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| Luis Tiant | |
|---|---|
 Tiant with the Boston Red Sox in 1976 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Born:(1940-11-23)November 23, 1940 Marianao,Cuba | |
| Died: October 8, 2024(2024-10-08) (aged 83) Wells, Maine, U.S. | |
Batted: Right Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| July 19, 1964, for the Cleveland Indians | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| September 4, 1982, for the California Angels | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Win–loss record | 229–172 |
| Earned run average | 3.30 |
| Strikeouts | 2,416 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| Career highlights and awards | |
| |
| Member of the Venezuelan | |
 Baseball Hall of Fame | |
| Induction | 2009 |
Luis Clemente Tiant Vega (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈlwisˈtjant]) (November 23, 1940 – October 8, 2024), nicknamed "El Tiante", was a Cuban professional baseballpitcher who played inMajor League Baseball (MLB) for 19 years, primarily for theCleveland Indians and theBoston Red Sox.
Tiant compiled a 229–172 record with 2,416strikeouts, a 3.30 earned run average (ERA), 187 complete games, and 49 shutouts in3486+1⁄3 innings. He was anAll-Star for three seasons and 20-game winner for four seasons. He was theAmerican League (AL) ERA leader in 1968 and 1972. He also was the AL leader instrikeouts per nine innings pitched in 1967 and the AL leader inshutouts in 1966, 1968, and 1974.
Tiant was inducted to theBoston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, theHispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2002, theVenezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009, and theBaseball Reliquary'sShrine of the Eternals in 2012. He was considered for election to theNational Baseball Hall of Fame via voting of theBaseball Writers' Association of America from 1988 to 2002, and by the Hall of Fame'sera committees in 2011, 2014, and 2017, falling short of the required votes for induction each time.
Tiant was the only child ofLuis Tiant Sr. and Isabel Vega. From 1926 through 1948, the senior Tiant was a great left-handed pitcher for theNegro league'sNew York Cubans during the summer and the Cuban professional league's Cienfuegos in the winter, his heroics being followed by hundreds of thousands of Cubans. Luis Jr. followed in his father's footsteps at an early age, joining both the local Little and Juvenile baseball leagues and rising to a star.
The 16 year-old Tiant was picked for the Cuban Juvenile League All-Star team in 1957. His talent drew the attention of formerCleveland Indians All-StarBobby Ávila, who was scouting for talent in Cuba. Avila recommended him to theMexico City Tigers of theMexican League. Tiant was signed in 1959 for $150 a month, and for the next three years he divided his time between the Tigers and theHavana Sugar Kings in theInternational League.
At the end of the summer of 1961, and under Avila's recommendation, Cleveland purchased Tiant's contract for $35,000. But with the rise ofFidel Castro's regime in his native Cuba—specifically, after heightened tensions following the U.S.-sponsoredBay of Pigs invasion in April of that year—it was impossible for Tiant to return home. He did not see his parents for 14 years.
Tiant progressed through the Indians'farm system beginning in 1962 with theCharleston Indians of theEastern League, then with theBurlington Rangers—where he was one of the best pitchers in theCarolina League—in 1963, and lastly with thePortland Beavers of thePacific Coast League in 1964. Tiant later recalled that atCharleston, "I couldn't speak very good English but I understand racism. They treated me like a dog, but when I got toPortland, I didn't have any problems."[1] After pitching to a 15–1 record atTriple-A Portland, which included ano-hitter and a one-hitter in consecutive starts, Tiant was called up by the Indians in mid-July 1964.[2]
On July 19, 1964, Tiant debuted inMajor League Baseball for theCleveland Indians with afour-single, 11strikeout, 3–0shutout victory against the defendingAL ChampionNew York Yankees atYankee Stadium, beating their ace,Whitey Ford. Tiant finished his rookie season with a 10–4win–loss record, 105strikeouts, and a 2.83earned run average (ERA) in 19 games.
