“Ron Luciano was big. He was loud. He was gregarious. He was also prone to depression and struggled to find a way beyond the caricature his life became. This multifaceted book is a must-read for anyone interested in baseball or how long-term celebrity can affect mental health.”—Lee Kluck, author of Leave While the Party’s Good: The Life and Legacy of Baseball Executive Harry Dalton
“We all knew Ron Luciano. Until we didn’t. Until the jolly giant took his own life. Through meticulous research and superb writing, Jim Leeke tells the riveting, often humorous, always poignant and captivating story of a deceptively complex man. Be ready to turn pages and stay up past your bedtime.”—Jan Finkel, 2012 recipient of SABR’s Bob Davids Award
“Ron Luciano broke the mold for umpires and changed baseball in the process. An outrageous character in a boring business, Luciano pioneered the path for MLB umpires to move to the forefront of major sport arbiters. Jim Leeke looks at all of it with the eyes of a great storyteller.”—Chris Welsh, Cincinnati Reds broadcaster and former MLB pitcher
