The captivating Cuban, Luis Tiant, who threw the Boston Red Sox to the verge of a World Series triumph and himself to the threshold of the Hall of Fame, has passed away. He had a horseshoe mustache and a captivating windup. He was eighty-three. The Red Sox reported that he passed away at his Maine home, and Major League Baseball confirmed his passing in a post on X on Tuesday.
Fred Lynn wrote on X, “Today is a very sad day,” referring to his teammates in both Boston and California. “A funny, sincere guy who loved baseball and his family, and a big game pitcher.” I already miss him.” John Henry, the major owner of the Red Sox, agreed with Lynn.
Henry said in a statement, “Luis had the kind of unforgettable presence that made you feel like you were part of his world.” “He was a pitcher of extraordinary talent who accomplished a great deal in his own style. Luis’s contagious attitude and boundless enthusiasm for life, despite his numerous obstacles, were what really made him stand out. He put all of his energy into loving the game and the people in his immediate vicinity. His smile could light up Fenway Park; he was mesmerizing. We at the Red Sox will all miss Luis, who was genuinely unique.”
Known as “El Tiante,” Tiant was a three-time All-Star whose best individual season occurred with Cleveland in 1968, where he went 21-9 with nine shutouts, including four consecutive ones, and 19 complete games. However, it was his 1.60 ERA—the greatest in the American League in fifty years—along with Bob Gibson’s 1.12 in the National League that persuaded baseball to move the pitching mound down to give hitters a greater opportunity.
The younger Tiant, the son of a prominent player in the Minor Leagues, finished 229-172 overall with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts. Over the course of his 19-year career, which included eight seasons with the Red Sox and six with Cleveland, he recorded 187 complete games and 49 shutouts. The Cincinnati Reds played Tiant’s Red Sox in the 1975 World Series, which is widely regarded as one of the best series in baseball history. Pete Rose, the all-time leader in hits in baseball history, passed away one week before to his death.
In Game 1, Tiant shut out the Reds. In Game 4, he threw 155 pitches in a complete game victory. In Game 6, Tiant returned to the mound for eight innings until Carlton Fisk’s home run in the bottom of the 12th inning gave Boston the victory. Throughout his career, Tiant also played for Pittsburgh, Minnesota, and the New York Yankees.
Tiant received a high of 30.9% of the votes in 1988, his first year on the ballot, but never made it to the national shrine in Cooperstown, New York. After retiring, he was elected into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997. Though he was not able to secure the necessary votes, he was also considered for the “Golden Era” ballot. Tiant believed he had earned a spot in Cooperstown and was also inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame. “I have a message for the people who elected me, even though I believe I should be in Cooperstown. In August 2008, Tiant spoke with ESPNdeportes.com. “If you don’t take me in life, please don’t try to elect me after I die.”
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