In1968, Tiant had one of the greatest pitching seasons in major league history, leading theAmerican League in ERA (1.60), shutouts (nine, including four consecutive), hits per nine innings (a still-standing franchise record 5.30, which brokeHerb Score's 5.85 in 1956 and would be a Major-League record until surpassed byNolan Ryan's 5.26 in 1972), andstrikeouts per nine innings (9.22), while finishing with a 21–9 mark.[3][4] His .168 opponentbatting average set a new major league record, and his 19 strikeout/10 inning performance against theMinnesota Twins on July 3 set the American League record for strikeouts in a game. His 1.60 ERA in 1968 was the lowest in the AL in nearly half a century (sinceWalter Johnson'sdead-ball era 1.49 in 1919), second only in the Major Leagues in that time to National Leaguer (St. Louis Cardinals)Bob Gibson's historic 1.12 the same year—the lowest mark ever during thelive-ball era. And his four consecutive shutouts had been matched or bettered by only two other pitchers in the 50-year expansion era, both also in 1968:Don Drysdale (six) and Gibson again (five).
WithSam McDowell,Sonny Siebert, and others, the Indians staff led the AL in strikeouts for five consecutive years, including a record 1189 in 1967, a mark which would stand for 30 years.
After an injury-plagued season with the Indians in1969, Tiant was traded to theMinnesota Twins in a multi-player deal that brought fellow pitcherDean Chance and third basemanGraig Nettles to the Indians. With Minnesota, Tiant began1970 with six wins, but then he fractured his rightscapula, essentially ending his season and, some felt, his career. He showed some promise in the1971 spring training, but he was released.
After being dropped by the Twins in spring training of 1971, theAtlanta Braves signed Tiant to aminor league contract to play with their Triple-A minor leagueRichmond team. Tiant began the process of reinventing himself as a pitcher by altering his delivery so that he turned away fromhome plate during his motion, in effect creating a hesitation pitch. According to Tiant, the new motion was a response to a drop in his velocity from his shoulder injury.[5] Twisting and turning his body into unthinkable positions, Tiant would spend more time looking atsecond base than he did the plate as he prepared to throw.
He pitched well in Richmond, and was acquired by the Louisville Colonels, a farm team of theBoston Red Sox. He was quickly called back up to the majors, but struggled through 1971 with a 1–7 record and 4.88 ERA. In1972 he regained his old form with a sparkling 15–6 season in which he threw six shutouts in just 19 starts and led the American League with a 1.91 ERA. He would win 20 games in1973, and 22 in an All-Star1974 en route to becoming known asEl Tiante atFenway Park, one of the greatest and most beloved pitchers in Red Sox history and an enduring idol in Boston.[6]
Though hampered by back problems in1975, he won 18 games for the American League Champion Red Sox, then excelled in the postseason. In theplayoffs he bested the three-time defending World ChampionOakland Athletics, allowing only three hits in a 7–1 complete-game victory, then opened theWorld Series againstThe Big Red MachineCincinnati Reds. His father and mother were inFenway Park that game to watch their son defeat the Reds 6–0 in a five-hit shutout,[7] having been allowed to visit fromCuba under a special visa.[6]
Tiant won Game 4 as well (throwing 173 pitches in his second complete game in the series) and had a no-decision in a Game 6 that has been called the greatest game ever played[8][9] (ending in a dramaticCarlton Fisk 12th-inningwalk-off home run).
Tiant went 21–12 as an All-Star in1976, 12–8 in1977, and 13–8 in1978, furthering his status as a fan favorite and one of the greatest pitchers in Red Sox history.[6]
At the end of the 1978 season Tiant signed as afree agent with theNew York Yankees.[10] He compiled a 21–17 record in New York over 1979 and 1980.
Tiant signed with thePittsburgh Pirates as a free agent in 1981, pitching in just 9 games and going 2–5 with a 3.92 ERA. He also appeared in 21 games (all starts) for the Pirates' Triple-APortland Beavers of thePacific Coast League, posting a 13–7 record with 3.82 ERA.
He finished his career with a brief stint with theCalifornia Angels in 1982, pitching in 6 games and going 2–2 with a 5.76 ERA.
