Three-time All-Star pitcher Luis Tiant passed away this morning, the Red Sox confirmed. He was 83 years old. The right-hander played for seven organizations throughout his 19-year MLB career, though he is best remembered for the eight seasons he spent in Boston.
“Luis had a style of pitching that was as memorable as it was effective, but to me, the rarer gift was his ability to lift you up with just a smile,” said Red Sox president & CEO Sam Kennedy, as part of a statement issued by the team. “When you were with him, you were reminded of what really matters. Whether you were a teammate, a fan, or just someone fortunate enough to share a conversation, Luis had a way of making you feel special, like you were a close friend. His legacy on the mound is undeniable, but all of us today are mourning the man, the friend, the mentor who connected generations of fans and players. I am gutted by the news of his passing and will miss him more than words can express. Spring Training won’t be the same without Luis’s infectious energy spreading throughout camp.”
Tiant was born in Marianao, Cuba on November 23, 1940. His father, Luis Tiant Sr., was himself a star pitcher in the Negro Leagues, as well as the Cuban League, Dominican League, and Mexican League. It didn’t take long for the younger Luis Tiant to make a name for himself, pitching for the Mexico City Tigers of the Mexican League and Havana Sugar Kings in the International League as a teenager.
At 21 years old, Tiant made his debut in Cleveland’s minor league system. Two years later, he joined the major league team, making 19 appearances (16 starts) with a 10-4 record and a 2.83 ERA in 127 innings pitched. Across six seasons in Cleveland from 1964-69, he threw 1,200 innings with a 2.84 ERA and an 83 ERA- (17% better than the league average). His 1,041 strikeouts ranked 11th among all pitchers in that time. The highlight of Tiant’s tenure in Cleveland was the 1968 season, in which he went 21-9 and led the American League with a 1.60 ERA. He made his first career All-Star team that year and finished fifth in voting for AL MVP.
Following a disappointing 1969 season (for both Tiant and Cleveland), Cleveland traded Tiant and Stan Williams to Minnesota in exchange for Dean Chance, Bob Miller, Ted Uhlaender and Graig Nettles. However, his time with the Twins was brief. He pitched well when he was on the mound, going 7-3 with a 3.40 ERA (89 ERA-) over 92 2/3 innings, but a broken scapula derailed his season in May. At the time, that was considered a much more serious injury – possibly even career-threatening – and indeed, Tiant did not look nearly as sharp upon his return. The Twins released him the following spring.
After a brief and unsuccessful stint in the Braves minor league system, Tiant caught the attention of the Red Sox organization. It turned out to be a match made in baseball heaven. While he struggled in his first season with his new club, the righty turned things around the following year. He introduced his now-trademark deceptive delivery and went 15-6 with an MLB-leading 1.91 ERA. He finished sixth in Cy Young voting and earned some down-ballot support for AL MVP.
Over eight years in Boston, Tiant went 122-81 with a 3.36 ERA (85 ERA-) in 1,774 2/3 innings pitched. He was named to a couple of All-Star teams and earned Cy Young and MVP votes in three seasons (1972, ’74, ’76). He led the AL in WHIP in 1973 and tied for the major league lead with seven shutouts in 1974. In 1975, he played a pivotal role in the playoffs, pitching a complete game in Game 1 of the ALCS, and 25 innings over three starts in the World Series. The Red Sox won all four games he started, but they lost all four games he did not pitch in the World Series, losing to the Reds in seven games.
As he entered his mid-thirties, Tiant became more of a precision pitcher, getting fewer strikeouts but also giving up fewer walks. He was a valuable contributor to the Red Sox every season from 1972-78, even as he became less durable (by 1970s standards) in his final two years with the club. Unfortunately, his tenure with the Red Sox ended on slightly sour terms; Tiant believed the team didn’t take him seriously in negotiations when his contract was up after the 1978 campaign (per John Powers of the Boston Globe).
Thus, Tiant spent the final four years of his career with the Yankees (1979-80), Pirates (1981), and Angels (1982). He made 55 starts and threw 332 innings over his age-38 and 39 seasons in New York, but his major league career was winding down by the time he signed with the Pirates at age 40. Still, he appeared in nine games for the Pirates in 1981 and six for the Angel in 1982. He also prolonged his professional career by returning to the Mexican League in 1983, and later the short-lived Senior Professional Baseball Association in 1989.
Following his playing career, Tiant worked as a scout for the Yankees in Mexico before landing coaching jobs in the minor leagues with the Dodgers (1992-95) and White Sox (1997). He also served as the pitching coach for the Nicaraguan national team in the 1996 Summer Olympics and later worked as the head coach for the Savannah College of Art and Design baseball team (1998-2001). In 2002, he returned to the Red Sox organization, working as a minor league coach (2002), Spanish language broadcaster (2002-03), and special assignment instructor (2004-24).
Tiant is arguably one of the greatest players excluded from the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Over 15 years on the BBWAA ballot, he never received close to enough support to reach the 75% threshold necessary for election. He has since fallen short on several committee ballots. While he never won any major awards and only earned three All-Star selections throughout his career, modern statistics make it clear that Tiant was underappreciated in his time. With 66.1 career Baseball Reference WAR and 44.1 bWAR during his seven-year peak, he falls slightly below the 73.0 career bWAR and 44.9 peak bWAR of the average Hall of Fame starting pitcher. However, his 55.1 JAWS is higher than that of more than 40 Hall of Fame pitchers. His 229 wins, 2416 strikeouts, and 66.1 career bWAR also rank first among all Cuban-born pitchers. Tiant could be up for Hall of Fame consideration again this winter on the Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot, though it is important to keep his wishes in mind. Speaking to ESPN Deportes in 2008, he said, “If you don’t take me in life, don’t try to elect me after I die, please.”
Thankfully, Tiant’s phenomenal career did not go unrecognized in his retirement. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame in 2002, and the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009 (he spent seven seasons playing winter ball in the Venezuelan League during his major league career).
Known to fans as El Tiante, Luis Tiant will be remembered for his captivating windup, captivating performances, and equally captivating personality. His 49 shutouts are tied for 21st all-time, while his 2416 strikeouts are 48th-most in major league history. His sense of humor, however, was second to none; Red Sox teammate Dwight Evans claims Tiant could “turn a bus ride into something out of Saturday Night Live” (per Powers). We at MLB Trade Rumors send our heartfelt condolences to Tiant’s family, friends, and fans.
Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.
