Famous Boston Red Sox pitcher, Luis Tiant Jr, or “El Tiante” one of the greatest pitchers of our time has passed away at 83. Tiant played 19 major league seasons finishing with a 3.30 ERA. Luis Tiant was more than just a legendary Cuban pitcher, he was a fixture with the Boston Red Sox long after his professional baseball career. Known for his flamboyant personality and an endless supply of Cuban cigars, this legend will live on in the hearts of baseball fans everywhere. How will he be remembered?
Tiant’s Start
Born November 23, 1940, in Marianao Cuba, Luis Tiant Jr was the son of Luis Tiant Sr. a left-handed star pitcher out of Cuba. It was Tiant Sr.’s dream for his son to play baseball so he vigorously paved the way. Tiant Jr, a right-handed pitcher started his minor league career in the Mexican League and American minor league play before landing his major league debut for the Cleveland Indians in 1964.
In 1968 Tiant won 21 out of 30 games, struck out 264 batters, and pitched 19 complete games with nine shutouts. That season he finished with a 1.60 ERA, the lowest in the American League, numbers unheard of today. After a six-year tenure in Cleveland he was traded to the Minnesota Twins before the 1970 season. He pitched a total of ten games that season, won seven, and had to face a shoulder injury that would lead the Twins to release him at the end of that year. Little did Tiant know that it would be the best thing to happen to him.
Tiant was well known for his back-to-the-batter windup and unpredictable release points, he was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997. Tiant’s memorable wind-up, many people may not realize, was due to his injury while playing with the Twins, the injury that he was released over. While adjusting his body based on his broken scapula, he developed a pitching motion that turned him into.
