Red Sox pitching great Luis Tiant dies at 83

Editor's note : This story was updated to include statements from the Red Sox, and information from USA Today.

Boston Red Sox pitching great Luis Tiant, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League ERA leader, died Tuesday morning at his home in Maine. He was 83.

The Red Sox confirmed the news in an afternoon press release.

In a statement released by the team, principal owner John Henry called Tiant "magnetic" with a "smile that could light up Fenway Park."

“He was a pitcher with incredible talent, accomplishing so much with a style uniquely his own. But what truly set Luis apart was his zest for life, embracing every moment with an infectious spirit, even in the face of his many challenges. He channeled everything into his love for the game and the people around him," Henry said. "Luis was truly one-of-a-kind and all of us at the Red Sox will miss him.”

Born in Marianao, Cuba, Tiant's distinctive twisting windup helped him win 229 games with six teams over 19 seasons in the majors (1964-82), striking out 2,416 batters and retiring with a 3.30 ERA in 573 appearances (484 starts). Tiant made his first All-Star team and captured his first ERA title (1.60) as a 21-game winner with the then-Cleveland Indians in 1968.

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Traded to the Minnesota Twins after a 20-loss season in 1969, Tiant revived his career after signing with Boston as a free agent in May 1971.

Over eight seasons with the Red Sox, he went 122-81 with a 3.36 ERA while winning another ERA title in 1972 (1.91) and earning All-Star nods in 1974 and 1976. He recorded at least 20 wins with Boston in three seasons (1973, 1974 and 1976) and was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

Tiant pitched for Cleveland (1964-69), Minnesota (1970), Boston (1971-78), the New York Yankees (1979-80), the Pittsburgh Pirates (1981) and the California Angels (1982).

The Red Sox won each of Tiant’s four starts in the 1975 postseason, including Games 1, 4, and 6 of the World Series. After throwing a three-hitter against the Oakland A’s in Game 1 of the ALCS, he shut out the Cincinnati Reds in Game 1 of the World Series. Tiant recorded another complete game in Game 4, then threw 7.0 innings in Game 6, which ended with Carlton Fisk’s 12 ^th -inning home run. In 1982, he was named to the Red Sox All-Time Second Team (as voted by the fans), and in 2012 he earned a spot on the All-Fenway Park Team as a First Reserve.

In 15 years on the Baseball Writers' Association of America Hall of Fame ballot, Tiant never received more than the 30.9% of the vote he got on his first year of eligibility in 1988 and missed induction while on six committee ballots.

"I've told my sons, 'don't worry, don't get emotional that you don't see my name,' " Tiant told USA TODAY in 2021 of not being elected to the Hall of Fame. "The day they want to put me in, put me in. Hopefully, I won't be dead."

After his playing days, Tiant was the pitching coach in the Dodgers (1992-95) and White Sox (1997) organizations, Tiant was Nicaragua’s pitching coach in the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. He spent 1998-2001 as head coach for Division III Savannah (GA) College of Art and Design, then returned to the Red Sox organization in 2002 as a pitching coach for Short-A Lowell. From 2002-03, Tiant served as a broadcaster for the Red Sox Spanish Baseball Network. For the past 21 years (2004-24), he had served as a special assignment instructor.

Tiant is survived by his wife, Maria, and their four children, Luis Jr., Isabel, Daniel, and John Papile.

USA Today contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Red Sox pitching great Luis Tiant dies at 83