BOSTON (AP) — The Boston Red Sox celebrated the 50th anniversary of their 1975 AL championship team before their home opener on Friday, with special attention paid to pitcher Luis Tiant, who died this offseason.
“I miss Luis. We all do,” said former Red Sox outfielder Dwight Evans, who played with Tiant in Boston for seven seasons. “I try to take something from everybody I’m around. And with him, it’s just his love for people.”
Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski threw out the ceremonial first pitch to current manager Alex Cora before Friday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals; Bill “Spaceman” Lee took the mound and hammed it up. Jim Rice, Carlton Fisk and Fred Lynn were also among more than a dozen other members of the ’75 team who took part in the ceremony.
Tiant, who followed an All-Star career with decades of as a Red Sox instructor and ambassador, died in October at the age of 83. A banner with a heart bearing his nickname -- “El Tiante” – was displayed on one of the light stanchions above the Green Monster, and a “moment of reflection” honored those who’d played for the team and died since last season: Tiant, Rickey Henderson, Felix Mantilla, Bob Veale and Scott Sauerbeck.
Tiant’s family made the ceremonial call of “Play ball!”
“Luis is a guy that we miss,” Cora said. “He was always teaching the guys how it used to be. And what it means to be a Red Sox. … He’ll go down there and talk to them, in a very unique way. Always with a smile.”
Asked what was unique about it, Cora said with a laugh, “I would not talk to my kids that way.”
Tiant started the '75 opener at Fenway – and pitched one of his 187 career complete games to beat a Milwaukee Brewers team that included Hall of Famers Hank Aaron and Robin Yount.
“I’m sure Luis was emotional about it,” Lynn said. “He loved pitching here. He just loved pitching, period. And he was such a competitor, and I feel honored to have played behind him as much as I did.”
Lynn, who would win the AL MVP and Rookie of the Year awards, said he remembered seeing Tiant's unusual pitching windup from his position in center field.
“That’s the first time I’m behind Luis. So, I’m watching him wind up like everybody else,” Lynn said, thinking: “'Man, that’s different. I wouldn’t want to have to hit against him, especially as a right-handed hitter.'”
The ’75 Red Sox finished April in fifth place in the AL East but wound up winning the division by 4 1/2 games over the Baltimore Orioles. They swept the Oakland A’s in the AL Championship Series and then faced Cincinnati’s Big Red Machine in a World Series that is still considered one of the greatest of all time — with Fisk's arm-waving, 12th-inning homer to win Game 6 before the Reds won it in seven games and prolonged Boston's championship drought.
The bat that Fisk used — one of Burleson's that Fisk borrowed because it was lighter and shorter for late in the long game — was at Fenway on Friday for the festivities. It usually resides at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York.
Lynn batted .331 with 21 homers and 105 RBIs, and Rice finished third in the MVP voting; Yastrzemski and shortstop Rick Burleson also received MVP votes. Tiant was 18-14 with a 4.02 ERA – a humdrum season for the pitcher who previously led the league in ERA twice.
“Everybody knows the talent. Everybody knows his story,” Red Sox president Sam Kennedy said. But I don’t think people who didn’t spend time with him … know he was such an incredible person.
“He loves this franchise. Loved the team. And we’re just so grateful for what he meant to so many of us. He sort of set the standard for it meant to put that uniform on. He appreciated it each and every day. And we appreciated having him around for all those years.”
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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Jimmy Golen, The Associated Press
