By Joel Perez-
On October 8th in Wells, Maine, tragedy struck. The right handed, Cuban born, Boston Red sox legend, Luis Tiant passed away at the great age of 83.
Losing a legend in Tiant has left the city of Boston reminiscing and mourning over his death. But no need to be sad, but be grateful for the time we had him and appreciating and looking back at all his accomplishments and the great things he did for the Boston Red Sox organization.
Tiant played 19 seasons as a Major League Baseball (MLB) picther, where he also played short stints for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels (Los Angeles Angels) but most notably the Boston Red Sox.
Such a high level pitcher but he can also do it all, being top 5 in multiple Red Sox statistical categories, he was inducted in the hall of fame in the year 1997.
“El Tiante” as they called him, was more than just a player for the Boston Red Sox organization though. Retiring in 1982, he continued in other departments with the team. Serving time as a coach, a broadcaster and a special assignment instructor.
Gone but will never be forgotten, being fifth all time in wins (122), fifth all time in starts (238) , fourth all time in innings pitched (1,774) and seventh all time in strikeouts (1,075) this man was a warrior on the field.
Keep the ones you love close to you, anything can happen at any given moment. Tiant lived an amazing, hardworking and dedicated lifestyle most people aren’t built for. He was an amazing player, but even a better human being, being so connected to an organization even after retiring, showing the world that it was more than just a baseball team to him, but a family.
Tiant is survived by his wife, Maria, and their four children, Luis Jr, Isabel, Daniel, and John Papile.