October 9, 2024 • 39 mins
This week the world learned the sad news that MLB pitcher Luis Tiant died at the age of 83. Once called, the “Fred Astaire of baseball,” the Cuban born player was charismatic, enthusiastic, and vibrant. Tiant won 122 games for the Red Sox over eight seasons. He was a Fenway Park favorite for his “infectious spirit.” We honor and remember the legendary Luis Tiant.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
It's night's time with Dan Ray I dell you fleazy
Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome out back everyone. As we move into
the ten o'clock hour, I'd like to spend one hour
talking about your remembrance, your recollection of Louis Tiant. I
don't care if you watch the game on TV, if
you watch it in person, if you met him. It's
a real gentleman, and we lost him yesterday, and I
(00:29):
would love to have you join the conversation. But before
we do that, we'll open up the lines right now
at six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty. But
we have some tickets. These are special tickets. There's a
great show coming to the Hanover Theater in Worcester, So
(00:50):
I'd like to take the tenth caller since it's the
ten o'clock hour. At six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty, the tenth caller, Robin Dan will win two
tickets to see Tina the Tina Turner Musical at the
Hanover Theater in Worcester on Friday night, October eighteenth, at
eight pm. That is a week from this Friday night.
(01:13):
It's an uplifting comeback story like no other. Tina the
Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman
who broke barriers and became the Queen of rock and roll,
set to the pulse pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits.
This electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.
So again, this is on October eighteenth at eight o'clock.
(01:34):
All you have to do is become caller number ten
at six one, seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. Rob
will let me know when we have a winner. You
can stop calling. Rob is just going to tell you
call her one, you call her two, you call her
three or whatever, and just move on. And if if
in the you can call, you can call twice. At
(01:57):
the point I'm trying to make okay, you always can.
If you call on number seven, keep calling. You just
got to hit lucky caller number ten. That's the secret. Uh.
And someone from WZ will contact you tomorrow and get
these tickets to years in plenty of time to enjoy
the show next Friday night, October eighteenth at eight o'clock.
(02:17):
And Rob, once you get caller number ten, you let
me know and we will we will let everyone know that.
And again, if you're calling, if you're calling the regular
number of folks the call The number to call is
six one seven, nine three, one ten thirty six one seven, nine,
three one ten thirty. That is the contest line. The
other lines are not going to get you these tickets.
(02:38):
You've got to waste your time calling the other lines.
Oh this is fun to watch. Actually, I'd like you
guys to write these two numbers down and understand that
the that that on the show, they both work six
one seven nine three one ten thirty is the one
that works for the caller line. So when you when
(03:00):
you get a winner, rob let me know and we
will we will get to the to the to the
the issue of the hour. So yesterday, earlier tonight, we
spoke with a good friend of the Tion family, Alberto Vassalo,
president CEO of El Mundo Boston, about Louis Tiant and
(03:21):
Louis Tiant I don't think that Boston. You know, Pedro Martinez,
for those of you who were a little younger, was
a great picture for the Red Sox in the early
part of this century, in the two thousand oughts, as
they say, uh, and it well obviously in the late
(03:42):
nineteen nineties as well.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
And and Pedro an incredible pitcher. Louis was an incredible pitcher,
but for those of you who remember him, he was
at his best in a big game. He was born
in to poverty in Cuba, was able to escape Cuba
(04:05):
after the revolution. He was born in nineteen forty, so
by time he was I guess in his late teens,
he had escaped and he was playing baseball in Mexico. See,
we have a winner. So if you're dialing any more, folks,
the winner has been this pair of tickets. Will give
(04:27):
away another pair next hour, I promise. So just the
lines of full clear, those lines robbed, so everybody knows
we have a winner this hour for the Tina Turner tickets,
and we will have two more another set of these
tickets available next hour. So Louis Tiant. They don't make
pitches like Louis ti Hunt anymore. I mean the stories
(04:50):
about Louis Tiant, the number of pitches that he threw
in a game. I think those of you who are
real baseball fans at this point know that most pitchers
are very limited on their pitch count, and the managers
get nervous if particularly young pitchers, if they're throwing in
the in the eighties or nineties, ninety pitchers during a
(05:13):
game and they want to take him out. Now, pitchers
today might be throwing a little harder. I think that
might be true consistently. There aren't too many Greg Maddox
pitchers in Major League Baseball anymore. Not that Louis Tiant
was a Greg Maddox pitcher. He could throw as hard
(05:33):
as anyone at his you know, when he was pitching,
but he was a pitcher. He wasn't a thrower, and
he was I mean, it was magical to watch him
perform at Fenway Park, and I'm sure many of you
remember those games. But when you look at his the
entirety of his record, he pitched for nineteen seasons, and
(05:55):
then of course after his career, after his career really
became his home. I have a friend, Joe Fitzgerald, who
was a writer for the Boston Harold and a sports
writer and a really good sportswriter, and he befriended Louis,
and he wrote a biography of Louis, and he would
(06:18):
tell stories about Louis and Joe and Louis I think
both enjoyed cigar smoking, and maybe that's what they bonded over.
