean County, New Jersey, United States operating as part of the Central Regional School District...
.
Leiter was a prospect with the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
along with his brother Mark
Mark Leiter
Mark Edward Leiter is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who had an 11-year career from -, . Leiter grew up in Toms River, New Jersey.-Career:...
. Leiter made his major league debut as the starting pitcher for the Yankees on September 15, 1987, earning the win
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
in a Yankees 4-3 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Leiter struggled with blisters on his pitching hand to such a degree that the Yankees gave up on him at the age of 23 and dealt him to the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
for outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
Jesse Barfield
Jesse Barfield
Jesse Lee Barfield is a former Major League Baseball right fielder who played for the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees . He batted and threw right-handed. He lived in Tenafly, a suburb of New York City.Barfield was well known for his powerful, accurate throwing arm...
on April 30, 1989. Early in his Blue Jay career, he was able to overcome the blisters with an exotic liniment
Liniment
Liniment , from the Latin linere, to anoint, is a medicated topical preparation for application to the skin. Preparations of this type are also called balm...
(that he used throughout his career) and was seen as a very promising prospect.
Leiter has also mentioned on a YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
broadcast that early in his career with the Yankees, manager Billy Martin
Billy Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
would walk up to him and ask him why he was lifting weights. Leiter responded, "To strengthen my arm." Billy was quoted as saying, "If you want to strengthen your arm, do some long toss." In his final start for the Yankees during his first stint, Dallas Green left Leiter in to throw 162 pitches in a cold damp day in 1989.
In 1989, after being dealt to Toronto, the left-hander had arthroscopic surgery. He pitched in fewer than 20 innings for the Blue Jays from 1989-, because of the surgery, a pinched nerve in his elbow, tendinitis, and another arthroscopic surgery on his left shoulder. His statistics during this period were a 5.17 ERA, 15 2/3 IP, 14 H, 10 K, 11 BB, 1 HR, 1 GS, 0-0. Leiter finally got over his injury troubles in , making 32 appearances (12 starts) for the Blue Jays. That year he appeared in 5 postseason games and even picked up a win in relief (and hit a double
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
) in Game One of the 1993 World Series
1993 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 16, 1993 at SkyDome in Toronto, OntarioThe Series' first game sent two staff aces—Curt Schilling for Philadelphia and Juan Guzman for Toronto—against one another. The result was less than a pitcher's duel, however, as both teams scored early and often.The deciding plays...
, as the Blue Jays went on to win their second consecutive World Championship. Leiter pitched effectively for the Blue Jays for the next two seasons before departing via free agency
Free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
in .
Florida Marlins (1996-1997)
Following the season, Leiter left Toronto and signed with the Florida MarlinsFlorida Marlins
The Miami Marlins are a professional baseball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. Established in 1993 as an expansion franchise called the Florida Marlins, the Marlins are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Marlins played their home games at...
as a free agent. In his first season as a Marlin, Leiter made his first All-Star
1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 1996 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 67th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League and National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 9, 1996 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the...
team, going 16-12 with a 2.93 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
and 200 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s. On May 11 of that year, Leiter pitched a no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
against the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies
The Colorado Rockies are a Major League Baseball team based in Denver, Colorado. Established in 1991, they started play in 1993 and are in the West Division of the National League. The team is named after the Rocky Mountains...
, the first in Marlins history.
In , Leiter won another World Series
1997 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 18, 1997 at Pro Player Stadium in Miami Gardens, FloridaThe first World Series game in the state of Florida, Game 1 featured a youngster and a veteran facing each other on the mound...
as the Marlins beat the Cleveland Indians
1997 Cleveland Indians season
The Cleveland Indians season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Indians making their second World Series appearance in three years...
. Leiter started Game 7 for the Marlins, pitching 6 innings and giving up two earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s while being credited with a no decision. The Marlins would go on to win the game 3-2 in 11 innings to capture the championship.
New York Mets (1998-2004)
In the following off-season, Leiter was traded to the New York MetsNew York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
in part of the Marlins "fire-sale" where owner Wayne Huizenga
Wayne Huizenga
Harry Wayne Huizenga is an American businessman who grew Blockbuster Video, Waste Management, Inc., and AutoNation into successful companies. He is the former owner of the National Football League's Miami Dolphins, the National Hockey League's Florida Panthers and the Major League Baseball's Miami...
traded away almost all of the team's higher priced players.
