Luis Tiant

Luis Tiant with his contorted corkscrew windup, side-arm pitching, and bushy mustache was fan favorite wherever he played.

Luis Clemente Tiant Vega was born November 23, 1940, in Cuba. He came from a baseball family as his father, also named Luis, was a long-time left-handed pitcher in Cuba, the American Negro Leagues, the Dominican Republic, and Mexico, as well as barnstorming teams from 1926 through 1948.

In 1959, the younger Tiant left Cuba to play professional baseball in Mexico City. Prior to the 1962 season, the Cleveland Indians purchased his rights, and he moved to America.

El Tiante, as he was called, pitched parts of three seasons in the Cleveland minor league system before getting called up to Cleveland in July of 1964. He finished that season with a strong 10-4 record and continued with solid campaigns through 1967.

Tiant’s 1968 season was simply superb. A 21-9 record. He led the American League pitchers with an 8.5 bWAR, 1.60 ERA, nine shutouts, and many advanced statistics. He put together a stretch of 42 consecutive scoreless innings in April and May and started the All-Star game in July. However, he did not get a single vote for the Cy Young award in 1968 as Denny McLain was a unanimous winner because of his incredible 31 wins.

1969 would not be as successful. Tiant led the league with 20 losses, 37 home runs allowed, and 129 walks issued. His ERA increased by more than two runs to 3.71. It appears those numbers made Tiant expendable. The Indians packaged him with fellow pitcher, Stan Williams, and traded the pair to Minnesota for Dean Chance, Bob Miller, Graig Nettles, and Ted Uhlaender.

In his lone season with the Twins, the six-foot, 180-pound Tiant won his first six decisions. It looked like he was recapturing his 1968 success until he broke his scapula. For the season, he threw 92 2/3 innings with a 3.40 ERA and 50 strikeouts.

Tiant’s 1971 spring training was not good. He was hurt and ineffective resulting in the Twins releasing him. Calvin Griffith believed that Tiant was finished at age 30.

Tiant eventually ended up with the Red Sox. He settled in for the best years of his career. He was 1-7 in that first season of 1971. He won 15 games his second year in Beantown and led the AL in ERA (1.91) again. He won 20 games or more in three of his eight years in Boston. He topped 200 innings five times, including 311 1/3 innings in 1974. Tiant led the league with seven shutouts in 1974. Additionally, he appeared in two more All-Star games.

Tiant won 21 games in 1976 and pitched two more seasons in Boston. After 1978, he was a free agent for the first time in his career and he signed with the Yankees where he would have one good season and one not so good. He finished his career with partial seasons with the Pirates (1981) and the Angels (1982).

For his career, Tiant was 229-172. His career ERA was 3.30. His ERA+ was 114. In 3,486 2/3 innings he struck out 2,416 and walked 1,104. His career WHIP was 1.199. His career bWAR was 66.1.

• Tiant’s 229 wins are 67th on the all-time list.
• Tiant’s 49 shutouts are 21st all-time.