But Louis spent several years with the then Cleveland Indians
now the Cleveland Guardians. He then went to Minnesota for
one year, did okay, a pretty good year. Didn't pitch
(06:39):
as much that year, he must have been hurt. And
then he came back with the Red Sox in seventy
one and it was only one in seven and a
picture of less confidence might have said at that point, hey,
I'm thirty one years old. Maybe I've hit my peek,
and maybe it's time for me to move on. But
(07:03):
he didn't. He came to the Red He stuck with
the Red Sox, and the next year he won fifteen games,
and the next year twenty, and the next year twenty two,
and then he won eighteen in nineteen seventy five, as
well as some games in the playoffs in the World Series.
And then in seventy six he won twenty one games,
and then it fell off a little bit, seventy seven
to twelve games. But all of those seasons, all of
(07:26):
those seasons he pitched magnificently. I mean again, if you're
a real baseball fan, wins and losses are important, but
things like earned run average and whip, you know, walks
and hits per inning pitch pitched. That is now the
sacred scroll in which people ad judged because you could
(07:46):
be a great pitcher for a bad team and you
might lose more games than you win, but that's the
pitcher who if they can get that pitcher to a
good team, that picture that can become dominant. But enough
about Willie Lewis's career. I had the good fortune to
meet him many times, and he would always remember your
face and also always remember your name. He was just
(08:08):
an extraordinary guy, plain and simple, Louis Tian. So what
I'd like to do is open up the phone lines
and hear your stories about Louis Tiant because particularly for
people you know who have been I don't know, were
born after nineteen ninety, they never would have seen Louis pitch.
(08:32):
Louie's career was over in the early nineteen eighties, they
never would have would have seen him on the mound.
I mean he was he was a showman on the mound.
And you know, if you've seen the video, you know
what I'm talking about. So those of you who spent
interacted with him, I would see him at this restaurant
(08:54):
in Milton, which was just a wonderful a restaurant. Would
go there, I'd go there for breakfast, and more often
than not, Louis would be there and we'd have a conversation.
Uh and uh, Louis would always try to buy you.
I buy breakfast. I know, Louis, you bought breakfast last time.
I'm buying you up. Oh no, no, no, Louis buy breakfast.
(09:16):
That was the sort of guy he was. I mean,
he was as regular a guy as as as you
could find. And those of you who might remember Louis
when when he came to the Red Sox, and even
after he left the Red Sox, he was doing television
commercials for I think it was a paint store, might
have been one of the big paint and you know
(09:38):
Louis English at that of course, his English now was superb,
but his English at that time was unlimited. But it was.
It was a commercial everybody watched because it was Louis
ti On. So anyway, I'm going to open up these lines. Uh,
all the the lines are open at six one, seven ninety.
