The Fall of the Roman Umpire - Hardcover

Luciano, Ron

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0553051369 ISBN 13: 9780553051360

Publisher: Bantam, 1986

Synopsis

Pays tribute to the many unheralded heroes of major league baseball

About this title

From Publishers Weekly

The third book by former baseball umpire Luciano (The Umpire Strikes Back, Strike Two is an odd idea gone wrong. After a delightful introductiondespite coauthorship with Fisher, the introduction is written in Luciano's voicein which he makes telling and humorous observations about fandom, ball parks, team mascots, special days (Purina Picnic Bag Night, etc.), contests and promotions (a Singing Dog Contest, a Cow-Chip Throwing Contest), Luciano unveils his premise for the book, which is to offer "mini-autobiographies" of 15 players and ex-players who might not otherwise be singled out. His selections are based on certain criteria: the men must love baseball, play hard but also have fun off the field. His 15 candidates include Mike Squires, Phil Garner, Thad Bosley Jr., Milt Wilcox and Charlie Hough, and while some of their stories are mildly entertaining, most are tedious. Photos not seen by PW. (JunepLawrence, a biologist, has studied wolves for nearly 40 years; in Secret Go the Wolves, he told about raising two orphan cubs which he released to the wild. When he learned that a captive pack lived on Michigan's Upper Peninsula, he paid them a visit to observe and compare their behavior with that of free-roaming wolves and the pair he had raised. He found that the social structure of the pack is preserved in both wild and free animals. Lawrence believes that, in areas of stress, wolves provide a closer model of human behavior than do the primates. He points out that while wolves can be successfully kept in captivity, they will be companions but not pets; human keepers must adapt to wolf-society rules. Two years ago, Lawrence and his wife left their home in Ontario to investigate wolf "control" (i.e., killings) in British Columbia and the Yukon. At Whitehorse they were given two starving cubs, which they have raised to adulthood. As with the first pair, Lawrence kept copious notes on their development and behavior during all phases of growth. Animal lovers will enjoy the wolf stories and appreciate Lawrence's insights into the relationship between wolf and human.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

Luciano, whose The Umpire Strikes Back and Strike Two were best sellers, teams up again with Fisher for another humorous look at baseball. After a light-hearted account of his progress from umpire to broadcaster to mere fan, and comments on ball parks and team mascots, Luciano introduces autobiographical vignettes by a lineup of 14 unheralded but appealing baseball journeymen. The brief stories of Greg Minton, Rocky Bridges, Tom Paciorek, Marc Hill, Julio Cruz, and others provide happy reading for Luciano fans. Good for most sports collections.Morey Berger, Monmouth Cty. Lib., Freehold, N.J.
Copyright 1986 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Bantam
• Publication date: 1986
• ISBN 10: 0553051369
• ISBN 13: 9780553051360
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 326