Leon Joseph Roberts III, nicknamed “Bip”, was born on October 27th, 1963, in Berkley, California. Growing up in Oakland, drugs were prevalent in Bip’s immediate atmosphere. They were right there at home. Turning to drugs would have been all too easy, but at an early age, Bip turned to baseball instead. Bip knew by age five that he was going to play pro ball and by high school, others were starting to believe the 5 foot 7 youngster. At Skyline High, Bip became the first sophomore to ever be selected to the all-city team and was also the school’s first-ever All-American.
