Ron LeFlore
Encyclopedia
Ronald LeFlore 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 . 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. One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
was a made-for-television movie starring LeVar Burton
that aired on CBS in 1978. LeFlore is the cousin of former MLB outfielder Todd Steverson
.
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 nurses' 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 child. 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.
, the legendary New York Yankee player and manager, then manager of the Detroit Tigers, was lured to Michigan State Prison by Jimmy Karalla, 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 a contract in July, which enabled him to meet the conditions for parole. Assigned to the Single A Clinton Pilots in the Midwest League, LeFlore held his own and hit .277 in his first taste of organized ball. Unfortunately Martin didn't fare as well and was fired in August of the same year (for telling Tiger pitchers to throw at opposing hitters). The next year LeFlore was demoted to the Lakeland Tigers
in the Florida State League, but after hitting .331 with 45 steals in 102 games, he was promoted to the Triple A[Evansville Triplets]] where he played nine games. The following season he made the major league club out of spring training and went north with the club for good.
Primarily known as a base stealer, LeFlore split time in centerfield in 1974 with veteran Tiger Mickey Stanley
before taking over as the starter in 1975. LeFlore was largely known as a base stealer, but in his prime he also hit for average and moderate power. He, along with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych
, were the primary reasons that the Tigers' attendance rose in 1976 by close to 5,000 per game over the previous year. Both players made the 1976 American League All-Star team, yet the team never finished higher than fourth in the American League East standings during LeFlore's tenure. In 1977, LeFlore hammered 16 home runs while batting .325 - both career highs. LeFlore had arguably his career year in 1978, leading the league in singles (153), runs scored (126), and stolen bases (68) and finishing second in hits (198), plate appearances (741), and at bats (666). He would also set career highs in games played, plate appearances, at bats, RBI, and walks. After the 1979, in which he hit .300 and stole 78 bases, LeFlore was traded in December to the Montreal Expos for promising young starter Dan Schatzeder
. In 1980, he came closest to encountering play-off action as he stole a career-high 97 bases (becoming the first player to lead both leagues in steals in his career) to help the Expos finish the season in second place, only a game behind the eventual World Series
champion Philadelphia Phillies
. In 1981, LeFlore signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent, but his career would go into decline and he would only play in only a combined 173 games over his two years in Chicago. After failing to make the White Sox roster in the spring of 1983, LeFlore was released by the team and he announced his retirement. Soon later, LeFlore revealed that he was actually four years older than he had previously admitted, thus raising his age at retirement from a still-young age of 30 to 34 and giving some explanation for his rapid decline while with the White Sox.
As of the end of the 2011, LeFlore's 1976, 1978, and 1979 seasons are 10th, 6th and 3rd respectively on the Tigers' all-time single-season stolen base list and his 294 steals are 4th on the Tigers' career list. LeFlore's 97 stolen bases for the Expos in 1980 are still a franchise record for the Expos and Washington Nationals
. He also finished in the Top 10 in his league in Triples, finishing as high as 3rd in 1980 with 11. Despite his his speed and better than average bat, he was never adept in the field. In his career, LeFlore finished in the Top 5 in errors committed by outfielders every year except 1979, leading his league in outfield errors in 1974, 1976, 1980, and 1982 (despite only playing in 91 games). Highlighting his struggles with the glove, LeFlore was guilty of misplaying a ball into a four-base error. On August 1, 1982 in a game against the Boston Red Sox
, LeFlore was in centerfield when in the 6th inning leadoff hitter, Boston catcher Gary Allenson
hit a soft liner off Sox starter Jerry Koosman
. Drifting back for the catch, the ball struck LeFlore in the forehead (or bill of his cap, reports differ), took a crazy bounce, and rolled away. By the time it was tracked down, Allenson had crossed the plate to score an unearned run. LeFlore also struckout plenty, finishing in the Top 10 in his league in strikeouts five times (finishing 2nd in the American League in 1975 with 139).
for Eastern Airlines, LeFlore saw an ad for an umpire
school run by MLB umpire Joe Brinkman
. He attended the five week course in which top graduates are assigned to whatever openings exist on the minor league level, hoping to eventually make it as a major league umpire. He failed to finish high enough in his class to qualify for a job at the minor league level.
In 1989, LeFlore played for the St. Petersburg Pelicans
and Bradenton Explorers
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
. LeFlore batted .328 in 44 games with both teams; 11 games with St. Petersburg and 33 games with Bradenton. In 1990, he played for the Florida Tropics of the SPBA. He played in 18 games and had 2 home runs and 9 RBI. He also had the second-highest batting average with .403 when the league folded.
