Alon Leichman

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Alon Leichman
אלון ליישמן
Cincinnati Reds – No. 88
Pitcher/pitching coach
Born: (1989-05-29) May 29, 1989 (age 35)
Kibbutz Gezer, Israel
Bats: Right
Throws: Right
Teams
As coach

As player

Alon Leichman (Hebrew: אלון ליישמן; born May 29, 1989) is an Israeli assistant pitching coach of the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball. He also pitches and coaches for Team Israel.

Leichman was formerly the pitching coach of the Tacoma Rainiers (the Class AAA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in the Pacific Coast League), the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League, and other teams.

Leichman plays and coaches for Team Israel. He pitched for UC San Diego Tritons and Cypress College, leading them to the 2013 CCCAA state title.[1] He coached Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic, in South Korea and Japan. He pitched for Team Israel at the 2019 European Baseball Championship. He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics. He pitched one perfect inning for Team Israel against Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in 2021.

Personal life

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Leichman was born and grew up in kibbutz Gezer, Israel, about halfway between Jerusalem and Tel Aviv.[2][3][4] His parents David Leichman and Marilyn Gold immigrated to Israel from New York and Michigan respectively in the 1970s.[5][3] Leichman has two siblings, Eliora and Arishai.[6] He graduated from Givat Brenner Regional School in 2007.[5] Following high school, Leichman served three years with the Israel Defense Forces, from 2007 to 2010.[7][3] He is good friends with, and works out with, major league pitcher Joe Musgrove.[8] His denomination is Reform Judaism.[9] He has a black belt in jujitsu.[7]

Team Israel

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During the off-season, Leichman competes for the Israeli national baseball team in international tournaments.

European Baseball Championship

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See also: Israel at the European Baseball Championship

Leichman competed for Israel during the qualifying round of the 2010 European Baseball Championship, in 2008. During the opening game, against Bulgaria, he started at shortstop and batted 8th, going 0-for-2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored, before becoming a relief pitcher giving up 1 run on 1 hit in his 1 inning.[10] During the second game, against Croatia, Leichman was the starting pitcher and went 8 innings, giving up 6 hits and 2 earned runs, while walking 5 and striking out 9, before switching to shortstop in the 9th and batted 1-for-4 while striking out 3 times.[11] During the third game, he started at shortstop against Serbia, going 0-for-2 with 2 walks and scoring 2 runs.[12] During the fourth and final game, against Lithuania, Leichman once again played shortstop and batted 5th, going 0-for-4 finishing the qualifier with a .083 batting average.[13]

Leichman competed for Israel during the qualifying round of the 2012 European Baseball Championship, in 2011, and was the designated hitter in all five games. During the opening game, against Georgia, he batted second and hit a double in 3 at bats, with 2 RBIs and a walk.[14] During the second game, against Great Britain, batting third, Leichman went 0-for-3 with a strikeout.[15] During the third game, against Lithuania, he batted third and got a double in 4 at bats with a walk, 2 RBIs and a run.[16] In the first game of the home/away finals against Great Britain, Leichman hit a double in four at bats with a walk and scored two runs.[17] Later that same day, Leichman batted second, and went 1-for-4 with a run scored.[18]

Leichman competed for Israel during the qualifying round of the 2016 European Baseball Championship. During the C-Level qualifier in 2014, he only pitched in the finals game against Slovenia, pitching a complete game shutout, giving up only one hit, while walking 1 and striking out 9.[19] Leichman's only appearance in the B-Level qualifier in 2015 was in the second game, against Poland, where he pitched 8 innings while giving up four earned runs, on eight hits, and struck out 5.[20]

Leichman competed on the Israel national baseball team for qualification for the 2020 Olympics. He started one game as the team played in the 2019 European Baseball Championship - B-Pool in early July 2019 in Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria, winning all of its games and advancing to the playoffs against Team Lithuania in the 2019 Playoff Series at the end of July 2019 for the last qualifying spot for the 2019 European Baseball Championship.[21][22] He was 0-0 with an 11.12 ERA in 5.2 innings.[23][22]

He also pitched for the team at the Africa/Europe 2020 Olympic Qualification tournament in Italy in September 2019, which Israel won to qualify to play baseball at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.[24]

World Baseball Classic

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See also: Israel at the World Baseball Classic

