Jailbird rocks MLB

Happy Tuesday! Or – as my new subscribers from Delco (you know who you are) would say 👉 Toos-dee!

Today’s edition includes the story of a guy who went from bagging groceries at Safeway to slam dunking on the GOAT.

It also features a special story from one of my favorite guest authors.

Here's what's coming today:

• Meet the All-Star who learned how to play baseball in prison

• The backup QB who probably shouldn’t be here

• How a grocery bagger made history

Let’s dive in.

Last week, Nebraska Volleyball set a world record for attendance at a women’s sporting event with how many fans?

• A) 34,569

• B) 57,772

• C) 68,195

• D) 92,003

The answer is at the end of this email! Look for the ⭐ emoji.

From The Penitentiary to MLB All-Star

Today’s story is about a ballplayer who went from the big house to the big leagues.

His name is Ron LeFlore.

He was born on June 16th, 1948 in Detroit, and honestly, he was down bad from the jump.

Ron’s dad was around, but he was an unemployed alcoholic who didn’t do anything for the family.

LeFlore quickly turned to the streets and became involved in drugs and other criminal activity.

The first time he got arrested, he was 15, and things only escalated from there.

In 1970, Ron and two others were involved in an armed robbery in which Ron was carrying a rifle.

Due to the severity of the charges he was sentenced to 5-15 years in the State Prison of Southern Michigan.

Turns out, it was the best thing that ever happened to him.

Behind bars, LeFlore played organized baseball for the first time and realized he was pretty damn good at it.

In a stroke of complete luck that can only be classified as a miracle, one of LeFlore’s fellow inmates, Jimmy Karalla got him a tryout with the Tigers.

Karalla, who was serving time for extortion, had a friend named Jimmy Butsicaris, who co-owned a Detroit bar where a lot of athletes hung out.

Butsicaris knew Billy Martin and was able to convince him to take a look at LeFlore.

On May 23, 1973, Martin went to Jackson State Prison and watched Ron LeFlore do his thing.

Whatever he saw that day was enough to want LeFlore on the squad.

By July, Martin was able to get LeFlore out on parole.

The Tigers paid him a $5,000 signing bonus and $500 per month, and Ron never looked back.

He started in Class A, where he was managed by the GOAT, Jim Leyland.

LeFlore hit .277 that season, and the following year he hit .331 with 45 stolen bases in 102 games.

By August of ’74, LeFlore was in the big leagues.

Ron’s epic rise to the show was made into a movie called One in a Million: The Ron LeFlore Story.

He played for eight seasons, made an All-Star game, and swiped 455 bags, which puts him 52nd all-time - tied with Ed Delahanty.

In 1980, he even went toe-to-toe with the great Ricky Henderson.

That year, Rickey stole 100 bases; LeFlore ended with 97.

Ron’s story is a testament to the power of the human spirit and second chances.

Never give up.

This story was originally featured in Dead Legends. If you’re hungry for more mind-blowing baseball history, subscribe to the newsletter for free and get a new story every day.

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🏀 He left college to bag groceries at Safeway. A few years later, he slammed down a dunk heard throughout New York City. [Joker Mag]

🏈 Tyson Bagent is not supposed to be here. Here’s how the former zero-star recruit went from an unknown D2 guy to the backup QB for the Chicago Bears. [Max Markham on Twitter]

⚾️ As the Phillies gear up for another postseason run, take a moment to read the cool story of their unsung hero: team interpreter Diego Ettedgui. [Crossing Broad]

🏃‍♀️ She battles daily pain that most people will never experience. Now she’s training for the 140.6-mile race of a lifetime. [Joker Mag]

⭐ Trivia Answer:

D) 92,003 – 🤯 those tickets weren’t cheap either.

Wanna submit a trivia question or fun fact for the next edition? Reply to this email.

Thanks for reading! 🤝 

If you enjoyed this email, send me a quick reply and let me know which story you liked most.

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Your feedback helps me make this the best newsletter it can be.

Enjoy the football games this weekend!

Til next time,
Tyler

P.S. Don’t forget to share your referral link with a friend! 👇

Extra Innings…

• “Morning coffee” – long-time subscriber Tina A. knows how to start the day off right! Thank you for representing the Underdog Mentality 💪 

• These two professional pitchers look exactly the same, and share the same name, but are (shockingly) not related.

• If you were crushing homers in the big leagues, would you still maintain a LinkedIn profile? This guy does (check out his work experience).

• By the way: here’s the full-length movie about Ron LeFlore’s unbelievable story.