{{short description|American baseball player (born 1982)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}} {{Infobox baseball biography | name = Brent Leach | image = | caption = | position = Pitcher | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|11|18}} | birth_place = Flowood, Mississippi, U.S. | bats = Right | throws = Left | debutleague = MLB | debutdate = May 6 | debutyear = 2009 | debutteam = Los Angeles Dodgers |finalleague=MLB | finaldate=July 28 |finalyear=2009 |finalteam=Los Angeles Dodgers |final2league=NPB | final2date=September 14 |final2year=2011 |final2team=Yokohoma BayStars | statleague = MLB | stat1label = Win–loss record | stat1value = 2–0 | stat2label = Earned run average | stat2value = 5.75 | stat3label = Strikeouts | stat3value = 19 | stat2league = NPB | debut2league =NPB | debut2date = July 28 | debut2year = 2011 | debut2team = Yokohoma BayStars | stat22label = Earned run average | stat21label = Win–loss | stat23label = Strikeouts | stat21value = 1–7 | stat22value = 5.95 | stat23value = 36 | teams = *Los Angeles Dodgers ({{mlby|2009}}) *Yokohama BayStars ({{npby|2011}}) }} '''Brent Allen Leach''' (born November 18, 1982) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball for the Los Angeles Dodgers and in Nippon Professional Baseball for the Yokohama BayStars.
==Amateur career== Leach attended Brandon High School in Brandon, Mississippi, and played college baseball at the University of Southern Mississippi and Delta State University. During his freshman season with the Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team, Leach recorded sixteen appearances, with one save, a 2.08 earned run average and a .237 batting average against as a reliever. In 2003, he pitched in just four games, starting three of them before being injured. He missed the 2004 baseball season while undergoing Tommy John surgery, and transferred to Delta State, where he returned to the bullpen full-time. In his final college baseball season, Leach pitched in 24 games, managing a 1–1 record and 1.74 earned run average, with seven saves. Following an appearance with the Statesmen at the 2005 NCAA Division II Baseball Championship, Leach was drafted by the Dodgers in the sixth round of the 2005 MLB draft.<ref name="mbraves"/>
==Professional career==
===Los Angeles Dodgers=== Leach made his minor league debut in 2005 with the Ogden Raptors and split 2006 with the Columbus Catfish and the Vero Beach Dodgers. In 2007, Leach played fourteen games with the Advanced A Inland Empire 66ers of San Bernardino. Leach split 2008 with the 66ers and the Double-A Jacksonville Suns.
He was added to the Dodgers 40 man roster on November 20, 2008, and earned his first major league call-up when the Dodgers promoted him from Double-A Chattanooga Lookouts on May 2, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gurnick|first1=Ken|title=Dodgers add to 40-man roster|url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/3687247|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215201407/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/3687247|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 15, 2016|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=November 20, 2009}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Gurnick|first1=Ken|title=Dodgers place Kuo on DL, call up Leach|url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/4533314|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=May 2, 2009|archive-date=January 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122093337/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/4533314|url-status=dead}}</ref>
Leach made his major league debut with one scoreless inning of relief against the Washington Nationals on May 6, 2009.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gurnick|first1=Ken|title=Dodgers set modern record for home start|url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/4590434|access-date=February 11, 2016|date=May 6, 2009|archive-date=March 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160305111239/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/4590434|url-status=dead}}</ref> He made 38 appearances out of the bullpen for the Dodgers before he was sent back to the minors on July 30.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gurnick|first1=Ken|title=Dodgers acquire Sherrill for two prospects|url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/6151526|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=July 31, 2009|archive-date=January 22, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170122212432/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/6151526|url-status=dead}}</ref> He finished the season with the AAA Albuquerque Isotopes. In 2010, he began his season with Albuquerque, but was sent back to the AA Lookouts in an attempt to convert him from a reliever to a starter.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hoffarth|first1=Tom|title=For starters, a Weaver rematch is only a dream|url=http://www.dailybreeze.com/article/ZZ/20100612/NEWS/100617933|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Daily Breeze|date=June 12, 2010}}</ref> In 13 starts, he was 7–3 with a 4.57 earned run average.