Leichman was on the roster for Israel during 2013 World Baseball Classic,[25] however he did not make an appearance. He was later the bullpen coach for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier. He returned in the same role for Team Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic.[26]

Olympics

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Leichman pitched one perfect inning for Team Israel against Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.[27]

Earlier playing career

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MLB European Academy

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Leichman was the first Israeli to represent Israel in the MLB European Academy, which included coaches from MLB such as Barry Larkin, Rod Carew, Lee Smith, and Bruce Hurst.[28]

College

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Leichman attended Cypress College from 2010 to 2013, and was a member of the baseball team for three seasons.[5] He was supposed to be the closer for the 2011 season, before he popped his elbow during his first appearance.[3] Leichman needed Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow, was out for all of the 2011 season, and pitched only 11.1 innings during 2012.[7][3] He pitched for the Menlo Park Legends of the California Collegiate League, the summer college league, in order to help recover from Tommy John surgery.[3][1] While playing he earned the First-Team All-Far West League honors with a 2.18 ERA in 53 2/3 innings.[3] Leichman came back in 2013 to aid the Chargers to a State Championship, logging a 1.42 ERA over 31.2 innings, highlighted by a complete-game shutout in a spot start to win the super regional.[5]

Leichman then spent three years playing for the UC San Diego Tritons, while getting his history degree at UC San Diego, until he graduated in 2016.[29] While there, he had a second operation, as the first surgery had not been successful.[2] He aided the team to back-to-back postseason appearances, while pitching in pain.[2] Career 3.50 ERA in 122 innings, striking out 85 batters to only 20 walks. As a junior, Leichman made 12 starts and 1 relief appearance, going 7-2 with a 3.71 ERA and walked just nine in 53.1 innings.[30] As a senior, he made 9 starts and 5 relief appearances, working 68.2 innings with 48 strikeouts.[31]

College coaching career

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Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox

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He served as a pitching coach for the Yarmouth–Dennis Red Sox in the collegiate summer Cape Cod Baseball League,[32][33] which won the 2016 championship.

Minor league coaching career

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Los Angeles Dodgers organization

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The Los Angeles Dodgers recruited Leichman to coach for their organization in the instructional league, helping develop Dodgers pitching prospects, in late 2016.[34]

Seattle Mariners organization

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Six months after graduating from college, Leichman was Coordinator of Organizational Learning for the Seattle Mariners' player development program in 2017, supporting the organization's minor league managers and coaches.[2][35][36] In 2018 he was the Pitching Coach of the Mariners Dominican Academy in the Dominican Summer League.[37][38]

In 2019, Leichman was the pitching coach of the West Virginia Power, a Class A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in the South Atlantic League.[39][40]

In 2020 and 2021, Leichman was the pitching coach of the Arkansas Travelers, a Class AA affiliate of the Seattle Mariners in the Double-A Central.[41][42]

In 2022, he was the pitching coach of the Class AAA Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.[43]

In the fall of 2022, Leichman was the pitching coach of the Peoria Javelinas in the Arizona Fall League.[44]

Major league coaching career

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Cincinnati Reds (2023-present)

