Ed Runge

An AL umpire for 17 years, Runge won the Cardinals’ Tim McCarver‘s respect in the 1967 WS: “Most umps won’t publicly reveal their [strike zones]. But … [he] was fair-minded enough to tip me on how he preferred to see them. When I came to bat, Ed said to me, `I don’t know if you know my strike zone; it’s a wide plate.’ I stored away the knowledge not only for batting purposes, but to guide my own pitchers.” Runge threw out the ceremonial first ball to begin Game Two of the 1984 WS, a game in which his son Paul, a NL ump, worked third base.