(09:58):
We did those for the the Tina Turner tickets. Will
do them next hour, So stay away you Tina Turner fans,
but if you're a Louis Tian fans six month, seven
ninety three thirty and I got one line in six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I was just looking at Louis Tian's career. We talked
about wins and losses and all of that. According to
apparently he passed away in Wells, Maine. I don't know
the circumstances. Uh. He was born in nineteen forty in Mariano, Cuba,
UH and of course was probably what nineteen years old
(10:46):
when the Cuban Revolution occurred in nineteen fifty nine, was
able to get out of the country UH, and was
pitching for the Mexico City Tigers in Mexico. He didn't
think he would ever go back to Cuba. He was
traded who sold rather by the Mexico City Tigers to
the Cleveland Indians in nineteen sixty two. Cleveland traded him
(11:13):
to Minnesota in nineteen seventy one, and in the spring
of seventy one he's released by the Minnesota Twins signed
with the Atlanta Braves. His career obviously was in trouble
at that point. He was released by the Atlanta Braves.
Never pitched in a Major League game for the Atlanta Braves.
Thankfully signed by the Boston Red Sox in nineteen seventy one,
(11:36):
and the rest is history, and he had his best
years here in Boston. He was one of those first
guys who became a free agent and was signed by
the Yankees in November of seventy eight, shortly after the
Bucky Dent home run. If you remember that, pitched for
a couple of years with the Yankees. I remember when
(11:56):
he left Boston, there was a big news conference at
Logan Airport and I covered that news conference. So he
pitched for the Yankees, was given free agency by the Yankees,
signed by the Pirates, released by the Pirates, sold to
the Tabasco So he went to play for a team
(12:18):
in Tabasco, Mexico, who sold his rights back to the
California Angels. So it was a very interesting career for
Louis Tian. I mean, let's go to phones. Your memory
of Louis Tion Maybe you bumped into him, maybe you
saw a great game in Fenway Park, and ladies, you
are more than welcome to participated this. So far, all
(12:39):
the callers are mail. The only lines that are available
right now are six, one, seven, nine, ten thirty. Let
me start it off with Dennis and Lowell. Dennis, what's
your Louis Tion story? Go ahead, Dennis.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Of course, Dan, you know I had to call. He's
talking about baseball stories. Absolutely, I met Louis at least
two times, one time in andover at a sports night.
I sat at the table with him and Casey Jones
and sat Sanders. Now that's not a bad trio.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
That's not a backgroop. Whatso there's a few championship rings there.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Oh, I guess. Oh you talk about his record nineteen
sixty eighty earn run average of one point six oher.
You know, great year in sixty eight, but of course
the year remember best nineteen seventy five when he said
he remember he threw one hundred and fifty five pitches
in one game. He won game four in nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I mean that's unheard of, unheard of.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Yeah, it was clutch and his style, his rotating acrobatic,
you know, facing the center field, having around pitching, and.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
He didn't have the build of an acrobat, if you get.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
My yeah, not at all. And I'll just I'll just
finish up. He came to Lowell about nineteen eighty eight
when we're desegregating the schools, and I rode a bus
with him, you know, and here what a nice man
like you said. He's a very very nice man.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Great gentleman. Every time I met him. I mean, there's
a big bear hog and a handshake. You know. He's
one of those guys that had his hands were like,
you know, shaking hands with uh, you know, a bear
or something you felt like you were from a baseball glove.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Oh it's great now, but great person anyway.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Great, appreciate your calls. A baseball guy. I know that
from from many years ago.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Okay, thank you, talk to.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You, my friend. I'll keep rolling here. See who else?
What are the stories we have? Let's go to Mike
in Plymouth. Mike, you next side, Welcome?
Speaker 5 (14:53):
How are you, hi, Dan, how are you tonight? Thanks
for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Remembering Louis t On and again this is there's a
lot of people out there tonight who are young in
the audience, who they think about Louis Tiant maybe like
those of us think about Cy Young or someone. I mean,
his his career was for all intents and purposes over. Well,
(15:18):
it wasn't over, but it was. You know, it's over
forty five years ago. It's been forty five years, and
he threw a pitch in the major leagues. Well, it
would be forty nine. No, now, let me see, it
would be forty two years ago. So it's forty let's
just say forty years. You'd have to be at least
fifty years old. Who have ever seen a pitch so
in person?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Well, I was born in sixty one, so I'm sixty
three years old man, and I do remember him pitching.
