Almost a decade ago, a high school kid from Wellington was throwing a curveball that several major league scouts called the best they'd ever seen. But a string of injuries forced him to give up his first love and pick up a completely different sport. That, once again, has him competing as a pro athlete.

"Yeah, I feel good.” That’s something Bobby Bradley hasn't been able to say for a very long time.

"I had to get a rib removed because of an entrapped nerve and blocked artery. I didn't have pulse when I put my arm over my head. I have 14 surgical scars, had five surgeries, two herniated discs -- I was a train wreck"

In 1999, Bradley was drafted 8th overall by the Pittsburgh Pirates.

"I knew when I was in zone. I let go, no he's not hitting it."

But six years and five surgeries later, this up-and-coming pitcher from Wellington was out of baseball.

"I get called up to the big leagues in my dreams probably once a week. Last one extremely vivid, I was on the Boston Red Sox but I can't ever get my uniform on"

"I sort of accepted the fact it won't happen. At one time I was really bitter about it. But he pretty much settled me down," said Bobby’s father, Bob.

Bobby's dad has been the pitching coach at Wellington High School ever since his son was a freshman.

“It’s just a joy, I miss this so much," he says as he plays catch with his son.

The two still play catch from time to time, but this is the first time Bobby has thrown in front of a camera since his forgettable final professional game.

Playing for the Pirates’ AAA affiliate in 2005, Bradley hit 10 batters and walked 30 in less than 13 innings of work.

"That was the toughest part for me, side-show for 3 months. It was bad,” Bobby says. "I was kind of lost, didn't know what direction I was going in life"

At 25 and no longer playing baseball, Bradley started playing cards. He even qualified for the World Series of Poker. But then something a little more stable came along when Mickey White, his former scouting director from the Pirates, saw him do this.

"We got to the golf course and I saw a sign that said Re-max Long Drive Qualifier. I've always hit a long way so I didn't think much of it," Bradley says.

“I hit probably 5-10 balls total won the local and I ended up joining the long driver’s association tour and became a pro. I went out to St. Louis my first event and qualified for the world championships," he says.

“All the favorites were there and he comes out and outdrives them all,” White says. “It was pretty amazing."

But Bradley's remarkable story doesn't end there. Whatever problems he might have had inside his head, seem to have been cured by an appliance inside his mouth.

Every time Bradley hits off a tee, he wears an innovative piece of plastic called the Pure Power Mouthguard.

"It's like putting on tennis shoes, or uniform or getting your club,” he says. “I pop this thing in. I actually feel naked without it. You can't really see it at all, that's the cool thing about it. The technology that goes into it is just weird, it's instant gratification."

“Because his range of motion is increasing, because his breathing is better, he's going to have a much better hit," says Dr. Hamid Nassery, a Miami dentist.

He has outfitted a number of athletes with the Pure Power Mouthguard, including South Florida's own Olympic speed skater, Jennifer Rodriguez.

Athletes in all four major sports are currently using this new piece of equipment. In fact, Red Sox slugger Manny Ramirez just started endorsing the product. And it's because of the mouthguard that Bradley is not ruling out a comeback on the mound.

"I still think that it's possible but at the same time there's other things in life that I can go out and do that I can compete at,” he says. I mean, I'm a pretty good long drive golf guy. I feel like I have a good chance to win the world championships this year"

Bradley has already qualified for this year's Re-max Long Drive Championships in October. The winner gets $250,000.