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, the person who had 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 again arrested for failure to pay child support.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
outfielder
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
. He played six seasons with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
before being traded to the Montreal Expos
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
, retiring as a Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
in . He stole 455 bases in his career, and was an American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
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. One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story
One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story was a 1978 made for TV movie telling the story of Ron LeFlore, a troubled Detroit youth who rose from Michigan prisons to star in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers...
was a made-for-television movie starring LeVar Burton
LeVar Burton
Levardis Robert Martyn Burton, Jr. , professionally known as LeVar Burton, is an American actor, director, producer and author who first came to prominence portraying Kunta Kinte in the 1977 award-winning ABC television miniseries Roots, based on the novel by Alex Haley...
that aired on CBS in 1978. LeFlore is the cousin of former MLB outfielder Todd Steverson
Todd Steverson
Todd Anthony Steverson is a former right-handed left and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers and San Diego Padres...
.
Early life
LeFlore was born in Detroit, MichiganMichigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
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 nurses' 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
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, although he had been to Tiger Stadium, sitting in the upper bleachers with his father, on one occasion as a child. 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 MartinBilly Martin
Alfred Manuel "Billy" Martin, Jr. was an American Major League Baseball second baseman and manager. He is best known as the manager of the New York Yankees, a position he held five different times...
, the legendary New York Yankee player and manager, then manager of the Detroit Tigers, was lured to Michigan State Prison by Jimmy Karalla, 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 a contract in July, which enabled him to meet the conditions for parole. Assigned to the Single A Clinton Pilots in the Midwest League, LeFlore held his own and hit .277 in his first taste of organized ball. Unfortunately Martin didn't fare as well and was fired in August of the same year (for telling Tiger pitchers to throw at opposing hitters). The next year LeFlore was demoted to the Lakeland Tigers
Lakeland Tigers
The Lakeland Flying Tigers are a minor league baseball team based in Lakeland, Florida.Home games are played at Joker Marchant Stadium; opened in 1966 and renovated in 2003. The park, which also doubles as the Detroit Tigers spring training home, seats 8,500 fans...
in the Florida State League, but after hitting .331 with 45 steals in 102 games, he was promoted to the Triple A[Evansville Triplets]] where he played nine games. The following season he made the major league club out of spring training and went north with the club for good.
Playing career
Mickey Stanley
Mitchell Jack "Mickey" Stanley was a baseball player for the Detroit Tigers from 1964-1978. Stanley was known as a superb defensive outfielder over his 15-year career, though he is best remembered for the last few weeks of the 1968 season.-Early life:Stanley prepped at Ottawa Hills High School in...
before taking over as the starter in 1975. LeFlore was largely known as a base stealer, but in his prime he also hit for average and moderate power. He, along with Mark "The Bird" Fidrych
Mark Fidrych
Mark Steven Fidrych , nicknamed "The Bird", was a Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched his entire career for the Detroit Tigers ....
, were the primary reasons that the Tigers' attendance rose in 1976 by close to 5,000 per game over the previous year. Both players made the 1976 American League All-Star team, yet the team never finished higher than fourth in the American League East standings during LeFlore's tenure. In 1977, LeFlore hammered 16 home runs while batting .325 - both career highs. LeFlore had arguably his career year in 1978, leading the league in singles (153), runs scored (126), and stolen bases (68) and finishing second in hits (198), plate appearances (741), and at bats (666). He would also set career highs in games played, plate appearances, at bats, RBI, and walks. After the 1979, in which he hit .300 and stole 78 bases, LeFlore was traded in December to the Montreal Expos for promising young starter Dan Schatzeder
Dan Schatzeder
Daniel Ernest Schatzeder is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the major leagues from - for nine different teams. Schatzeder played college baseball at the University of Denver...
. In 1980, he came closest to encountering play-off action as he stole a career-high 97 bases (becoming the first player to lead both leagues in steals in his career) to help the Expos finish the season in second place, only a game behind the eventual World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
champion Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
. In 1981, LeFlore signed with the Chicago White Sox as a free agent, but his career would go into decline and he would only play in only a combined 173 games over his two years in Chicago. After failing to make the White Sox roster in the spring of 1983, LeFlore was released by the team and he announced his retirement. Soon later, LeFlore revealed that he was actually four years older than he had previously admitted, thus raising his age at retirement from a still-young age of 30 to 34 and giving some explanation for his rapid decline while with the White Sox.
As of the end of the 2011, LeFlore's 1976, 1978, and 1979 seasons are 10th, 6th and 3rd respectively on the Tigers' all-time single-season stolen base list and his 294 steals are 4th on the Tigers' career list. LeFlore's 97 stolen bases for the Expos in 1980 are still a franchise record for the Expos and Washington Nationals
Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are a professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C. The Nationals are a member of the Eastern Division of the National League of Major League Baseball . The team moved into the newly built Nationals Park in 2008, after playing their first three seasons in RFK Stadium...
