Brad Lesley, former Major League Baseball player and actor in numerous '90s sports movies, passed away this weekend. He was 54.

Lesley's ex-wife, Chiho Svimonoff, told TMZ that Lesley had been suffering from kidney problems and living in a nursing home for the past seven months. He was receiving dialysis.

Lesley was rushed to the hospital in Marina Del Rey, California on Saturday night. He died later from kidney failure.

From 1982-1985, Lesley played for the Cincinnati Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tom Hume, who played alongside Lesley for the Reds, tweeted: "Another one of my good friends has passed away, Brad Lesley. One of the most positive people I know. Never a bad day, no matter what! Loved him!"

After being released from the Brewers, he moved to Japan to play for the Hankyu Braves for two seasons. There, he became a television personality known as Ajimaru "Animal" Resry in the Japanese game show, Takeshi's Castle.

After returning to the US, he turned to acting. Lesley starred in many '90s films, such as "Mr. Baseball," "Buddy," and "Space Jam." He is most known for his role as an angry pitcher with a goatee in "Little Big League."

Lesley's nickname, "The Animal," came from his build - he was six-foot-six and 220 pounds - as well as for his theatrics. During his baseball days, he would thrust his fist in the air and stomp around the mound after a strikeout.