In Leiter's first season as a Met, he reached a career high in wins going 17-6 and a career low in ERA finishing with a 2.47 ERA. In , when the Mets were tied with the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
for the National League Wild Card spot after 162 games, Leiter was the Mets starting pitcher in the "winner take all" one game playoff in Cinergy Field
Cinergy Field
Riverfront Stadium , later known as Cinergy Field , was the home of the Cincinnati Reds National League baseball team and the Cincinnati Bengals National Football League team. Located on the Ohio River in downtown Cincinnati, the stadium was best known as the home of "The Big Red Machine," as the...
in Cincinnati. Leiter pitched a 2-hit complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
to earn the win in the Mets 5-0 victory. The win put the Mets in the playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. The Mets would go on to lose the 1999 National League Championship Series
1999 National League Championship Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 12, 1999 at Turner Field in Atlanta, GeorgiaThe Braves began their eighth consecutive NLCS with a 4–2 victory over the Mets, defeating a team they left for dead two weeks earlier...
to the Atlanta Braves
1999 Atlanta Braves season
-Offseason:*November 10, 1998: Bret Boone was traded by the Cincinnati Reds with Mike Remlinger to the Atlanta Braves for Rob Bell, Denny Neagle, and Michael Tucker.*December 1, 1998: Otis Nixon was signed as a Free Agent with the Atlanta Braves....
4 games to 2.
In , Leiter made the All-Star team once again going 16-8 with a 3.20 ERA and 200 strikeouts. The Mets made the playoffs again in 2000 and this time reached the World Series. Leiter started Game 1 of the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
at Yankee Stadium and Game 5 at Shea Stadium
Shea Stadium
William A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
. Although he managed to achieve a 2.87 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 15 2/3 innings, the Mets lost both games he started and eventually lost the World Series 4 games to 1.
On April 30, , Leiter became the first Major League pitcher to defeat all 30 teams, after beating the Arizona Diamondbacks
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
10-1. Leiter would pitch for the Mets until the end of the season. In his seven seasons in a Met uniform, all wearing number 22, he went 95-67 with a 3.42 ERA. At the time he left the Mets, he ranked highly on several Mets all-time lists including wins (6th), strikeouts (7th with 1106), innings pitched (7th with 1360.0), and games started (6th with 213). He was the Mets Opening Day
Opening Day
Opening Day is the day on which professional baseball leagues begin their regular season. For Major League Baseball and most of the minor leagues, this day falls during the first week of April. For baseball fans, Opening Day serves as a symbol of rebirth; writer Thomas Boswell once penned a book...
starting pitcher in 1999, , and 2002.
In ten straight seasons, from 1995 to 2004, Leiter had at least 10 wins and at least a .500 record.
Final season and second stint with New York (2005-2006)
Following the 2004 season, the Mets declined Leiter's US$10 million option for , making him a free agentFree agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player whose contract with a team has expired and who is thus eligible to sign with another club or franchise....
. His former team, the Marlins, signed Leiter to a one-year, $8 million contract on December 8, 2004.
Leiter struggled during his return to the Marlins. He walked
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
more batters than usual (60 in 80 innings, in addition to 88 hits). In 17 appearances (16 starts), he had a 3-7 record and a 6.64 ERA, and he took much criticism for the Marlins' first-half struggles in 2005 (they were 7 games behind the surprising Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
at the All-Star break). He was demoted to the bullpen in late June, but he returned to the rotation after an injury to Josh Beckett
Josh Beckett
Joshua Patrick Beckett is an American professional baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox of Major League Baseball. During his career in the playoffs, he won the 2003 World Series MVP Award with the Florida Marlins, and received the 2007 ALCS MVP award with the Red Sox.-Florida Marlins :A...
. On July 10, when the Marlins played their last game before the three-day All-Star break, he gave up six runs in three-plus innings.
On July 14, 2005, the Florida Marlins designated Leiter for assignment. The next day, he was acquired by the New York Yankees, who had four starting pitchers on the disabled list, for a player to be named later. His first start as a Yankee since April 26, 1989, came on July 17, 2005, against the division-leading Boston Red Sox
2005 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox' 2005 season included the Boston Red Sox attempting to win the American League East in the American League. The Red Sox finished 95-67, with the same record as the New York Yankees...
