Boston Red Sox pitching legend Luis Tiant has died at the age of 83

BOSTON (AP) — Boston Red Sox pitching legend Luis Tiant, whose Major League Baseball career spanned 19 years, has died.

WBZ-TV’s Dan Roche confirmed Tiant’s death Tuesday. A cause of death was initially not known.

Who was Luis Tiant?

Tiant, nicknamed “El Tiante,” was 83 years old.

Tiant won 229 games and had a career earned run average of 3.36. The right-hander made his major league debut in 1964 with Cleveland. After pitching for six years with the Indians, he spent one season with Minnesota and then eight years in Boston.

After his tenure with the Red Sox, Tiant played two years with the Yankees, one in Pittsburgh and a final season with the Angels.

Former Red Sox outfielder and Baseball Hall of Fame member Fred Lynn reacted to Tiant’s death, calling it a “very sad day.”

Tiant, who was born in Cuba, collected four 20-win seasons and won the American League ERA title twice.

He is a member of the Red Sox Hall of Fame and the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Hall of Fame.

MLB issued a statement saying, “We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Luis Tiant.”

During a 1975 Boston Red Sox celebration, Tiant spoke about his unique graduation during an appearance in the NESN broadcast booth. The right-hander said he first tried to turn away from the batsman in 1972 when he was unraveling.

“After that I won 172 games. It worked for me,” Tiant said.

Luis Tiant Hall of Fame Candidacy

Despite being on the Baseball Hall of Fame ballot for 15 years, Tiant was not selected by voters. He was later considered on the “Golden Era” ballot paper. but not selected.

Pitcher Tony Perez, also born in Cuba, spoke about Tiant’s impact on the region in an article published on the Baseball Hall of Fame website.

“When I was a boy growing up in Cuba, Luis Tiant was a national hero,” Perez said.

In 2019, Tiant published a book titled “Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back.” The book details Tiant’s path to Major League Baseball and the 15 years he was imprisoned in Cuba, separated from his family.