19-Year Legendary Pitcher Luis Tiant Passes Away

He was known for his compelling and unique pitching style and thrilled fans for 19 years as the first real Cuban superstar in the majors. Luis Tiant has passed away at the age of 83.

We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Luis Tiant. In a Major League career that spanned 19 seasons, "El Tiante" made three All-Star teams and won 20 or more games four times. Tiant won two ERA titles in the American League - one in 1968 for Cleveland, and another in… pic.twitter.com/wVNQj9f1pc

— MLB (@MLB) October 8, 2024

"El Tiante" was a three-time All-Star, a two-time ERA title winner, and a 20-game winner on four occasions, totalling 229 career victories with a 3.30 ERA.  

His 1968 campaign was one of the great pitching seasons of the century, as he went 21-9 with a league-best 1.60 ERA and 0.87 WHIP. 

He spent most of his career with the Boston Red Sox (8 seasons) and Cleveland (6 seasons), but also featured for the New York Yankees, Minnesota Twins, Pittsburgh Pirates and the California Angels (as they were called at the time). 

He was constantly doing a "dance" on the mound, altering his windup and delivery, including turning his back to the batter, in order to get an advantage. He was beautifully once referred to as the "Fred Astaire of baseball" by Hall of Famer Reggie Jackson.

RIP Luis Tiant.