Ron LeFlore

Infobox MLB retired
name=Ron LeFlore
position=Outfielder


bats=Right
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1948|6|16
city-state|Detroit|Michigan
deathdate=
debutdate=August 1
debutyear=by|1974
debutteam=Detroit Tigers
finaldate=September 3
finalyear=by|1982
finalteam=Chicago White Sox
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.288
stat2label=Hits
stat2value=1,283
stat3label=Stolen bases
stat3value=455
teams=
* Detroit Tigers (by|1974-by|1979)
* Montreal Expos (by|1980)
* Chicago White Sox (by|1981-by|1982)
highlights=
* All-Star selection (1976)

Ronald LeFlore (born June 16, 1948 in Detroit, Michigan) is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers before being traded to the Montreal Expos, retiring as a Chicago White Sox in by|1982. He stole 455 bases in his career, and was an American League All-Star selection in 1976. A movie and book were made about his rise to the major leagues after being an inmate at the Jackson State Penitentiary. "" was a made-for-television movie starring LeVar Burton that aired on CBS Television in 1978. LeFlore is the cousin of former MLB outfielder Todd Steverson.

Early life

Leflore was born in Detroit and was involved in the criminal justice system at an early age. In the book "Breakout: From Prison to the Big Leagues" Leflore relates growing up in a crime ridden section of Detroit. Although his parents were married, his father was an unemployed alcoholic who rarely took part in family life. His mother was a hard working nurse's aide who held the family together financially and physically, even feeding Ron while a heroin addict and small-time drug dealer. He credits his mother’s compassion for his survival during this period. At twelve, he began to have sex with local prostitutes and soon after he was introduced to shooting heroin in a neighbourhood 'shooting gallery'. He dropped out of school and spent many nights breaking into the Stroh's Brewery on Gratiot Avenue, stealing beer and getting drunk with friends. After dropping out of school he played no organized sports and rarely followed the Tigers, although he had been to Tiger Stadium, sitting in the upper bleachers with his father, on one occasion as a kid. First arrested at fifteen, he was ultimately sentenced to 5-15 years in state prison at the State Prison of Southern Michigan, usually called Jackson State Penitentiary, for armed robbery.

Prison discovery

Incarcerated, the first organized baseball league LeFlore played in was for inmates. Billy Martin, the legendary New York Yankee player and manager, then manager of the Detroit Tigers, was lured to Michigan State Prison by another inmate who knew Martin. The unorthodox Martin witnessed LeFlore's speed and strength, something that bloomed after LeFlore had given up drugs and drinking inside prison. Incredibly, Martin helped LeFlore get permission for day-parole and a try out at Tiger Stadium. In the summer of 1973, the convict impressed Tigers' management and the team signed him to contract in July, which enabled him to meet the conditions for parole. Martin, the man who gave LeFlore his break, was fired in August of that same year for telling Tiger pitchers to throw at opposing hitters; he was replaced by Joe Schultz. Ralph Houk was LeFlore's manager subsequently. Originally, LeFlore, a twenty-six year old rookie, was assigned to the Tigers' AA affiliate, but by the end of the 1973 season he was playing for the Triple A Evansville Triplets. The following season he made the Major League club and by 1975 was a starting outfielder.

Playing career

Primarily known as a base stealer, LeFlore led the American League with 68 in 1978, but in his prime he also hit for average and moderate power, hammering 16 home runs in 1977. He was a big reason, along with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych, that the Tigers attendance rose in 1976 by close to five thousand more per game than the previous year. Yet the team never finished higher than fourth in the American League East standings and in 1979 LeFlore was traded to the Montreal Expos. In 1980 he came closest to encountering play-off action as he stole a career high 97 bases and the Expos ended the season in second place only a game behind the eventual World Series winner Philadelphia Phillies. After playing two seasons for the Chicago White Sox, he retired in 1982.

After playing career

On September 27, 1999, ceremonies celebrating the final game played at Tiger Stadium brought LeFlore back to Michigan after many years of living in Florida. Before the game, he was notified of an open warrant for his arrest on charges of unpaid child support. The police agreed to let LeFlore participate in the on-field activities and then subsequently arrested him.

The case involved back orders of support for his estranged adult daughter and her mother, who was the person that informed police LeFlore was planning to attend the festivities. He was quickly released from custody after agreeing to comply with the court order.

In 2000, LeFlore was hired as the manager of the now-defunct Cook County Cheetahs of the Frontier League. He also worked as a manager and coach in the Midwest and Northeastern leagues.

In the spring of 2003, LeFlore was hired as manager for the Saskatoon Legends franchise in the fledgling Canadian Baseball League, a league that folded midway through their inaugural season.

On May 5, 2007, during an autograph signing, LeFlore was arrested for failure to pay child support. [http://www.macombdaily.com/stories/050707/loc_leflore001.shtml]

ee also

* List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
* List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
* List of Major League Baseball players with 400 stolen bases

External links

* [http://baseballreference.com/l/lefloro01.shtml Ron LeFlore career statistics]
* [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0078035/ "One in a Million"] at the IMB, the Internet Movie Database.