Boston Celtics Hall of Famer Larry Bird made up for his lack of athleticism ... Batson and had the complete family she never had as a child.

"Younger brothers often make the best ballplayers.... Children who grow up chasing ... third baseman had three ball-playing brothers). Larry Bird was a classic case," Shaughnessy wrote.

Larry Bird, who called himself "a hick from French ... and their two adopted children back to Naples, Fla. But three years later, after receiving treatment for an irregular heartbeat, Bird felt ...