===Yokohama BayStars=== On December 21, 2010, he was designated for assignment by the Dodgers and signed with the Yokohama BayStars of Nippon Professional Baseball.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gurnick|first1=Ken|title=Leach designated for assignment by Dodgers|url=http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/16356262|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160131223050/http://m.dodgers.mlb.com/news/article/16356262|url-status=dead|archive-date=January 31, 2016|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=December 21, 2010}}</ref>
On March 17, 2011, in the wake of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami and the resulting nuclear radiation scare, Leach left the country. He said he had no desire to return and the Nippon Baseball commissioner invoked a rare rule, placing Leach on the restricted list, the first time such a list had been used in league history.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Croskey|first1=Jason|title=Leach happy to get second chance with BayStars|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2011/07/31/baseball/japanese-baseball/leach-happy-to-get-second-chance-with-baystars/|access-date=February 11, 2016|date=July 31, 2011}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Croskey|first1=Jason|title=Bannister in no man's land after move by Giants|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2011/04/10/baseball/japanese-baseball/bannister-in-no-mans-land-after-move-by-giants/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Japan Times|date=April 10, 2011}}</ref>
On July 8, Yokohama announced that they were going to reinstate Leach, as he had decided to return to Japan to pitch.<ref>{{cite news|title=Leach to return to Japan on Friday|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2011/07/07/baseball/japanese-baseball/leach-to-return-to-japan-on-friday/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Japan Times|date=July 7, 2011}}</ref> He issued the following statement, "I'm really grateful to get another chance to play in Japan. Even after returning to the US, I had thoughts about playing for the Bay Stars. I made some good friends here during spring camp. I want to get to Ichi-gun as quickly as I can and do my best to help the team out."<ref>[http://yakyubaka.com/tag/brent-leach/ NPB accepts Yokohama's request to reinstate Brent Leach]</ref>
Leach made his NPB debut on July 28, taking a loss against the Yomiuri Giants.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Coskrey|first1=Jason|title=BayStars' Leach loses season debut to Giants|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2011/07/29/baseball/japanese-baseball/baystars-leach-loses-season-debut-to-giants/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Japan Times|date=July 29, 2011}}</ref> He defeated the Giants on August 12 for his first Japanese league win.<ref>{{cite news|title=Leach, BayStars end Giants' streak at seven|url=http://www.japantimes.co.jp/sports/2011/08/12/baseball/japanese-baseball/leach-baystars-end-giants-streak-at-seven/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Japan Times|date=August 12, 2011}}</ref>
===Return to Dodgers=== Leach signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers in February 2012 and was sent back to Albuquerque.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: Feb. 14-20|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-feb-14-20/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=February 23, 2016}}</ref> He was released in May after appearing in 10 games for the Isotopes.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: May 1–7|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-may-1-7/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=May 10, 2012}}</ref>
===Atlanta Braves=== He signed as a free agent with the Atlanta Braves on June 21, 2012, and was assigned to the AA Mississippi Braves.<ref name="mbraves">{{cite news|last1=Black|first1=Miranda|title=Brandon, Mississippi native joins M-Braves|url=https://www.milb.com/news/gcs-33704076|access-date=February 11, 2016|publisher=Minor League Baseball|date=June 21, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: June 19–24|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-june-19-24/|access-date=February 12, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=June 28, 2012}}</ref>
===Milwaukee Brewers=== Leach signed a minor league contract with the Milwaukee Brewers on July 3, 2013.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: June 27-July 3|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-june-27-july-3/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=July 7, 2013}}</ref> He resigned with the team on December 1, 2014,<ref>{{cite news|last1=McCalvy|first1=Adam|title=Brewers sign Leach, {{as written|Ad|diton}} to Minor League deals|url=http://m.mlb.com/news/article/102888128/milwaukee-brewers-sign-brent-leach-nick-additon-to-minor-league-deals|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=MLB.com|date=December 1, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160215200631if_/http://m.mlb.com/news/article/102888128/milwaukee-brewers-sign-brent-leach-nick-additon-to-minor-league-deals|archive-date=February 15, 2016}}</ref> and released in August 2015.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eddy|first1=Matt|title=Minor League Transactions: Aug. 20-27|url=http://www.baseballamerica.com/minors/minor-league-transactions-aug-20-27/|access-date=February 11, 2016|work=Baseball America|date=August 31, 2015}}</ref>
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== {{Baseballstats |mlb=489052 |espn=30091|br=l/leachbr01|fangraphs=4576|brm=leach-001bre}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leach, Brent}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:People from Flowood, Mississippi Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:Yokohama BayStars players Category:Delta State Statesmen baseball players Category:Ogden Raptors players Category:Columbus Catfish players Category:Vero Beach Dodgers players Category:Inland Empire 66ers players Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Surprise Rafters players Category:Chattanooga Lookouts players Category:Albuquerque Isotopes players Category:21st-century American sportsmen Category:Mississippi Braves players Category:Gwinnett Braves players Category:Brevard County Manatees players Category:Huntsville Stars players Category:Nashville Sounds players Category:Colorado Springs Sky Sox players Category:American expatriate baseball players in Japan Category:Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball players Category:Baseball players from Mississippi