The author Amaury Pi Gonzalez (left) interviews Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant (right) in the Red Sox dugout at the Oakland Coliseum in 1974 (photo from Amaury Pi Gonzalez)
El Tiante visiting Oakland in 1974
That’s Amaury News and Commentary
Amaury Pi-González
Cuban-born Luis Tiant was one of history’s most unique and charismatic pitchers. He hypnotized hitters with his windup, spinning like a top on the mound, as hitters usually saw his number on his back before the ball came to the plate. He owned a vibrant personality and, for years, at Fenway Park, had his popular Cuban Food kiosk. He could be seen eating lunch with fans, signing autographs, and taking pictures, especially with Red Sox Nation fans.
El Tiante was born in Marianao, Habana, Cuba, on November 23, 1940, and died on October 8, 2024, in Wells, Maine. He was 83 years old. As a kid in Havana, I had memories, along with my father, of the pleasure of seeing him pitch in the old Cuban Winter League for the Leones del Habana.
Decades later, I met him as a pitcher in the major leagues with the Boston Red Sox. He also pitched for the Havana Sugar Kings of the old International League from 1959 to 1962. Mexico City Tigers, Cleveland Indians, Minnesota Twins, and his favorite organization, the Boston Red Sox.
His 19-year career began in 1964 and ended in 1982, with 229 games won and 172 lost, an earned run average of 3.30, 3,486 innings pitched, 2,416 strikeouts, and 49 shutouts.
Tiant led the American League in ERA in 1968 and 1972; historically, his 1.60 ERA in 1968 was the best in the American League in 50 years. In 1972, he won the American League Comeback Player of the Year. He was selected to the All-Star Game three times and won 20 or more games. He led the American League in shutouts in 1966, 1968, and 1974. Previously, early in his career, in 1967, he led the American League in strikeouts per nine innings pitched.
He had a great career worthy of the Hall of Fame, but he never received serious consideration. He was mentioned on ballots more than 30% of the time only once, in his first year of eligibility in 1988. He was inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum and Hall of Fame in 2002 and in 1997 into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame, in 2009 the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.
Pitched in Venezuela from 1963-1982 for the Leones del Caracas teams that won two championships and a no-hitter in 1971. Luis Tiant should be in the Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, I have hope that he might still make it on the Veterans Committee.
Time will tell, but El Tiante was another gem produced by the country of Cuba a pioneer in the history of baseball in Latin America. During his 19-year career, Tiant pitched for six major league teams and cemented his place in New England baseball with his 1975 World Series performance for the Red Sox.
The day Tiant passed, former Red Sox outfielder Fred Lynn and others paid tribute to Tiant on social media. “Today is a very sad day, Lynn wrote on X along with a picture of himself and Tiant. “My friend and teammate, Luis Tiant, passed away.”
A Big game pitcher, a funny genuine guy who loved his family and baseball. Luis Tiant (like most Cuban players who left their country) did not sympathized with the Fidel Castro communist dictatorship, but his love for Cuba and the Cuban people never waned.
Luis Tiant told ESPN “Castro’s Cuba ‘took away the freedom, the happiness, the dreams”. In 2007 El Tiante visited Cuba, almost 50 years after he was unable to return home due to political reasons. During that trip he visited family and friends and took a lot of American goodies, food candy all the good stuff that brought happiness to his compatriots.
Amaury Pi Gonzalez podcasts That’s Amaury News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com every Tuesday
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