Boston Red Sox pitching legend Luis Tiant has died at 83, Alex Speier of The Boston Globe reported Tuesday morning.
The Havana, Cuba native posted a 19-year career in MLB, most of which was spent with the Red Sox organization. He logged a 3.36 ERA with 1075 strikeouts and 501 walks over 1774.2 innings across eight seasons in Boston. He was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.
"El Tiante" also played for Cleveland, the Yankees, Minnesota, Pittsburgh and for the then-California Angels over his career. The three-time All-Star clocked a 3.30 ERA over 3486.1 innings, and he earned MVP votes four times and Cy Young votes in 1972, 74 and 76, all seasons spent with the Red Sox.
Tiant was known for his unique wind-up on the mound. A's legend Reggie Jackson called him "...the Fred Astaire of baseball, dancing his way to victory." Speier mentioned other icons that lauded Tiant for his talent, like Bill Lee, Pete Rose, Thurmon Munson, Carl Yastrzemski and more.
Red Sox legend and first Latino superstar Luis Tiant has died
Luis Tiant, Boston Red Sox pitching legend, dies at 83 https://t.co/3fNFdl8Dnu pic.twitter.com/j06q3dcsRQ
— WBZ Boston Sports (@wbzsports) October 8, 2024
After the conclusion of his playing career, Tiant remained in baseball as a coach. He served as a minor league pitching coach in the Dodgers' system from 1992-95 and the White Sox system in 1997. In 2002, the Red Sox organization hired him as a coach for the Lowell Spinners, and he continued to serve special assignments for years afterward.
Tiant remained a Red Sox fan into his retirement. He never stopped attending games at Fenway Park and considered Boston a second home. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Tiant has been on multiple National Baseball Hall of Fame ballot iterations. He was not voted in when he appeared on the ballot from 1988-2002. He was considered again by the Golden Era Committee in 2011 and 2014 and the Modern Baseball Era Committee in 2017, but was not inducted by either. Tiant will have another chance to be enshrined by the Classic Baseball Era committee as part of the class of 2025.