Al Levine was a professional baseball player who played as a relief pitcher for several teams during his career. He was born on May 22, 1968, in Park Ridge, Illinois, and attended Park Ridge High School. After high school, he attended the University of Tennessee, where he played college baseball for the Volunteers.
Levine was drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the 17th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. He made his Major League debut with the Tigers on June 13, 1996, and played for them until 1997. He then played for the Anaheim Angels from 1998 to 2001, the Kansas City Royals in 2002, the Texas Rangers in 2003, and the Seattle Mariners in 2004. He finished his career with the Washington Nationals in 2005.
Levine was primarily used as a relief pitcher during his career. He had a career record of 29-33 with a 3.96 earned run average (ERA) and 16 saves. He was known for his ability to pitch in high-pressure situations and was often called upon to close out games.
One of Levine's most memorable moments came during the 2002 season when he was playing for the Kansas City Royals. On July 12, 2002, he pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn the save in a game against the Minnesota Twins. The game was played in honor of former Twins player and coach, Kirby Puckett, who had recently suffered a stroke. Levine was emotional after the game, as he had played with Puckett during his time with the Twins.
Levine retired from baseball after the 2005 season. He currently resides in Florida with his family and is involved in coaching youth baseball.
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