Drafted by the Baltimore Orioles in 1983,Leiter missed the 1986,1987,and 1988 seasons due to a rotator cuff injury that required three surgeries. Released by the Orioles in 1988,he signed with the Yankees later that year and made his MLB debut in 1990. Leiter's younger brother Al,son Mark Jr.,and nephew Jack have pitched in the major leagues.
The Baltimore Orioles selected Leiter in the fourth round of the January 1983 MLB draft.[6] Leiter injured his shoulder in the 1985 season after the Orioles transitioned him from a starting pitcher to a relief pitcher,which he attributed to needing to pitch more frequently.[7] He missed the 1986,1987,and 1988 seasons with a rotator cuff injury in his right shoulder.[8] He had two operations performed by Orioles doctors[7] and worked as a corrections officer at the Ocean County Jail for four months in 1987.[7][9] Not wanting to end his baseball career,Leiter decided to have a third surgery,[10] which was performed by James Andrews in November 1987.[8]
While Leiter rehabilitated from his third surgery,the Orioles released him in June 1988. He pitched in baseball camps and as a semi-professional before his brother Al,now with the New York Yankees,secured a tryout for Mark. The Yankees signed him to a minor league contract in September.[11][12] He played in the minor leagues for the Fort Lauderdale Yankees and Columbus Clippers in 1989.[13] He made his MLB debut with the Yankees on July 24,1990. He remained with the Yankees for two weeks before he was optioned back to Columbus.[7] They promoted him back to the major leagues on September 10[14] and he finished the 1990 season with a 6.84 earned run average (ERA) in 26+1⁄3innings pitched in eight games for the Yankees.[15]
On March 19, 1991, the Yankees traded Leiter to the Detroit Tigers for Torey Lovullo.[16] He made the Tigers' Opening Day roster.[7] He had a 4.21 ERA in 134+2⁄3 innings pitched for the Tigers in 1991[17] and a 4.18 ERA in 112 innings pitched in 1992.[18] Leiter missed the second half of the 1993 season with a recurrence of his shoulder injury. He finished the season with a 6–6 win–loss record and a 4.73 ERA. He underwent a fourth arthroscopic surgery during the offseason.[19]
On March 15, 1994, the Tigers released Leiter during spring training as they wanted to prioritize their younger pitchers.[19] Days later, he signed as a free agent with the California Angels.[20] He had a 4.72 ERA in 95+1⁄3 innings for the Angels.[21] After the season, he won the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming the adversity of his son's death.[22]
Leiter signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants before the 1995 season. In is first major league season as a full-time starting pitcher, Leiter had a 10–12 win–loss record and a 3.82 ERA. His seven complete games were the second-most in the National League.[23] He and Mark Carreon were the co-winners of the Willie Mac Award, honoring his spirit and leadership, in 1995.[24] Leiter was the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Giants in 1996.[25] Leiter had a 4–10 record with a 5.19 ERA in 23 games.[26]
On July 30, 1996, the Giants traded Leiter to the Montreal Expos for Kirk Rueter and Tim Scott.[26] He had a 4–2 record and a 4.39 ERA with Montreal.[27] After the season, he became a free agent and signed a two-year contract with the Philadelphia Phillies for $4.3million, plus incentives.[10] Leiter had a 10–17 record with a 5.67 ERA in 1997. The Phillies used Leiter as a relief pitcher in 1998, and he recorded 23 saves with a 3.55 ERA. At the end of the 1998 season, the Phillies exercised his option[4] and traded him to the Seattle Mariners for Paul Spoljaric.[28][29] Leiter missed the beginning of the regular season with shoulder troubles and went back on the disabled list in May.[30] He missed the remainder of the season.[1]
Mark's older brother, Kurt, spent four seasons as a pitcher in the Orioles' minor-league organization (1982–1984, 1986). His younger brother, Al Leiter, was a major league pitcher from 1987 to 2005. His son, Mark Leiter Jr., has also pitched in MLB. His nephew, Jack Leiter, pitches in MLB for the Texas Rangers.[37]
In addition to Mark Jr, Mark and his wife, Allison, had a daughter, Kaley, and a son, Ryan.[3] In 1994, Ryan died of spinal muscular atrophy when he was nine months old.[3][38] Mark and Allison started the Ryan Leiter Fund to raise funds for families of victims of the disease.[22]
1 2 3 4 Trutor, Clayton. "Mark Leiter". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved February 6, 2025.
↑ Edelson, Stephen (July 23, 2014). "Learning to cherish their Time". Asbury Park Press. p.C8. Retrieved February 4, 2025– via Newspapers.com. Toms River players William Fleury, 12, Alex Civitello, 12, and Christian Wood, 12, listen to Mark Leiter, a former major league baseball player who grew up in Berkeley Township, on Tuesday during the Little League state championship banquet at the Berkeley Little League Complex in Bayville.
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