30 Day Baseball Card Challenge

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Saturday, April 4, 2020

Streets to Stadiums

Time flies by when you're having fun.  Maybe that's why the past three weeks have felt like an eternity.

 Cards have helped a little.

 Here's a photo update on where I'm at with those mystery bags:


 The bags have been opened and stacked.  I've pulled out some cards for myself.  The rest will be sorted out by team and shipped out to some of you.  Any extras will be thrown into a shoebox and brought into my classroom... when I'm allowed to return.

 Unfortunately... I can only sort a little (maybe an hour or so) each day.  Sitting on my office floor wreaks havoc on my back and being laid out with a sore back is one of the last things I need right now.

 I'm guessing I'll have everything sorted sometime this upcoming week.  In the meantime... I'll continue to scan cards, read blogs, plan online lessons, attend school related meetings (online), listen to records, eat unbalanced meals, and start watching Money Heist on Netflix.


It's basically a crime drama about a group of people who pull off a couple of huge money heists.  Sorry.  I've never claimed to be skilled at writing summaries or reviews... but I enjoy its creativity and was hooked after binge watching the first season last year.

2012 Panini Golden Age Historic Signatures #RL

But you're not here for my binge watch suggestions.  You're here for cards.  Unfortunately, I don't know of any MLB players who have attempted to rob a bank, but I remember hearing about Ron LeFlore's story on a baseball podcast.


 Back in 1970, he robbed a local bar and was given a five to fifteen year prison sentence for armed robbery.  During this prison sentence, he played organized baseball for the first time in his life and he discovered that he was pretty good at it.  He wasn't the only one to make that discovery.

1971 Topps #208

 Through a friend, Billy Martin heard about LeFlore and gave him a tryout with the Detroit Tigers during a weekend furlough.

 And the rest is history.  Like I mentioned earlier, I'm not skilled at writing summaries.  However if you're interested in reading his entire story, click here.  Like Money Heist... it's pretty interesting.

 But if that's not your cup of tea, then you can watch LeFlore's streets to stadiums story which was made into a television movie here.

 Okay... I'm off to watch an episode or two of Money Heist.  Hope all of you are enjoying your weekend.

 Happy Saturday and sayonara!
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14 comments:

  1. The Angels In OrderApril 4, 2020 at 3:16 PM

    Wow I forgot about that Ron LeFlore TV movie, but now I remember watching it when it came out. I may have to revisit that.

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    1. Brett AlanApril 4, 2020 at 9:22 PM

      Yeah, I remember watching it when it was first on, way back when. It starred LeVar Burton, then famous for Roots, and later for Star Trek TNG and of course Reading Rainbow--but you don't have to take my word for it. So two of his most famous roles are LeFlore and LaForge!

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  2. gcrlApril 4, 2020 at 3:33 PM

    i watched the leflore movie and read the book, too. i was a fan as he went to montreal and chicago. if i recall correctly, after his playing career ended, he attended umpire school in an attempt to make it as an ump.

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  3. P-town TomApril 4, 2020 at 3:58 PM

    I didn't know anything about Ron LeFlore. And now I find out I can watch the movie for free? Thanks for the tip, Fuji!

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  4. sg488April 4, 2020 at 5:24 PM

    He tried to shave 4 years off his age,notice his first 2 cards have year of birth at 1952,when it should have been 1948.

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  5. RunForeKelloggsApril 4, 2020 at 5:28 PM

    Since I was in Chicago I've heard the LeFlore story a few times. Thanks for showing the 1971 Billy Martin. That was the last card that I got to complete my first-ever set as a kid. If I recall correctly, I gave up a handful of Cubs for the chance to complete my set.

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  6. ChrisApril 4, 2020 at 9:18 PM

    I remember seeing the Ron LeFlore story on TV about 8-10 years ago. A couple of the Tigers played themselves - Bill Freehan, Al Kaline, maybe a couple others. I'd gone to the East Coast National some time before seeing the movie, and LeFlore was the 'free with admission' autograph guest. Had I known his story I would have definitely stood in line to meet him & get something signed.

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  7. night owlApril 4, 2020 at 9:51 PM

    This was the first "made for TV" movie I ever watched. Imagine the guy I pulled out of one of the first three packs of baseball cards I ever bought was in a TV movie! I was entranced. ... It's been so much a part of my childhood history that it amazes me when people say they've never heard of it before.

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  8. MattApril 5, 2020 at 3:32 AM

    I didn't know that about Leflore. I have that card you posted, maybe I will keep it now just for the interesting back story

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  9. Billy KingsleyApril 5, 2020 at 4:28 AM

    One of the members of the Trading Card Database is documenting the list of athletes convicted of crimes. None show up as bank robbers although there are a couple of personal robbery instances. https://www.tradingcarddb.com/List.cfm/lid/6794/Athletes-Convicted-of-Crimes?PageIndex=1

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  10. Baltmoss68April 5, 2020 at 5:59 AM

    Ron LeFlore was one of my favorite players as a child. I loved his story and thst he was a pretty damn good big league player too.. one of the best base runners of his time, he was in the Henderson and Raines category for speed

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  11. RobertApril 5, 2020 at 8:15 AM

    You know what, I'll have to put Money Heist on my Netflix binge list. These days, anything that helps pass the time is always good.

    I may have seen the Leflore movie, I don't remember, but I sure do recall his playing days. Run like the wind on the basepaths, would have loved to seen his career last longer than it did.

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  12. Steve at 1975BaseballCards.comApril 5, 2020 at 10:20 AM

    So many things I don’t know about and this was one of them, nice one Fuji! I started skimming through the movie and don’t know if I could handle watching it but I’ll at least check out the the scenes win the players

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  13. The Snorting BullApril 5, 2020 at 4:31 PM

    The Tigers also got Gates Brown from a prison in the late 1950s, he was on the 1968 World Series team. In fact, he was in jail in the Ohio prison that was used to shoot the movie Shawshank Redemption.

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