Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, January 20, 1995 TAG: 9501200090
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM ASSOCIATED PRESS REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In a brief statement, Endicott police said an autopsy performed by Broome County coroner Dr. Michael McCarville concluded Luciano, 57, died from carbon monoxide poisoning in his garage.
Lt. Harlan Ayers said no additional information or details would be released by authorities.
A woman who answered the phone at the Luciano home but would not identify herself said the family had no comment.
``The family is not taking this well,'' Ayers said.
Luciano's body was discovered by a hunting friend Wednesday in the garage area of his home.
Ayers declined to say if a suicide note was found.
Luciano was an American League umpire for 11 years, retiring in 1980. He worked the 1974 World Series and AL Championship Series in 1971, 1975 and 1978.
In a profession that traditionally demanded an unobtrusive presence, Luciano was colorful and animated. He called out runners with a flick of his fingers as if an imaginary pistol were in his hand.
Luciano was a 300-pound offensive lineman at Syracuse University, where he blocked for one season for running back Jim Brown.
After retiring from umpiring, he worked as a television commentator for NBC and wrote four books about his baseball experiences. Luciano was single. He is survived by two sisters and his mother.
In other baseball news:
ORIOLES' OWNER MOCKS REPLACEMENTS: As Labor Secretary Robert Reich urged major-league owners to return to the bargaining table next week, Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos said the use of replacement players would make a ``mockery'' of major-league baseball.
Reich met with owners in Washington and Angelos met with American League lawyer Bill Schweitzer in New York.
Angelos, a labor lawyer, is refusing to field a team of strikebreakers, saying such players would cause his team ``irreparable damage.''
``The use of replacement players is a terrible disservice to major-league baseball and to the fans of professional baseball,'' Angelos said in a statement.
The league believes it has the power to take away Angelos' franchise and to fine him up to $250,000 for each game in which he does not field a team.
``What is happening in the quest for `pickup' players to serve as so-called `replacement players' makes a mockery of major-league baseball and diminishes the stature and integrity of the game in a manner which, to the Orioles, is thoroughly unacceptable,'' Angelos said.
Reich, meeting in Washington with management's negotiating committee, said owners ``did not make any commitments to me'' during a 45-minute meeting. Mediator W.J. Usery met with the committee for 41/2 hours and wants negotiations to resume soon.
``There is not much time in terms of saving this next season and getting the owners and players to the point where we can have spring training,'' Reich said. ``I expressed the president's concern that we wind this up, really in the next two to three work weeks, so there can be a spring training and there can be a 1995 season.''
Owners plan on starting spring training as scheduled Feb.16 with replacement players. The union has been on strike since Aug.12 and no talks are scheduled.
``If Bill Usery wants us back at the table next week, we'll be there,'' acting commissioner Bud Selig said.
by CNB