Ron Luciano | |
|---|---|
 Luciano's first book | |
| Born | Ronald Michael Luciano June 28, 1937 |
| Died | January 18, 1995 (aged 57) |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Resting place | Calvary Cemetery, Johnson City, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Syracuse University |
| Occupation(s) | Umpire, Author |
| Years active | 1969–1979 |
| Employer | Major League Baseball |
Ronald Michael Luciano (June 28, 1937 – January 18, 1995) was an American Major League Baseball umpire from 1969 to 1979 in the American League. He was known for his flamboyant style, clever aphorisms, and a series of published collections of anecdotes from his baseball career.
Early life
Luciano was born and lived his entire life in Endicott, in the southern part of upstate New York near the Pennsylvania border. In college the 6-foot-4, 260-pound Luciano was a standout two-way tackle on the Syracuse University football team; he played for the Orangemen's 1959 national championship squad with future Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis. The Detroit Lions made him the second overall pick in the 1959 NFL Draft, but he suffered a serious shoulder injury in the College All-Star Game and played three injury-riddled pro seasons with the Lions, mostly in a reserve role.[1]
Umpiring career
Luciano began umpiring in the Class A Florida State League in 1964. He was promoted to the Double-A Eastern League in 1965 and the Triple-A International League in 1967. In 1969 he became an MLB umpire in the American League and remained so until his retirement at the end of the 1979 season.[2]
As an umpire he was known for his flamboyant calls, particularly his habit of "shooting out" players. "My personal record is 16 shots," he wrote. "Bill Haller counted them."[3] One night Luciano gave an "out" sign at home plate by pumping his right hand a dozen times. "I was so carried away that I never saw the ball rolling to the backstop," he later said. "Fortunately, someone pointed to the loose ball and I changed my call."[3] In addition to making theatrical events of routine outs, he was was considered an "individualist" who played fast and loose with the league's rules of conduct. For example, rather than working from behind second base as mandated by the American League, he would frequently stand between the pitcher and the base, National League-style.[1] He would routinely converse with players during between-inning breaks and even during play, a practice strictly forbidden by the league.[2] In 1973 during spring training, he switched positions with Buddy Bell, playing a portion of an inning at third base while Bell umpired. (Both were reprimanded by the league.)[2]
Luciano was also known for his long-running feud with Baltimore Orioles manager Earl Weaver, whose career closely paralleled Luciano's. The two men first met in Double-A during a four-game series in Reading, Pennsylvania in 1965; Weaver was managing the Elmira Pioneers. Luciano ejected Weaver from all four games—the last during the pre-game exchange of scorecards at home plate.[3] During the 1967 season in Triple-A, after a dispute with Luciano, Weaver famously stole second base—literally—took it to his dugout, and refused to give it back.[2] In the majors Luciano once ejected Weaver from both games of a doubleheader—the second time, once again, before a single pitch had been thrown.[2] He tossed Weaver so often that Orioles players reportedly placed bets on the inning in which their skipper would be removed.[4] The friction became so intense that for an entire year, Luciano was transferred whenever his crew was scheduled to work an Orioles series. In the third inning of Luciano's first game in Baltimore a year later, he ejected Weaver—who then publicly questioned Luciano's "integrity" and received a three-game suspension.[3] Eventually, each admitted a grudging respect for the other: Weaver said Luciano was "one of the few umpires people have paid their way into the park to see."[citation needed] Of Weaver, Luciano wrote, "It's impossible for me not to admire him, but it's pretty hard for me to like him."[2]
Luciano was a member of the 1974 World Series umpire crew, but did not work the plate; the Oakland Athletics closed out the Los Angeles Dodgers in five games. Other extra-season duties included the 1973 All-Star Game and the 1975 and 1978 American League Championship Series. He was the home plate umpire for Nolan Ryan's second no-hitter in Detroit on July 15, 1973.[5]
Personal life
Luciano was married once, in 1974, to an airline flight attendant from Chicago. During the baseball season they saw very little of each other, and during the off-season they could not agree on where to live: she did not want to move to upstate New York, and he did not want to live in Chicago. They divorced after less than a year.[6] Luciano was an enthusiastic amateur ornithologist, and an avid reader. "I don't understand Shakespeare's sonnets at all, but I follow his tragedies," he said. "I like the mean characters, people like Macbeth's wife. Hey, you've got to be a masochist to be an umpire, right?"[1]
Retirement
After his retirement in 1980 Luciano spent one season as a baseball color commentator on NBC; but he became best known as the author of five books—The Umpire Strikes Back, Strike Two, The Fall of the Roman Umpire, Remembrance of Swings Past and Baseball Lite—compilations of humorous anecdotes and reminiscences from his umpiring days.
Death
In January 1995 Luciano was found dead at age 57 in his garage at his home in Endicott, a victim of suicide via carbon monoxide poisoning. He had reportedly suffered from chronic depression for many years, and was hospitalized for its treatment in early 1994.[6] He was buried at the Calvary Cemetery in Johnson City, New York.[7]