Brad “The Animal” Lesley has been paid to play or teach baseball for more than 30 years.  He pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Milwaukee Brewers from 1982 to 1985, after which he continued his career in Japan with the Hankyu Braves, where he was twice the winning pitcher in the all-star game

Lesley attended Merced Junior College, where he was unanimously voted California junior college most valuable player in 1978.  He was the number one draft choice of the Reds in 1977 and 1978 and signed with Cincinnati in 1978, foregoing a scholarship offer from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. After his retirement from baseball, Lesley remained in Japan, where he learned to read., write and speak Japanese.  He hosted his own television show, did sports commentary and made appearances and conducted clinics for Japanese youth. He still returns to Japan to participate in the annual US-Japan all-star game.  He has appeared in several motion pictures, including “Space Jam”, with Michael Jordan.

Lesley works as a pitching instructor for the Rob Andrews/San Francisco Giants and Reggie Smith Baseball Centers and has supervised and appeared in fantasy camps for the Reds, Oakland A’s and Seattle Mariners.