I don't say. I can't say for sure I ever
saw him pitch live at some way, but I remember
the seventy five series like it was yesterday. Yeah, however,
as great as that that was, to see, my story
(15:59):
is about heart, not about baseball. And I'm going to
tell you why I grew up.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
As to Louis, we're not acre ahead.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Well, the story is about his son, Louis Junior. As
you know, he was from Milton, and I grew up
in the city of Boston, but we moved to Milton
when I was in junior high and I played Milton
youth hockey and Louis son played in Milton youth hockey
against me at Milton at the Milton Academy rink on
(16:29):
Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, and I had the pleasure
or misfortune, whichever you want to call it. Infamy, I
guess of scoring one goal against his son, who played
goalie for the Flyers that year, and it was either
seventy four or seventy five. I scored the one goal
to break up his son Louis shut out against us,
(16:51):
and his son was very upset at the end of
the game and nudging me and pointing at me saying
you you, you, you you. And Louis came over and said, hey,
give him a high five and shake his hand. You
know he's scoring on it. There's nothing you can do.
That's the type of guy he was. His son was
upset that he lost the shutout good nakedly. Of course
he wasn't really crying.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Oh no, no, no, I get that. Sure. Well, that's
what sportsmanship is all about. It, That's that's it.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
And my older brother my older brother and his best
friend were in the stands and saw me score that goal.
And I'll tell you it was it was one of
the greatest memories of my childhood. And for Louis to
come up afterwards and say, hey, nice job kid. You
know I was twelve or thirteen years old. I think
it was thirteen or fourteen years old at the time.
That memory is forever etched in my mind. And I'll
(17:40):
again if your.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Math is if you said you were born in nineteen
sixty one, right, right, yep, Okay, so if you were
twelve or thirteen years old, that would get you to
seventy three or seventy four. And Na ti On was
as big in Boston as Pedro Martinez ever won. It's
a matter of fact, in seventy four. Louis that year
(18:02):
won twenty two games.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
That's my point. And he was a regular guy. He
went and watched this kid play hockey in the winter,
you know. So it had to be in December and
January before spring training started, which it was probably a
January Sunday night more than like early.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And that that year, okay, of we were talking about
seventy four, he pitched three hundred and eleven innings. I
don't think there's a Red Sox started this year who
pitched over two hundred innings.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
He skate this a complete game in the seventy five
complete game, shutout five nothing in the first game of
the seventy five World Series.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
Wah No, that's unheard of today.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, yeah, I think he had.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
He had three wins October in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I know he had three wins in the in
the seventy five World Series. Mike, that's a great Believe
me as a as a guy who played goal in
high school a little bit in college. Were a lot
of guys.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
I knew you played hockey.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Yeah. I made my kids skate out, so you have
to pick pucks out of the net.
Speaker 7 (19:10):
And I did.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
I think I know that Milton restaurant you're talking about too,
Is it the one up by the Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh yeah, yeah, Louis was there. More of Louis and
his and his beautiful wife Maria would be there. And
Maria is just lovely, I mean, one of the loveliest
people you'd ever want.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
A fantastic guy. Fantastic guy.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Great, I appreciate it. Appreciate all right, we won't see
he's kind again. I don't think thanks, I don't think
all right. I have a great one, good night. Great
articles in the Herald or other in the Globe today,
particularly Dan Shaughnessy and Peter Abraham's article, amongst others, uh,
(19:50):
in other newspapers, But feel free to join the conversation.
I like to hear some of you Louis Tian stories.
He was around, whether you were a kid and you
went and you watched him play, whether you were diehard
rich fan. Again, people who were under twenty, they don't
have any recollection of a guy who would pitch when
twenty two games.
