Ron Luciano
Ron Luciano was an American League baseball umpire known for his exuberance and unorthodox style. He wasn’t always into baseball. His size, 6’4’, 260 pounds, made him perfect to play offensive and defensive tackle at Syracuse University. In 1969 he started umpiring in the major leagues. He was known for his outrageous calls, screaming, and jumping in the air. League President Joe Cronin sent Luciano a registered letter complaining about “conduct unbecoming a major league umpire.” Ron worked with Merle Harmon on NBC’s Game of the Week and auditioned for the part of Coach Ernie on the hit TV show “Cheers” but lost out to a more experienced actor. Luciano wrote five books, including “The Umpire Strikes Back.” In this podcast he discloses some behind the scenes baseball and broadcasting stories including why teams have losing streaks. Sadly, Ron suffered from depression and committed suicide in 1995.
