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In some ways, Luis Tiant's career in MLB was not of his choosing. However, after the former pitching Giants died on Tuesday at the age of 83, revisiting his career reveals some impressive achievements.
Born in Cuba in 1940, Tiant was exposed to baseball from a young age. His father, Luis Sr., was a renowned baseball player in both the Cuban and Negro Leagues. At the age of 16, Luis Tiant Jr. was selected as a Cuban Juvenile League All-Star team, which put him on the radar of several MLB clubs.
"We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Luis Tiant. In a Major League career that spanned 19 seasons, "El Tiante" made three All-Star teams and won 20 or more games four times. Tiant won two ERA titles in the American League - one in 1968 for Cleveland, and another in 1972 for Boston. The Cuba native also pitched for the Yankees, Twins, Pirates and Angels. He was 83." - MLB
After a stint in Mexico, Tiant had his contract purchased by the Cleveland Indians for $35,000 in 1961. However, despite his intent to return to his native Cuba after some time, the rise of US-Cuba tensions in the wake of the Bay of Pigs invasion earlier that year made it impossible for the then-21 year-old to return to his native island.
Luis Tiant made his debut for Cleveland in 1964, going 10-4 with a 2.83 ERA. In 1968, the 6-foot right hander posted an ERA of just 1.60, the lowest in the AL, drawing his first All-Star nod and a fifth-place finish in MVP voting.
"There won’t be another Luis Tiant windup, RIP" - BaseballHistoryNut
After a stint in Minnesota, Tiant joined the Boston Red Sox in 1971. After a particularily rough first season in Boston that saw him go 1-7 with a 4.85 ERA, Tiant broke out in 1972, spinning the ball to a 1.91 ERA, the lowest figure in MLB that year. In addition to winning his second ERA title, Tiant also went 15-6 with a WHIP of 1.078.
Luis Tiant's death a reminder of his mammoth career
A well-known lover of cigars, Tiant had retired in 1982 - over forty years ago - as a member of the California Golden Angels - his contributions to the game as well as his nation's achievements in baseball will last forever despite the fact that he never made it into the Baseball Hall of Fame.
