Rick Leach

Richard Max Leach (born May 4, 1957) is a former college football player and professional baseball player. Leach was an all-state quarterback at Flint Southwestern High School in 1974 before enrolling at the University of Michigan in 1975. He was Michigan's starting quarterback for four consecutive years from 1975 to 1978, leading the Wolverines to three consecutive Big Ten Conference championships and three appearances in the Rose Bowl. As a senior in 1978, he won the Chicago Tribune Silver Football trophy as the most valuable player in the Big Ten, was selected as a first-team All-American, and finished third in balloting for the Heisman Trophy. After being drafted by the Detroit Tigers in the first round (13th overall pick) of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft, Leach opted to play professional baseball. He played, primarily as a backup outfielder and first baseman for the Tigers and Toronto Blue Jays, from 1981 to 1990. He compiled a .268 batting average and .335 on-base percentage in 1,719 major league at bats.