Remembrance of Swings Past

by Ron Luciano

Luciano, Ron

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Nonfiction, Humor, Biography

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

About the author

Ronald Michael Luciano was an American Major League Baseball umpire from 1969 to 1979 in the American League. He was known for his flamboyant style, clever aphorisms, and a series of published collections of anecdotes from his colorful career. (wikipedia entry)

Reviews

[Chris Dean · Rating 2 out of 5]

The last of Ron Luciano's books, I found this one to be enjoyable at times and found some of the quotes from others quite humorous. However, there was an over-reliance on metaphors and similes that after a while, seemed tedious. There also seems to be a point where Luciano's absence from the game and broadcasting, while joking about it, seemed a bit sad. Considering what was to come later, it is to wonder if this book was a last attempt at a moment within the game that made him a celebrity and had passed him by. Kind of disjointed and ending abruptly, which admittedly is his speaking style, at times it was hard to read.

[F. Reaume · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read Ron Luciano's book 'Remembrance of Swings Past', ghosted by David Fisher.
In it the former major league umpire said his ability to be a funny and engaging interview for a minute led broadcasters to think he could do it for three hours, many, many times in a season.
He couldn't.
And while he is engaging in small doses his book 'Remembrance of Swings Past' is a long dose of the same kind of humor, the same jokes essentially with just plug in subjects and punch lines, over and over.
Add to that, the subjects of his commentary have been retired for a generation, as the book was published in 1988, more than 30 years ago, and he is constantly referencing players from the previous generation to that, now 60 years removed from today's readers, and it is evident this book has aged very poorly.
Some books like this, the personal insights of someone from a certain time and place, do not hold water unless they are insights from a particularly important moment in history. Luciano's reminiscences cobbled together with his commentary on the changing nature of the National Pastime is simply not noteworthy enough beyond the time it was written. Really just a chance for himm to cash in on his notoriety while he still had some.
Oh sure, it is possible to draw some bits of information from the book that might enlighten baseball historians doing specific research but the overall content of the book is aged beyond its usefulness. And that is in terms of Luciano's one trick vaudeville act and his insights on how the game has changed, because inevitably it has morphed yet again in the intervening years rendering his insights as more archeological to today's reader.
Truth is, 'Remembrance of Swings Past' is a mildly amusing read, appropriate only for older readers who can put some context on what Luciano writes about, and remember the subject of his jokes, but it is ultimately uninspired when it comes to real insight into the game.

[Michael Migliaccio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Luciano's fourth book sees him lose a few MPH off the fastball, but with still more than enough to get it over the plate. His engaging and uniquely funny way of telling stories, with essential and able assistance from professional sports author David Fisher, makes the 291 pages just fly by.

If you were a baseball fan in the sixties, seventies, or eighties, or you just like great baseball anecdotes, this book comes highly recommended, though you should begin with "The Umpire Strikes Back" and work your way to this. That being said, Luciano's books are not chronological and you can sink your teeth into any that you manage to get your hands on.

Luciano died of suicide in 1995, the result of a long bout with depression. His baseball books live on, though, and I can think of no better way to remember such a big man with such a big personality than to continue reading them.

[Ron · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the funniest baseball books I've read. This guy had a great sense of humor.

Sadly he committed suicide and we lost a good man.

[Michael Lortz · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used to love this book when I was a young baseball fan. Used to read it before every season.

[Araych · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very likeable book composed almost exclusively of amusing anecdotes about professional baseball, written by a former professional baseball umpire. Fun book, very easy to read.

[Doug Dams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a collection of stories and memories of the people in baseball when Ron Luciano worked as an umpire. The stories are all humorous and entertaining. And some of the stories contain opinions about the game. It's a fun book to read, especially for the baseball fan.