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In December 2022, at 33 years of age, Leichman was named the assistant pitching coach of the Cincinnati Reds in Major League Baseball.[45][46] He became the first Israeli coach in Major League Baseball.[2]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Alon Leichman Bio," UCSDTritons.com.
  2. ^ a b c d e Ido Rakovsky (April 19, 2023). "Israeli Makes His Major League Dream Come True". Haaretz.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Alex Simon (July 12, 2016). "Israeli Pitcher Won’t Let Go Of Baseball", Baseball America.
  4. ^ Ken Belson (March 12, 2017). "Israel at the World Baseball Classic; From Curiosity to Contender", The New York Times.
  5. ^ a b c d "Alon Leichman - 2016 - Baseball". UC San Diego.
  6. ^ "2 Alon Leichman," Cypress College Athletics.
  7. ^ a b c Wohlgelernter, Elli (December 25, 2022). "Wild pitch: How an Israeli kibbutznik became a Cincinnati Reds pitching coach; Alon Leichman is the first athlete born in Israel to make it to the major leagues, but even after years working his way up in the US, he hasn't forgotten where he comes from". Times of Israel.
  8. ^ Jason Mackey (June 21, 2019). "'Born to play sports': Joe Musgrove and athleticism, a match made in heaven," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
  9. ^ "התנועה ליהדות מתקדמת בישראל | כתבות".
  10. ^ "Israel vs Bulgaria (Jul 07, 2008)". baseballstats.eu.
  11. ^ "Croatia vs Israel (Jul 08, 2008)". baseballstats.eu.
  12. ^ "Israel vs Serbia (Jul 09, 2008)". baseballstats.eu.
  13. ^ "Lithuania vs Israel (Jul 11, 2008)". baseballstats.eu.
  14. ^ "GEORGIA vs ISRAEL (Jul 26, 2011)". baseballstats.eu.
  15. ^ "ISRAEL vs GREAT BRITAIN (Jul 27, 2011)". baseballstats.eu.
  16. ^ "ISRAEL vs LITHUANIA (Jul 28, 2011)". baseballstats.eu.
  17. ^ "ISRAEL vs GREAT BRITAIN (Jul 29, 2011)". baseballstats.eu.
  18. ^ "GREAT BRITAIN vs ISRAEL (Jul 29, 2011)". baseballstats.eu.
  19. ^ "SLOVENIA vs ISRAEL (Aug 02, 2014)". baseballstats.eu.
  20. ^ "Poland vs Israel (Jul 28, 2015)". baseballstats.eu.
  21. ^ "European Championship Seniors B 2019 - Pool 2 - Individual Statistics," baseballstats.eu.
  22. ^ a b Scott Barancik (July 8, 2019). "For Israel, sweet victory; Long road to Olympic berth begins with triumph in Bulgaria," Jewish Baseball News.
  23. ^ "European Championship Seniors B - Pool 2 - Individual Statistics," baseballstats.eu.
  24. ^ Scott Barancik (September 13, 2019). "Moving on up". Jewish Baseball News. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
  25. ^ "World Baseball Classic: Team - Israel". September 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 22, 2012.
  26. ^ "Team Israel Announces Coaching Staff for World Baseball Classic," baseball.org.il.
  27. ^ "Israel". World Baseball Softball Confederation.
  28. ^ Simon, Alex. "Israeli Pitcher Won't Let Go Of Baseball". Baseball America.
  29. ^ "Triton Baseball in the Professional Ranks". UC San Diego. June 20, 2016.
  30. ^ "LEICHMAN". ucsdtritons.com.
  31. ^ "LEICHMAN". ucsdtritons.com.
  32. ^ "Coaches", Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox.
  33. ^ "Alon Leichman Joining Seattle Mariners Organization Coaching Staff". baseball.org.il. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  34. ^ "Los Angeles Dodgers recruit Israeli ballplayer to coach for its organization; Alon Leichman, 27, was recently coaching pitchers for the Israeli national team during World Baseball Classic qualifying round," Haaretz, October 28, 2016.
  35. ^ Danny Moran (October 25, 2017). "Behind the scenes with Oregon State, the best pitching staff in college baseball," The Oregonian.
  36. ^ "האיגוד הישראלי לבייסבול - Alon Leichman Joining Seattle Mariners Organization Coaching Staff", Israel Baseball.
  37. ^ "Rainiers welcome back Listach and staff; Mariners announce other minor-league coaches for 2018," The Olympian, January 10, 2018.
  38. ^ Kate Preusse (January 15, 2019)."The Mariners are making some interesting "outsider" hires in the minors," Lookout Landing.
  39. ^ "West Virginia Power announces new coaching staff", Charleston Gazette-Mail, January 15, 2019.
  40. ^ Kate Preusser (May 6, 2019). "Logan Gilbert is learning some new tricks," Lookout Landing.
  41. ^ "Mariners name Dave Berg Arkansas Travelers manager". thv11.com. January 21, 2020.
  42. ^ Mitchell Gladstone (May 30, 2021). "Diverse group of relievers ringing up outs for Travelers". Arkansas Online.
  43. ^ "Mariners finalize 2022 Tacoma coaching staff". MiLB.com. January 31, 2022.
  44. ^ Alam, Adnan (October 21, 2022). "Leichman's past fuels next generation of pitchers in Arizona Fall League". Cronkite News.
  45. ^ Gray, Doug (December 1, 2022). "Cincinnati Reds hire Alon Leichman as their assistant pitching coach". Redleg Nation.
  46. ^ Rosecrans, C. Trent (December 2, 2022). "Finally healthy, Tyler Stephenson makes his feelings clear: 'I'm catching'". The Athletic.
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