Luis Tiant's Pitching Was Poetry in Motion

This afternoon I learned that former MLB pitcher Luis Tiant, who enjoyed his greatest success with the Boston Red Sox during the 1970s, passed away at his home in Maine today at the age of 83.

His passing comes just over a week after that of Pete Rose whom he pitched against during the 1975 World Series between the Red Sox and the Cincinnati Reds. 

"El Tiante" dazzled Red Sox fans with his unorthodox pitching delivery in which he would look at second base before delivering the ball to home. 

Born in Cuba, Tiant's father Luis Clemente was a legendary pitcher in his own right playing in the Negro Leagues during the 1930s and 1940s when he wasn't pitching throughout Latin America. 

The younger Tiant followed in his father's footsteps pitching both in Cuba and in the Mexican League. In 1961, the Cleveland Indians purchased Tiant's contract from the Mexico City Tigers. 

Tiant would make his MLB debut in July 1964 at Yankee Stadium where he bested Whitey Ford tossing a complete game 4-hit shutout striking out 11 batters. A power pitcher in his years with the Tribe, Tiant's best season in Cleveland came in 1968 when he went 21-9 with a league leading 1.60 ERA along with 9 shutouts. However, this was also the year Denny McLain won 31 games for the Detroit Tigers. So, no Cy Young consideration, but Tiant did finish fifth in AL MVP balloting which was also won by McLain.

However, Tiant would experience a dramatic reversal of fortune in 1969 going 9-20 with a 3.71 ERA. Not only did Tiant lead the AL in losses, but he also led the league in walks (129) and homeruns surrendered (37). Prior to the 1970 season, Tiant was traded to the Minnesota Twins in multiplayer deal which included former Cy Young winner Dean Chance and future New York Yankees third baseman Graig Nettles.

Tiant had a decent season (7-3 with a 3.40 ERA in 18 appearances) with a Twins team which won the AL West. However, the Twins would release him. Tiant briefly hooked on with the Atlanta Braves, but they would release him before he ever pitched in a game with them. Days later he signed with the Red Sox. Tiant would have an inauspicious start with Boston going 1-7 with a 4.85 ERA working both as a starter and a reliever.

But Tiant's renaissance would begin in 1972 when he went 15-6 with a league leading 1.91 ERA. During his next four seasons, Tiant won 20 or more games thrice. The only year he didn't win 20 during that stretch was in 1975 when the Red Sox won the AL pennant. Tiant would have a sensational post-season tossing a complete game against the Oakland A's in the ALCS, a complete game shutout in Game 1 of the World Series against the Cincinnati Reds and another complete game victory in Game 4. He would also start the legendary Game 6 going 7 innings although he would give up 6 runs, but Bernie Carbo and Carlton Fisk would bail him out. For good measure, he would see his parents for the first time in 14 years when they were granted permission to travel to the U.S. to see him pitch in the World Series. Still, the Red Sox would fall short in their quest for a World Series title and Tiant would never get another opportunity to pitch in the post-season.

Tiant's tenure in Boston would end after the 1978 season when he signed as a free agent with the archrival New York Yankees where he would pitch for two seasons. He spent the strike-shortened 1981 season with the Pittsburgh Pirates and his final season in 1982 with the California Angels. In 19 seasons, Tiant pitched in 573 games (484 starts) with a record of 229-172 with an ERA of 3.30 striking out 2416 batters tossing 187 complete games and 49 career shutouts. 

Tiant's candidacy for the Hall of Fame has been the source of considerable discussion. He was on the BBWAA ballot between 1988 and 2002 but never garnered more than 30% of the vote. His candidacy has also been rejected by the Veterans Committee on six occasions between 2005 and 2018. Chances are Tiant will be up for consideration on the 2025 ballot via the Classic Baseball Era Committee. But why elect someone to the Hall of Fame when they are not around to enjoy the ceremony?

Luis Tiant's numbers are comparable to those of his contemporaries Catfish Hunter (224-166 3.26 ERA, 2012 strikeouts) and Jim Bunning (224-184 3.27 ERA 2855 strikeouts) who were inducted into Cooperstown. It is true that Hunter and Bunning had more All-Star Game selections with 8 and 9, respectively, while Tiant was only chosen thrice. Then there is the question of Hunter's Cy Young and 5 World Series rings. They also accomplished their feats in fewer seasons - Hunter (15), Bunning (17) and Tiant (19). 

Whether Luis Tiant ever gets a plaque in Cooperstown, there is no denying that his pitching was poetry in motion, exciting to watch and will be enjoyed with delight for decades to come. R.I.P.