#23 on Fox 40's Top 40: Ron Luciano
We continue our top 40 Most Impactful Local Sports Figures.
At number 23, we honor Ron Luciano...
There is no story on this list as complicated, comedic and tragic as Loosh's. Ron was the son of an Italian immigrant, planted in Endicott, living above his family's restaurant, Perry's Grill. Luciano was initially described as a scrawny, gangly kid, but ballooned by the time he reached high school.
Ronnie was a STAC all-star and opted to join Syracuse University as an offensive lineman, the same team his uncle, Nick, played for. There, Loosh blocked for both Jim Brown and Ernie Davis and was named an All-American in 1958 before getting drafted by the Detroit Lions. Loosh never played a snap in the NFL, suffering injuries before being released by the Bills in 1961.
Luciano would try amateur ball before switching his sport completely and picking up umpiring. Ron was in the minors until 1969, being promoted to the American League. It didn't take long for Loosh to get comfortable. Ron would bring out the finger guns and "shoot" a runner out at first or home. He got so comfortable in fact that in 1974, Loosh congratulated Sal Bando, a fellow Italian as he hit a two-run homer. When disciplined, Ron's retort was simply "It's okay, we're Italians."
Loosh spent 11 seasons in the American League, umpiring the '73 All-Star Game, the '74 World Series and thrice officiating the league playoffs. Despite his antics, Ron was a fantastic umpire, being just one of three umpires rated as excellent in a 1974 poll conducted by the players.
At the conclusion of the '79 season, Ron quit umpiring after getting an offer to join NBC in the broadcast booth as a color commentator. He spent just two years on TV before opting for the written word. Luciano went on to write five books, the most successful of which was The Umpire Strikes Back. He still made the occasional late-night TV show appearance and was even on Saturday Night Live in 1983.
Luciano certainly has, maybe the most interesting life out of anybody on this list, from an All-American to an Umpire to a broadcaster and finally to a best-selling author. Through it all, however, Loosh suffered from depression and unfortunately took his own life in 1995 at the age of 57.
For his dominance as a Tiger and Orangeman, then captivating a national audience as an umpire, commentator and author, Loosh comes in at number 23 on Fox 40's Top 40 Most Impactful Local Sports Figures.
Photos sourced from Press & Sun-Bulletin.