. Leiter won the game, pitching 6 1/3 innings, allowing one run and three hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, and striking out eight. After several starts with mixed success, he informed Joe Torre
Joe Torre
Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...
that he would be willing to pitch out of the bullpen, where he would stay for the latter part of the season, yielding his starting slot to Aaron Small
Aaron Small
Aaron James Small is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He is probably best remembered for his short successful stint as a starter for the New York Yankees in ....
.
Leiter worked out of the bullpen in the 2005 American League Division Series
2005 American League Division Series
-Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim vs. New York Yankees:†: Game was postponed due to rain on October 8-Game 1, October 4:U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago, Illinois...
pitching in four of the five games between the Yankees and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
2005 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim season
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim 2005 season was the franchise's 45th since its inception. The regular season ended with a record of 95-67, resulting in the Angels winning the American League West division title for the second consecutive season, its fifth in franchise history.In the postseason,...
. The Angels won the series 3 games to 2. In his final official appearance in a Major League uniform, Leiter earned a win pitching 2/3 scoreless innings in Game 4 at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees won the game 3-2.
Leiter signed a minor league contract with the Yankees in ; however, he stated he would likely retire. The primary reason he spent part of spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
with the Yankees was to keep in shape for the World Baseball Classic
World Baseball Classic
The World Baseball Classic is an international baseball tournament sanctioned by the International Baseball Federation and created by Major League Baseball , the Major League Baseball Players Association , and other professional baseball leagues and their players associations around the world...
. After the United States team was eliminated from the World Baseball Classic, he officially retired in an interview on YES, after a Yankees spring training victory versus the Indians where Leiter pitched 1/3 an inning.
Broadcasting career
Al Leiter has worked in the television broadcast booth for FOX during the playoffs for several seasons, mainly to provide in-depth analysis of various pitchers. Since 2006, Leiter has worked as a color commentatorColor commentator
A color commentator is a sports commentator who assists the play-by-play announcer, often by filling in any time when play is not in progress. The color analyst and main commentator will often exchange comments freely throughout the broadcast, when the play-by-play announcer is not describing the...
and a studio analyst for the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
. He won a NY Emmy in 2007 for the "Manny game" in Boston. In 2009, Leiter became a studio analyst for MLB Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
in addition to his commentating job for the YES Network
YES Network
The Yankees Entertainment and Sports Network is a New York City-based, regional cable television channel; it broadcasts a variety of sports events, with an emphasis on New York Yankees baseball games, and New Jersey Nets basketball games. YES made its debut on March 19, 2002...
. 2009 National Emmy Award Nomination Studio Sports Analyst.
Charitable work
Leiter has won nearly every philanthropic award MLB offers, including the 2000 Roberto Clemente AwardRoberto Clemente Award
The Roberto Clemente Award is given annually to the Major League Baseball player who "best exemplifies the game of baseball, sportsmanship, community involvement and the individual's contribution to his team", as voted on by baseball fans and members of the media. It is named for Hall of Fame...
. He also won the Branch Rickey Award
Branch Rickey Award
The Branch Rickey Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball player in recognition of his exceptional community service. The award is named for former player and executive Branch Rickey, who is best known as the president and general manager of the Brooklyn Dodgers, and as the executive who...
in 1999.
Other
On August 2, 2008 Leiter took part in the 62nd Annual Old Timers Day at Yankee StadiumYankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
. Leiter has also expressed interest in possibly running for political office as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
in his home state of New Jersey, and served as a member of NJ Governor Chris Christie's Transition team. He was appointed as member to the NJ Sports, Gaming, and Entertainment Committee. Governor Christie nominate/appointed him for the NJ Hall of Fame Commission.
He is of Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n, Czech
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and British
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
descent. http://mms.businesswire.com/bwapps/mediaserver/ViewMedia?mgid=80672&vid=1&download=1
As well as baseball, Al Leiter is a great hockey player as well. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Kings but never played in the NHL.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
- MLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListMLB All-Time Hit Batsmen ListThis is a list of top 100 Major League Baseball pitchers who have the most hit batsmen of all time. There is an of hitters who have been hit by pitch the most times.Active players are denoted in bold text.-The List:* Bold denotes active player...
- Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeTop 100 strikeout pitchers of all timeIn baseball, a strikeout occurs when the batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. Strikeouts are associated with dominance on the part of the pitcher and failure on the part of the batter....
- List of Major League Baseball no-hitters