Tiant competed in theVenezuelan Professional Baseball League in parts of seven seasons spanning 1963–1982, while compiling a record of 37–24 including 29 complete games, a 2.27 ERA,[11] and ano-hitter in 1971.[12] He was a member of the championLeones del Caracas teams of 1966–67 and 1967–68.[11] He gained induction into theVenezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009.[13]
Tiant competed in theSenior Professional Baseball Association in 1989, initially signing with theWinter Haven Super Sox.[14] He was subsequently traded to theGold Coast Suns, in exchange for outfielderRalph Garr and 500Teddy Ruxpin toy bears (for use as a fan giveaway item).[14] Tiant had an 0–1 record with 5.00 ERA for the Suns.[14]
Tiant was aminor league pitching coach in theLos Angeles Dodgers'farm system from 1992 to 1995, and in theChicago White Sox's farm system in 1997.[15] During the1996 Summer Olympics, he was the pitching coach for the Nicaraguan team.[15]
Tiant served as the head coach for the baseball team at theSavannah College of Art and Design, anNCAA Division III program, from 1998 to 2001,[15] where his teams compiled a record of 55–97 for a .366 winning percentage.
In 2002, Tiant was the pitching coach for Boston'sClass A Short Season affiliate, theLowell Spinners, and has continued to serve as a special assignment instructor for the Red Sox.[15]
Tiant, along with former batterymateCarlton Fisk, threw out the ceremonial first pitch before what proved to be the Red Sox' championship-winning Game 6 of the2013 World Series at Fenway Park.[16]
Tiant's major league stats:[4]
| Years | W | L | ERA | G | GS | CG | SHO | SV | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | HBP | WP | BF | WHIP | ERA+ | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 229 | 172 | 3.30 | 573 | 484 | 187 | 49 | 15 | 3,486.1 | 3,075 | 1,400 | 1,280 | 346 | 1,104 | 2,416 | 49 | 27 | 14,365 | 1.199 | 114 | 65.7 |
Tiant was on theNational Baseball Hall of Fame ballot from1988 to2002, but peaked at 30.9% of the votes in his first ballot year.[4] According to election rules at the time, players were permitted on theBaseball Writers' Association of America ballot for a maximum of 15 years; in his 15th and final appearance on the ballot, Tiant received 18.0% of the vote during 2002 balloting.
Tiant was considered again for induction by the Hall of Fame's ownGolden Era Committee (for the 1947–1972 era) in2011 and2014,[17] and by the Modern Era Baseball Committee (for the 1970–1987 era) in2017,[18] but again fell short. The Golden Era Committee was replaced in July 2016 by a 16-member Golden Days Committee, to vote from a 10 candidate ballot for the 1950–1969 era.[19] The Golden Days Committee elected its first Hall of Fame members in December 2021, but Tiant was not among them.[20][19] He appeared on the Classic Baseball Era Committee's2025 ballot, but only received less than five votes.[21][22]
Tiant and his wife, Maria, had three children: Luis Jr., Isabel, and Daniel.[15] As of 2001, the family was living inSouthborough, Massachusetts.[23]
An avid cigar smoker, Tiant launched a line of cigars that he formulated and designed, branding them with his nickname,El Tiante.[24]Tommy John remembered Tiant's cigars only too well from their days in the Indians organization. "Luis would smoke these horrendous, long, Cuban cigars. We'd be on the bus all night, and wake up to a thick blue haze from Tiant's ropes. Tiant had an almost supernatural ability for keeping a cigar lit. Luis would cut up in his high-pitched voice, joking, cackling, and the eternal flame held true. He could even take a shower and keep his stogie going. In the confined space of a bus, the smoke would gag you. He'd fall asleep on the bus, but the cigar would somehow stay alive all night."[25]
Tiant appeared in an episode ofCheers, "Now Pitching, Sam Malone", which first aired on January 6, 1983.Sam Malone (Ted Danson) agrees to do a television beer commercial, co-starring with and "relieving" Tiant when the latter begins to fail in his promotion of the product.
Tiant authored two autobiographies:
Tiant was the subject of two documentary films, theWGBH-TV 2003 productionEl Tiante: A Red Sox Story produced byPatricia Alvarado Nuñez,[28] which premiered at the Harvard Film Archives[29] and on television on GBH Channel 2 (PBS-Boston).[30]The Lost Son of Havana, produced by Kris Meyer and theFarrelly brothers, and directed by Jonathan Hock. The story of his return visit to his roots in Cuba had its world premiere on April 23, 2009, at theTribeca Film Festival, and was promptly acquired byESPN Films.[citation needed]
Tiant died at his home inWells, Maine, on October 8, 2024, at the age of 83.[31][32][33]
| International | |
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| National | |
