SPORTSTALKNY THROWBACK : RON LEFLORE

WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY

Another SPORTSTALKNY throwback this one from May 2008 When Former AL and NL stolen base leader, All-Star Ron Leflore joins Mark Rosenman and AJ Carter of SPORTSTALKNY to talk about his life 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 that 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.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. Tune in each week on 540 am in NY NJ CT and streaming on www.sportstalknylive.com as well as facebook live at 7pm Sundays for the live broadcast.Please take a moment to like our fan page WLIE 540 AM SPORTSTALKNY and follow us on twitter @sportstalkny and please check out Mark Rosenman and AJ Carters author page on amazon to purchase any of their books.