MLB’s lone Sabra stands strong with Israel from near and far as Reds’ assistant pitching coach.
In most ways, Cincinnati Reds assistant pitching coach Alon Leichman looks like all the other players and coaches on the National League Central team. During games, all are clad in white pants and shirts with the word “Reds” inscribed inside of a large letter “C,” and all wear red baseball caps with the same letter “C.” And all are focused on the game.
As Leichman sits on the bench in the dugout, taking copious notes on his pitchers’ form and delivery, it is not obvious that the 34-year-old is the only native-born Israeli in the major leagues (though there are other Israeli citizens throughout the MLB who are not native born, including Baltimore Orioles pitcher and fellow Team Israel player Dean Kremer).
Leichman’s mind is on the game, and it is also on the situation back home in Israel. The generally quiet and humble Leichman has not been afraid to stand up for his country during these difficult times. Pictures abound of Leichman wearing a “Bring Them Home” T-shirt pitching batting practice, while sporting a black glove with an Israeli flag and the words “Bring Them Home” stitched in white capital letters and the word “NOW!” in even bigger red letters.
Leichman grew up playing baseball, a somewhat surprising fact for a Sabra. He was reared in Kibbutz Gezer, near Latrun, on the road from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem. While his New York-born father and Michigan-born mother, who met in Israel after making aliyah in their 20s, were not particularly big baseball fans, the kibbutz had an affinity for American baseball.
“The kibbutz was founded by Americans who wanted to bring American culture to Israel, so all kids on the kibbutz play baseball. I happened to really like it,” exclaimed Leichman, who started playing shortstop and pitcher on his first team at age six.
Peter Kurz, former President of the Board of Directors of the Israel Association of Baseball and current General Manager of Team Israel, has known Leichman for over 20 years.
“I took Alon on his first Israel National Team trip—and my first as well—to Holland as a 10-year-old kid in 1999—the youngest on a team of 12 year olds.”
Leichman graduated from Brenner Regional School in 2007 and went on to serve in the Israel Defense Forces as an “outstanding athlete.”
He went on to attend junior college at Cypress College in Cypress, California, and pitched on their baseball team from 2010–2013.
“My parents supported my going to college in America to play baseball; they knew it’s what I always wanted to do.”
While at Cypress, Leichman required Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow. He then attended the University of California-San Diego, where he pitched and graduated with a history degree. Leichman always knew he would continue either to play baseball, coach, or serve as a scout.
The likable Israeli maintained what he describes as a “good connection” to his junior college coach, Scott Pickler, who always told him, “You will be a good coach someday.”
Leichman then had an opportunity to coach in the Cape Cod Baseball League, where he helped the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox win the 2016 Championship.
“I had been helping out as a pitching coach, and the pitcher did pretty well. It gave me the stage to work. People know each other in baseball, and it keeps leading to other opportunities.”
In 2017, Leichman began a six-year career in a variety of roles with the Seattle Mariners organization. In 2022, he served as pitching coach of the AAA Tacoma Rainiers of the Pacific Coast League.
Leichman continually stresses how gradual the progression is from playing in college to coaching at the various levels in professional baseball. In December, 2022, Leichman was named assistant pitching coach for the Cincinnati Reds.
“It has been a good dream come true to coach here,” Leichman said of Cincinnati. “Every step of the way prepares you for the next step.”In his current role, he charts each game from the dugout.
“I make sure guys are on track and help them make adjustments if needed. If I see they are off, I talk to them.”
Kurz is proud of Leichman
“No one was more thrilled than I was to see his meteoric rise as a coach in minor league and MLB baseball, and he will be an MLB manager one day soon. His determination, grit, rise to excellence, ability to reach out to everyone at any level, and perseverance always made him stand out.”
Throughout Leichman’s impressive baseball career in America, he has always maintained strong ties with Team Israel and to his native Israel. In his post-college years, he proudly coached junior 12 to 18 year olds in Israel.
“I always liked coaching and knew I would do it after I was done playing.”
Kurz has been with him through almost two decades and countless milestones.
“I have been involved with Alon on countless National Teams, the IBL, the WBC and the Olympic team.”
Leichman competed for Israel during the qualifying round of the 2010, 2012 and 2016 European Baseball Championship.
Leichman was on the roster for Israel during 2013 World Baseball Classic, though he did not make any appearances. He later served as the bullpen coach for Israel at the 2017 World Baseball Classic qualifier and at the World Baseball Classic.
Leichman competed on the Israel National Team for qualifying for the 2020 Olympics. He pitched one perfect inning for Team Israel against Team USA in the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo in the summer of 2021.
“Pitching in the Olympics was the highlight of my baseball career,” reported Leichman beaming with pride.
When Israel was attacked by Hamas on October 7, 2023, Leichman was in the United States. He was touched and appreciative when the Reds came out with a public statement a day later, on October 8, which said that they “mourn the loss of life and suffering of innocent people caused by the terrorism perpetrated against Israel. We condemn these senseless acts of hate and stand in solidarity with the people of Israel as we pray for peace and an end to terrorism.”
Leichman didn’t take that public show of support for granted.
“It was a big deal… Both the manager and GM reached out and offered support if I needed anything.”
In addition, Leichman said that his former team, the Mariners, reached out, as have several past and current Jewish major leaguers.
Leichman returned to Israel on October 18 and remained there with family until returning to the US and the Reds on February 1 for the new season. Kurz shared how Leichman spent his time in Israel.
“Even over the last few winter months when he was in Israel during the war, and we volunteered together to help Israeli agriculture and picked oranges and avocados together with Assaf Lowengart and the Olympic IOC, Alon was always one of the guys, and spent time with our budding athletes, teaching them and showing them the finer points of the game that he learned. And with all that, he has always been humble, appreciative, and understood where he came from and has always given back.”
Leichman returned to the Reds for spring training and for the start of the MLB season. He chanced upon a picture of a glove posted on social media by a female friend who played softball for Team Israel.
When he saw Maddy Lewis’s two-toned blue glove, designed by JH Performance with the words “chazakim b’yachad” (“we are strong together”) Leichman thought, “Maybe I should get a glove too.”
With Israel still at war and the hostages still in captivity, Leichman decided to design his own red and black glove which he notes are “the colors of Bring Them Home.”
Kurz was touched
“When he publicized the mitt he had made, and whenever he uploads a picture of himself at Reds camp with the “Bring them Home” T-shirt, I get goosebumps, and the value of that simple PR act is incredible.
“Alon is indeed the first Sabra to reach this coaching level in MLB and he will achieve greater things as well, but he will always remember his roots and support them. I am very proud to have mentored and taught him over the years.”
Leichman prays for the day he will no longer need to wear the “Bring Them Home” shirt or glove.
“I hope things get better back at home. I hope it won’t be a thing anymore.”
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