Long before David Lesch became the Ewing Halsell Distinguished Professor of History, a specialist on the Middle East, and an adviser to multiple presidential administrations, he was a hot pitching prospect from Maryland with a fiery fastball. The Los Angeles Times featured Lesch, with photos by Trinity University photographer Lucero Salinas, in "an occasional series about Southern California athletes who have flourished in their post-playing careers."
Times reporter Kevin Baxter recounts how Lesch positioned himself for the 1980 winter Major League Baseball draft by pitching at an Arizona junior college. When the Dodgers selected the right-hander, the signing bonus was low, so a family friend, Cal Ripken Sr., suggested he negotiate money for education if Lesch didn't make it into the big leagues. Eighteen months later, he tore his rotator cuff and his playing career was over. Lesch earned a bachelor's from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, then master's and doctoral degrees from Harvard. His journey from baseball player to Middle East expert was chronicled in a book, From Dodgers to Damascus, published in 2025.