Legendary Boston Red Sox Pitcher Luis Tiant Dies at 83

Luis Tiant, who came up with the Cleveland Indians in the 1960s and dominated the 1970s as a member of the Boston Red Sox, died at the age of 83 on Tuesday.

Jul 20, 2013; Boston, MA, USA; Former Boston Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant throws out the first pitch prior to a game against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Longtime Boston Red Sox and Cleveland Indians pitcher Luis Tiant has died at the age of 83, CBS Boston reported Tuesday morning.

The cause of death is not yet publicly known.

Tiant, who was born in Marianao, Cuba, made his MLB debut with Cleveland in 1964. After a one-year stint with the Minnesota Twins, Tiant joined the Red Sox in 1971 and remained with the club through 1978.

Following a handful of seasons with the New York Yankees, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels, Tiant retired in 1982.

Tiant went 229-172 over the course of his big league career, posting a 3.30 ERA, 1.199 WHIP and 2,416 strikeouts with 187 complete games and 49 shutouts across 19 seasons. He won two ERA titles, reached 20 wins in four separate seasons, was named an All-Star three times and placed top-six in Cy Young voting in 1972, 1974 and 1976.

While he was never voted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame – either by the Baseball Writers' Association of America or the hall's numerous era committees – Tiant earned plenty of other accolades over the years. He was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997, the Venezuelan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in 2009 and the Baseball Reliquary's Shrine of the Eternals in 2012.

Tiant racked up a 66.1 WAR, which is the second-highest by any Cuban-born player in MLB history. No other Cuban pitcher has reached 200 wins or 2,200 strikeouts, nor have they posted a career WAR above 43.9.

"El Tiante" strung together a dominant 1975 postseason with the Red Sox, leading his team to four wins with a 2.65 ERA and 1.147 WHIP. Boston fell to the Cincinnati Reds in the World Series, losing Game 7 by one run, costing Tiant a shot at earning a championship ring.

Still, Tiant was a beloved figure in and around Red Sox Nation. He and Carlton Fisk threw out the first pitch before Game 6 of the 2013 World Series at Fenway Park, which turned out to be the clincher for Boston.

Tiant ranks fifth in Red Sox history in wins and pitching WAR, on top of ranking seventh in strikeouts.

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