Red Sox great Luis Tiant shares why coming to Boston was ‘the best thing to happen’ to his career
"The people showed me respect, appreciation, love. I don’t get that anywhere in my life, even in my own country."
Asking professional athletes about how they liked playing in Boston can draw a range of reactions.
Some say Boston fans and their passion make the city one of the best places in the world for sports. Others have publicly expressed that they’ve found parts of the experience to be problematic.
For former Red Sox pitcher Luis Tiant, the memories seem to be positive.
The Red Sox Hall-of-Famer opened up about why he loved playing in Boston during an appearance on Audacy’s The Bret Boone Podcast.
“From the bottom of my heart, when I came into Boston, that was the best thing to happen to me in my baseball career,” Tiant said. “When I come into Boston, it was different. The fans were different. The people showed me respect, appreciation, love. I don’t get that anywhere in my life, even in my own country.”
Tiant, who spent his early years in Cuba, pitched for six MLB teams over a career that spanned nearly two decades. He had stints with the Indians, Twins, Yankees, Pirates, and Angels. But, he stayed with the Red Sox the longest.
“People from my country used to tell me ‘What are you doing in Boston? It’s too cold. Come to Miami.’ What am I going to do in Miami, be hungry?” Tiant said. “I stay in Boston. I stay where the people want me, people respect me. That’s important for me … You respect me, I respect you. That’s something my father taught me. Respect to build respect.”
Tiant, 82, said that his wife and kids enjoyed living in Boston as well. He said fans still recognize him when he comes back to visit.
Two of Tiant’s three All-Star appearances came as a member of the Red Sox. He helped the Sox reach the World Series in 1975, winning 18 games that season.
“Life is OK, it’s been good to me. I don’t have any complaints, especially here in Boston, I don’t have no complaints,” Tiant said. “I can go everywhere, and people recognize me. People make you feel good. That’s a great feeling. … That makes you feel better because you hear things that you would never expect to hear about you from some people, the way they feel about you. That’s a great thing for me, it made me feel good. You do something to satisfy people, to make people happy and have good times. That’s why I pitched all those years.”
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