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Red Sox All-Star Luis Tiant, known as “El Tiante,” has died at age 83

Red Sox All-Star Luis Tiant, known as “El Tiante,” has died at age 83

Luis Tiant, the Cuban pitcher known as “El Tiante” who led the Red Sox to a World Series appearance in 1975, has died, according to the Boston Globe.

He was 83.

The cause of death was not disclosed.

Tiant was known for his unorthodox performances, completely turning his back on home plate. He was a three-time All-Star who played for the Red Sox from 1971 to 1978 before playing two seasons with the Yankees.


Luis Tiant, a former All-Star pitcher for the Red Sox, has died at the age of 83.
Luis Tiant, a former All-Star pitcher for the Red Sox, has died at the age of 83. Getty Images

The cigar-smoking right-hander had 229 career wins with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts in 19 MLB seasons.

“Today is a very sad day. My friend and teammate Luis Tiant has passed away,” former Red Sox center fielder Fred Lynn wrote on already…quiet, my friend.”

Tiant, the son of Negro Leagues pitcher Luis Sr., began his MLB career with the Cleveland Indians in 1961 and developed into a standout player in his first five seasons, peaking in 1968 with a 1.60 ERA Achieved a 21-9 record.

But after going 9-20 in 1969, he was traded to the Twins, who released him after one season.

In Boston in 1972, he returned his career to 15-6 with a 1.91 ERA.

His success at the end of the 1975 season and into the playoffs etched his name in Red Sox legend. He earned three complete game wins, including two shutouts, and posted a 1.47 ERA in his final four regular-season starts.


Luis Tiant pitched for the Red Sox in 1973.
Luis Tiant pitched for the Red Sox in 1973. Diamond Images/Getty Images

Titant then dominated the A's in Game 1 of the ALCS, giving up just one unearned run and winning the entire game, stunning the Fenway Park faithful.

“He is the Fred Astaire of baseball, dancing his way to victory,” track star Reggie Jackson said of Titant at the time, according to the Globe. “He got the crowd into an uproar.”

Titant signed with the Yankees for the 1979 season and went 21-17 with a 4.31 ERA over two years in the Bronx.

He spent one season with the Pirates in 1981 before finishing his career with the Angels in 1982.

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