- In full:
- Luis Clemente Tiant Vega
- Born:
- November 23, 1940, Marianao, Cuba
- Died:
- October 8, 2024 (aged 83)
- Height/Weight:
- 6 ft 0 inches, 180 lb (183 cm, 81 kg)
- Batting Hand:
- right
- Throwing Hand:
- right
- Debut Date:
- July 19, 1964
- Last Game:
- September 4, 1982
- Jersey Number:
- 33 (1964-1969, Cleveland Indians)
- 38 (1981-1981, Pittsburgh Pirates)
- 23 (1982-1982, California Angels)
- 33 (1982-1982, California Angels)
- 23 (1971-1978, Boston Red Sox)
- 23 (1979-1980, New York Yankees)
- 33 (1970-1970, Minnesota Twins)
- Position:
- pitcher
- Earned Run Average:
- 3.3
- Games Played:
- 573
- Games Started:
- 484
- Innings Pitched:
- 3,486.10
- Losses:
- 172
- Saves:
- 15
- Strikeouts:
- 2,416
- Walks And Hits Per Inning Pitched:
- 1.199
- Wins:
- 229
Luis Tiant
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Who is Luis Tiant?
Luis Tiant (1940-2024) was a Cuban professional baseball player, one of the best pitchers of the 1970s. Over 19 major league seasons, he won 229 games and lost 172, with a 3.30 ERA. Of Latin American pitchers, he ranks second in strikeouts (2,416) behind Pedro Martínez, and third in wins behind Dennis Martínez and Juan Marichal.
Tiant pitched in the Mexican and American minor leagues for five years before debuting in the major leagues in 1964 with the Cleveland Indians. He was known for his twisting windup. Tiant played for the Boston Red Sox (1971–78), where he was most successful and popular.
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What position did Luis Tiant play in baseball?
Luis Tiant was a professional baseball player who played as a pitcher. He was one of the outstanding pitchers of the 1970s. Throughout 19 major league seasons, he won 229 games and lost 172, with a 3.30 earned run average (ERA). Of all Cuban-born players, he won more games than any other. Tiant recorded 2,416 strikeouts, the second-most by a pitcher from Latin America. He was a three-time All-Star and a two-time ERA leader.
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Which Major League Baseball teams did Luis Tiant play for?
Luis Tiant played for the following Major League Baseball teams:
* Cleveland Indians (1964-1969)
* Minnesota Twins (1970)
* Boston Red Sox (1971–78)
* New York Yankees (1979-1980)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (1981)
* California Angels (1982)Across 19 major league seasons, Tiant achieved a record of 229 wins and 172 losses, with a 3.30 ERA. He recorded 2,416 strikeouts, the second-most by a Latin American pitcher after Pedro Martínez.
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What made Luis Tiant's pitching style unique?
Luis Tiant was known for his unique and mesmerizing pitching style. As one of the most popular players to wear a Red Sox uniform, Tiant was an imposing presence on the mound with his twisting, back-to-the-batter windup and a large assortment of release points for his pitches. He won more games than any other Cuban-born player, compiling 229 victories and 172 losses, with a 3.30 ERA in 19 major league seasons. His 2,416 strikeouts are the second-most by a pitcher from Latin America.
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How did Luis Tiant influence baseball during his career and afterwards?
Luis Tiant, who passed away on October 8, 2024, significantly influenced baseball as one of the best pitchers of the 1970s. The Cuban-born right-handed pitcher played for 19 major league seasons, amassing 229 victories with a 3.30 ERA. He ranks second among Latin American pitchers with 2,416 strikeouts.
During his time with the Boston Red Sox (1971–78), Tiant became a popular player, known for his twisting windup and various release points. He attracted media attention, especially during the 1975 World Series. After retiring in 1982, Tiant served as a pitching coach in the minor leagues.
2 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Luis Tiant (born November 23, 1940, Marianao, Cuba—died October 8, 2024) was a professional baseball player who was one of the outstanding pitchers of the 1970s and won more games than any other Cuban-born player, compiling a record of 229 victories and 172 losses, with an earned run average (ERA) of 3.30 in 19 major league seasons. His 2,416 strikeouts are the second-most (behind Pedro Martínez) by a pitcher from Latin America, and only two other Latin American pitchers, Dennis Martínez and Juan Marichal, won more games in the major leagues than Tiant.
His father, Luis Tiant, Sr., a left-handed pitcher, was a star player in Cuba and the American Negro leagues during the 1930s and ’40s. The younger, right-handed Tiant played in the Mexican League and American minor leagues for five years before making his major league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1964. In 1968 he won 21 games and lost 9, struck out 264 batters, pitched 19 complete games and 9 shutouts, and recorded a 1.60 ERA—the lowest in the American League. After six years in Cleveland, Tiant was traded to the Minnesota Twins before the 1970 season. That year, while posting a record of 7 victories and 3 losses, he injured his shoulder and was released by the Twins at the end of the season.
Tiant was picked up by the Boston Red Sox, and, ultimately, he was at his best during his eight years with them (1971–78). After winning only a single game and losing 7 in 1971, he rebounded in 1972 with a record of 15 wins and 6 losses, led the league with an ERA of 1.91, and was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year. With Boston, Tiant won 20 or more games on three occasions.
One of the most popular players ever to wear a Red Sox uniform, Tiant attracted a great deal of attention both on and off the field. He was an imposing presence on the mound with his twisting, back-to-the-batter windup and a large assortment of release points for his pitches. He also became a focus of the media, especially during the 1975 World Series, with his ever-present Cuban cigar and pronounced Spanish accent when he spoke in English. Boston lost that series to the Cincinnati Reds. Toward the end of his career, he played two seasons with the New York Yankees and one each with the Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels before retiring in 1982. Tiant worked as a pitching coach in the minor leagues for several years after his playing days were over. El Tiante: The Luis Tiant Story (1976; written with Joe Fitzgerald) and Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back (2019; written with Saul Wisnia) are autobiographies.