. He also finished in the Top 10 in his league in Triples, finishing as high as 3rd in 1980 with 11. Despite his his speed and better than average bat, he was never adept in the field. In his career, LeFlore finished in the Top 5 in errors committed by outfielders every year except 1979, leading his league in outfield errors in 1974, 1976, 1980, and 1982 (despite only playing in 91 games). Highlighting his struggles with the glove, LeFlore was guilty of misplaying a ball into a four-base error. On August 1, 1982 in a game against the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, LeFlore was in centerfield when in the 6th inning leadoff hitter, Boston catcher Gary Allenson
Gary Allenson
Gary Martin Allenson is a former Major League Baseball catcher and the current manager of the Norfolk Tides, the AAA affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles.-Playing career:...
hit a soft liner off Sox starter Jerry Koosman
Jerry Koosman
Jerome Martin Koosman is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies between 1967 and 1985...
. Drifting back for the catch, the ball struck LeFlore in the forehead (or bill of his cap, reports differ), took a crazy bounce, and rolled away. By the time it was tracked down, Allenson had crossed the plate to score an unearned run. LeFlore also struckout plenty, finishing in the Top 10 in his league in strikeouts five times (finishing 2nd in the American League in 1975 with 139).
After playing career
In 1988 while working as a baggage handlerBaggage handler
In the airline industry, a baggage handler is a person who loads and unloads baggage , and other cargo for transport via aircraft...
for Eastern Airlines, LeFlore saw an ad for an umpire
Umpire (baseball)
In baseball, the umpire is the person charged with officiating the game, including beginning and ending the game, enforcing the rules of the game and the grounds, making judgment calls on plays, and handling the disciplinary actions. The term is often shortened to the colloquial form ump...
school run by MLB umpire Joe Brinkman
Joe Brinkman
Joseph Norbert Brinkman is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the American League from 1973 to 1999 and throughout both major leagues from 2000 until his retirement during the 2006 season....
. He attended the five week course in which top graduates are assigned to whatever openings exist on the minor league level, hoping to eventually make it as a major league umpire. He failed to finish high enough in his class to qualify for a job at the minor league level.
In 1989, LeFlore played for the St. Petersburg Pelicans
St. Petersburg Pelicans
The St. Petersburg Pelicans were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989. The team went 42-30 in the regular season and won the Northern Division title. Steve Henderson hit .352 for the club, and Lenny Randle batted .349. Milt...
and Bradenton Explorers
Bradenton Explorers
The Bradenton Explorers were one of the eight original franchises that began play in the Senior Professional Baseball Association in . That season, the club complied a record of 38-34 and finished in second place in the league's Northern Division, narrowly holding off the Orlando Juice. Jim...
of the Senior Professional Baseball Association
Senior Professional Baseball Association
The Senior Professional Baseball Association was a winter baseball league based in Florida for players age 35 and over . The league began play in 1989 and had eight teams in two divisions and a 72 game schedule...
. LeFlore batted .328 in 44 games with both teams; 11 games with St. Petersburg and 33 games with Bradenton. In 1990, he played for the Florida Tropics of the SPBA. He played in 18 games and had 2 home runs and 9 RBI. He also had the second-highest batting average with .403 when the league folded.
On September 27, 1999, ceremonies celebrating the final game played at Tiger Stadium brought LeFlore back to Michigan
Michigan
Michigan is a U.S. state located in the Great Lakes Region of the United States of America. The name Michigan is the French form of the Ojibwa word mishigamaa, meaning "large water" or "large lake"....
after many years of living in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. Before the game, he was notified of an open warrant
Warrant (law)
Most often, the term warrant refers to a specific type of authorization; a writ issued by a competent officer, usually a judge or magistrate, which permits an otherwise illegal act that would violate individual rights and affords the person executing the writ protection from damages if the act is...
for his arrest on charges of unpaid child support
Child support
In family law and public policy, child support is an ongoing, periodic payment made by a parent for the financial benefit of a child following the end of a marriage or other relationship...
. 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, the person who had 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
Frontier League
The Frontier League, based in Sauget, Illinois, is a professional, independent baseball organization located in the Midwestern United States, Western Pennsylvania, and Southern Ontario. It operates mostly in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is not affiliated with either...
. 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
Saskatoon Legends
The Saskatoon Legends were a minor league baseball team during the 2003 season. They played in the Canadian Baseball League, which was not a part of Minor League Baseball and therefore not affiliated with Major League Baseball or its member clubs. The Legends played out of Cairns Field. The team...
franchise in the fledgling Canadian Baseball League
Canadian Baseball League
The Canadian Baseball League, was an independent minor league that operated in 2003. The league's only Commissioner was Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame member Ferguson Jenkins...
, a league that folded midway through their inaugural season.
On May 5, 2007, during an autograph signing, LeFlore was again arrested for failure to pay child support.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions
- List of Major League Baseball stolen base champions
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases