Tom Lehman had a shot at being a Major League Baseball player, but he walked away from it to get into the automobile business.

Lehman, 52, is the owner of Hallett Pontiac, 13401 Pinecrest Parkway (S. Dixie Highway), and a former University of Miami ballplayer with Coach Ron Fraser’s powerhouse teams from 1965 to 1969. In fact, Lehman was one of UM’s winningest pitchers, an All American and finished his three varsity seasons with a remarkable 27-2 record.

"I was the winningest pitcher in the NCAA in my junior year with a 13-1 record," he said with obvious pride, while spinning a huge gold ring from the UM Sports Hall of Fame on his finger.

Lehman and his wife, Tao, reside in Coral Gables. They have been married 29 years and have two daughters, Torrie, 26, and Tasha, 23, who attends Colorado State University.

Born and raised in Buffalo, NY, Lehman said he intended to go to the University of North Carolina on a baseball scholarship, but his college entrance scores were just below the cutoff. Devastated, he was debating his future when Ed Hallett, a longtime family friend, intervened.

"Mr. Hallett told my father, ‘Andy Gustafson (former UM football coach) owes me a few favors, let me make a phone call.’ Hallett made a phone call to Gus and two days later I was packing my bags and on my way to Miami. I basically left Buffalo when I was 18 years old to go to school at the UM and I never went home."

After graduating UM, Lehman was drafted by the Houston Astros and assigned to their Triple A farm team at Oklahoma City. He led the Astros’ minor league organization as a pitcher for three straight years, but began to feel frustrated when he was offered another minor league contract.

"I told Houston at the time [1971] that I wanted a shot with a big league club," Lehman recalled. "I told them that I felt I could pitch in the big leagues and I said if I can’t cut the mustard, you won’t have to tell me, I’ll just pack my bags and leave. To me, that was the only place to be and I gave myself three years to do it."

Lehman said the Astros tried to trade him and almost had a deal worked out with Hawaii in the Pacific Coast League, but it fell through when the team decided it didn’t need another left-handed pitcher. So, the Astros carded him for another season in Oklahoma and when spring training came, Lehman was in Miami launching a new career.

"Mr. Hallett always told me, ‘If baseball doesn’t work out and you want to get in the car business, I’ll give you an opportunity to someday have your own store,’" Lehman recalled. "So, in 1971, I told Mr. Hallett that I was here to go to work and start my training program."

What followed was a three-year training program that stretched into eight years, a period in which Lehman worked at virtually every position in the Hallett automobile dealership, from parts manager and body shop manager to service director and new car sales manager.

"At the time, perhaps I didn’t appreciate it," Lehman recalled. "But, looking back, I am very thankful that I had that experience. Ed Hallett was like my second father and so I had enough trust and faith in him that this was going to work out."

In 1978, Hallett began allowing the young Lehman to purchase blocks of stock in the dealership and take more control of the operation’s day-to-day business, while he began spending more time at his farm in Ocala. In December 1980, Hallett died unexpectedly at 59 years old.

"Not only did I lose a business partner, I lost a great, great friend," Lehman said.

Nevertheless, he had to scramble to put together the financing to purchase the dealership from Hallett’s widow and another partner. But, he was successful and today he is the owner of Hallett Pontiac and GMC Trucks.

"I had no desire to change the name of the dealership," he said. "We had built a reputation through the years of good sales and service. My concern then and now is taking care of the customer, making a satisfied customer. Besides, we’ve been at the same location with this name for almost 30 years."

So, does he have any regrets about not sticking with the Astros for one more season and maybe getting a crack at pitching in the Major Leagues?

"No, none whatsoever," he said with a laugh. "I still love the game, but I don’t regret having to give it up."