Ralph was born in 1957 in Pittsburgh, PA and raised in Steubenville, OH.  He was 22 when he won his first National Championship, the Life Master Pairs, and 24 when he won both the Spingold and Master Mixed Teams at the Summer Nationals. Not long after graduating college he moved to Chicago to trade options, but his loyalty to the Pittsburgh Pirates and Steelers has never waned.

His wife Martha won the World Junior Championship in 1991 and their son Sam was King of Bridge in 2006, so there is a family tradition of Bridge success.

Ralph's partnership with Nick began in 2009, a win in the Trials leading a few months later to victory over Italy in the 2009 Bermuda Bowl final in Sao Paulo. In addition to that gold medal, Ralph has won three silver medals at the world level: 1990 World Open Pairs; 2007 Bermuda Bowl; 2010 Rosenblum Teams.

With 21 North American titles with many different colleagues, Ralph has earned a reputation as a great partner and teammate, perhaps the ultimate compliment attainable from peers.