The YES Network broadcast booth will be a man lighter in 2019, as Al Leiter is moving on to other things for the coming season.
Michael Kay will have one less sidekick as he calls games for the New York Yankees in the upcoming season. Al Leiter is stepping out of the YES Network booth to spend more time with his family.
“Something has been yearning or pulling on me the last couple seasons, I have to admit,” Leiter told Kay on the Michael Kay Show on Tuesday.
A big part of that pull is Leiter’s 18-year-old son Jack, who is a highly regarded right-handed pitching prospect. Jack Leiter has one year left in high school before he’ll head to college pitching powerhouse Vanderbilt.
The elder Leiter also has three daughters at home. The 53-year-old joined YES after his Yankees spring-training retirement in 2006, and he’s been with the network ever since.
“I’m grateful for my 12 years,” Leiter told the New York Post’s Andrew Marchand. “It was a family. I know it sounds like BS, but it is true. It is hard to leave.”
Continuing with the family theme, Leiter also told Michael Kay, “You’re like my big brother,” during his interview on TMKS.
As a player, Leiter started and ended his career with the Bombers. In parts of four seasons with the team he went 11-13 with a 5.17 ERA.
The two-time All-Star spent the bulk of his career with the New York Mets and the Toronto Blue Jays, with a couple stops in Florida with the Marlins. He compiled a career 162-132 record and posted a solid 3.80 ERA.
Per Marchand, Leiter will still show up on the MLB Network as a commentator. Any Yankees fans who miss the lefty’s undeniable passion for the game in the broadcast booth can head over there to get their fix.
I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. What an honor it’s been to be a part of a great place and to work with amazing people. Thank you for the opportunity @MLBNetwork
Great teammates who know baseball! #breakdowns #demos https://t.co/gcDbAMGfwr— Al Leiter (@AlLeiter22) January 5, 2019
The YES Network broadcasts will still feature the rest of its usual lineup, which includes Kay, David Cone, Paul O’Neill, John Flaherty, Ken Singleton, and Ryan Ruocco.
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