View source for Ed Runge

{{Short description|American baseball umpire (1918-2002)}}
{{Infobox person
| name        = Ed Runge
| image       = Ed Runge.jpg
| image_size  = 250px
| caption     =
| birth_date  = {{Birth date|1918|05|12}}
| birth_place = [[Buffalo, New York]], U.S.
| death_date  = {{Death date and age|2002|07|25|1918|05|12}}
| death_place = [[San Diego, California]], U.S.
| occupation  = [[Major League Baseball|MLB]] [[Umpire (baseball)|umpire]]
}}
'''Edward Paul Runge''' (May 12, 1918 – July 25, 2002) was an American professional [[baseball]] [[Umpire (baseball)|umpire]]. He worked in Major League Baseball between 1954 and 1970. During his career, he officiated three [[World Series]] and five [[MLB All-Star Game|All-Star]] games.
==Early life==
He was born in [[Buffalo, New York|Buffalo]], [[New York (state)|New York]] and lived in Buffalo, [[San Diego]], [[California]], and [[St. Catharines]], [[Ontario]] during his childhood.
==Umpiring career==
Runge's first professional umpiring experience came in the [[Big State League (1947-1957)|Big State League]] in [[Texas]] in 1947. He was promoted to the [[Pacific Coast League]] in 1949. He became a Major League umpire in 1954, working in the [[American League]]. He retired in 1970. After his retirement, Runge said of umpiring, "It's the only occupation where a man has to be perfect his first day on the job and then improve over the years."
===Notable games===
He was part of the crew that called [[Don Larsen's perfect game]] in Game 5 of the [[1956 World Series]]. As the right field umpire, Runge made a critical foul ball call in the fourth inning on a potential home run hit by [[Duke Snider]].<ref name=ESPN>{{cite web |url=https://www.espn.com/classic/obit/s/2002/0726/1410595.html |title=Patriarch of three-generation family of umps dies |access-date=2009-08-20 |last=Associated Press |date=2002-07-26 |publisher=ESPN Internet Ventures}}</ref>
He also was the home plate umpire for [[Dave Morehead]]'s [[no-hitter]] on September 16, 1965.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1965/B09160BOS1965.htm|title=Retrosheet Boxscore: Boston Red Sox 2, Cleveland Indians 0}}</ref>
==Personal life==
In 1960, Runge testified in court against two Washington men who were accused of attempting to extort money from Runge and fellow umpire [[Bill McKinley]]. After Runge and McKinley entered a hotel room with two females, the two men entered the room. The men photographed McKinley and Runge in the company of the women and then held the photograph for blackmail.<ref>{{cite news| title =AL Umpire Testifies in Extortion Plot| newspaper =Schenectady Gazette | date =September 7, 1960
| url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1917&dat=19600907&id=N2gtAAAAIBAJ&pg=3888,915245 | access-date =November 2, 2012}}</ref>
He is the father of [[Paul Runge (umpire)|Paul Runge]] and grandfather of [[Brian Runge]], both of whom became umpires in the Major Leagues.
==Later life and death==
In retirement, Runge served as a community liaison and speaker for the [[San Diego Padres]]. Runge died in San Diego in 2002.<ref name=NYT>{{cite web |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/30/sports/ed-runge-87-veteran-umpire-who-was-partial-to-pitchers.html |title=Ed Runge, 87, Veteran Umpire Who Was Partial to Pitchers |access-date=2009-08-20 |last=Litsky |first=Frank |date=2002-07-30 |work=New York Times}}</ref>
== See also ==
{{Portal|Baseball}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball umpires]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
*[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/R/Prunge901.htm Retrosheet.org]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Runge, Ed}}
[[Category:1918 births]]
[[Category:2002 deaths]]
[[Category:American League umpires]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball umpires]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Buffalo, New York]]
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