Al Levine

Not to be confused with Allan Levine or Allan Levene.

Al Levine
Relief pitcher
Born: (1968-05-22) May 22, 1968 Park Ridge, Illinois
Batted: Left Threw: Right
MLB debut
June 22, 1996, for the Chicago White Sox
Last MLB appearance
June 10, 2005, for the San Francisco Giants
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	24-33
Earned run average	3.96
Strikeouts	278
Teams
Chicago White Sox (1996–1997) Texas Rangers (1998) Anaheim Angels (1999–2002) Tampa Bay Devil Rays (2003) Kansas City Royals (2003) Detroit Tigers (2004) San Francisco Giants (2005)

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.

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.

See also

• List of select Jewish baseball players

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors)
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League statistics
• Adam Levine explains his comment on The Voice
• Jews in Sports biography