Number One: Luis Tiant
If there is one player on this list that I think deserves to be enshrined in Cooperstown, it’s Luis Tiant. One of the most dominate pitchers of the 1970’s, Tiant has numbers that, while may not rank him as one of the greatest pitchers of all time, are comparable to many that are in the Hall of Fame. However, this is not a post about Tiant’s Hall of Fame credentials, it is one about his success as a pitcher for the Boston Red Sox.
Tiant spent eight years of his nineteen year career with his Red Sox, and pitched in front of the Fenway Faithful for most of his prime. During his tenure in Boston, Tiant led the league with a 1.91 ERA in 1972, and earned two All-Star selections.
He recorded a 3.36 ERA, striking out 1075 batters, and earning a .601 winning percentage, and recording a WHIP of 1.201.
Most notably, Tiant pitched a standout season in 1975, winning 18 games and playing a major role in bringing the Red Sox to the 1975 World Series to face off against the Cincinnati Reds and the Big Red Machine. Tiant pitched the series of his life, winning Game 1 and Game 2, pitching a shutout in the former and a complete game in the later.
Next: Red Sox sign Casey Janssen
While the Red Sox did not win the series, Tiant cemented his legacy, thus, earning his spot atop this list of the greatest Red Sox players who are not in the Baseball Hall of Fame.