
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, January 19, 1995                   TAG: 9501190133
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

EX-UMPIRE LUCIANO FOUND DEAD AT HOME

Ron Luciano, a former major-league umpire who brought showmanship to the job, was found dead Wednesday in the garage of his home in Endicott, N.Y. He was 57.

Broome County coroner Dr. Michael McCarville ordered Luciano's body taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton for an autopsy.

A preliminary investigation showed no apparent signs of foul play, said Endicott police Lt. Harlan Ayers. Police released no other details.

An American League umpire for 11 years, Luciano worked the 1974 World Series and the AL championships in 1971, 1975 and 1978. In a profession that traditionally demanded an unobtrusive presence, Luciano was among the first umpires to go about his work with flair and animation.

His raucous, chest-thumping battles with Earl Weaver of the Baltimore Orioles were the stuff of highlight films. He once ejected Weaver from both games of a 1975 doubleheader.

A 300-pound former football lineman at Syracuse, Luciano retired from baseball in 1980. He worked as a television commentator for NBC and wrote two books about his baseball experiences, ``The Umpire Strikes Back,'' a best-seller in 1982, and ``Strike Two.''

by CNB