The irascible, cigar-smoking Cuban pitcher passed away yesterday (Oct. 8) at the age of 83. Here’s his obituary from The New York Times by Bruce Weber; the Boston Herald; and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Tiant enjoyed a spirited career, compiling a record of 229-172 over a 19-year career. He made his debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1964, going 10-4. In 1968 — the “Year of the Pitcher” — he won 21 games and led the American League with a 1.60 ERA and nine shutouts. It was his tough luck that Denny McClain pitched for the Tigers that year.
Tiant spent one season with the Minnesota Twins before being signing as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox where he won 20 or more three times in eight seasons. From there he went to the New York Yankees, also as a free agent, for another two years before winding down with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1981 and the California Angels the following year.
Here’s his obituary from The New York Times by Bruce Weber; the Boston Herald; and the Cleveland Plain Dealer.
He published two autobiographies. The first — El Tiante: The Luis Tiant Story — written with Joe Fitzgerald, came out in 1976, right after the Red Sox’s World Series appearance against the Cincinnati Reds/ The second — Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back — with Saul Wisnia, was released in 2019.
Tiant won two games in that ’75 Fall Classic. And since Pete Rose recently died, I had to look up their head-to-head stats. In Game 1, Rose went 0-4 as the Sox won, 6-0, with Tiant going all the way. They went at it again in Game 4 with Rose singling in three official at-bats (plus two walks) and scoring a run in the 5-4 Sox victory.
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