Speaker 8 (20:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
And then of course in seventy five he won eighteen
games and won won three games in the World Series
that year. That's they don't make baseball players like Louis
taunt and uh. That's that was part of the magic
and the mystique of him. I love baseball. Louis was
a great guy. I got to know him, you know,
(20:28):
not my closest friend to the world, trust me on that,
but I knew him very well and a gentleman, never
a taint of scandal or anything like that. He was
just a baseball player who loved the game and loved
the city of Boston, and the city loved him back.
Here's the news. We're coming right back. I got one
line at six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty.
(20:49):
I got two lines at six one seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. And I know that some of you ladies
out there at some point met Louis uh and I'd
love to hear your stories as well. Back on nights after.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
This Night's Side with Dan Ray ONBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Back to the phones, wed go, let me go to
Steve and Stephen in Franklin, Massachusetts. Steven, welcome next on
nightscer right ahead.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yeah, a day in that. I mean, you mentioned that
Louis escaped from Cuba. I guess jose Knseko escaped from Cuba.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
A lot of these players got out of Cuba. It
probably was a little easier when Kenseco got out. I mean,
it's not easy at all. But Louis would have gotten
out either just before or just after the revolution in
fifty nine. He didn't see his family, his dad until
nineteen seventy five. There was a story about some of
the politicians here in Massachusetts who were able to convince
(21:46):
Castro to allow Louis's dad, who was a great baseball player, to.
Speaker 6 (21:50):
Go yatch, he was letting some people out in.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
The major leagues.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Yeah, come to think of you, when you mentioned seventy five,
I was thinking of seventy seven when the Red Sox
had that fourteen game lead.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Then they blew.
Speaker 6 (22:03):
It with the Yankees. Oh yeah, he was probably on
the team.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
He was Yo. Absolutely, seventy seven.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
They blew it.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
But anyway, I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Not sure if you're thinking of seventy seven or if
you think seventy eight.
Speaker 7 (22:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, in eight when they had a pretty comfortable lead
in early September and the games just chipped away. That
was the y They had the one game playoff, yep
with the Yankees when Bucky whose name shall not be
mentioned his middle name shall not be mentioned, on the
year Dent, Bucky Dent, you know Homeward. You know.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
I went over my friend's house and the guy was
relating the Red Sox and he said that that ground
ball Buckner Mookie Wilson thought he could have beat it
out anyway.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Well, it doesn't matter because it went through Buckner's legs.
But that was after.
Speaker 6 (23:01):
That was after Louis time could beat it out anyway,
but I was.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
After after his time. My one story about that I
remember so vividly about Louis was nineteen sixty five when
he was pitching in his first year for the Indians.
He pitched and uh at Fenway Park late in the season.
There are about a thousand people in the ballpark that afternoon.
It was a Thursday afternoon, and he lost.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
There've been there in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Well, he lost the Frank.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
Coward the Senators.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I'll tell that story later.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
We'll look for retirement. He's walking with a cane.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, no, it happens to all of us. Steven. I
appreciate your call, Thank you very much, No problem, Bye bye.
The story that I was going to tell was that
late September game, the Red Sox were in probably ninth
place or something like that. I think that was the
The league was ten at that point, and the Indians
(24:03):
were there, and I had a friend of mine who
was on the Indians, and so I had tickets right
next to the Indians, dugout and was stayed with my dad.
I was a seventeen year old kid at the time,
and Louis was pitching for the Indians, and he lost
that day to nothing. There was a Red Sox pitcher
by the name of Dave Moorehead, who was not the
greatest Red Sox pitcher in history, not the best known,
(24:25):
but Dave Morehead happened to throw a no hitter that afternoon,
and Louis lost to nothing. Pitch very well, but Moorehead
that day threw a no hitter, and you generally don't
beat guys that throw no hitters. So that was a
no hitter that I had that I witnessed. So again,
I think the official attendant that day was twelve hundred.
It was the depth of the Red Sox two years
(24:47):
before the Miracle year, the impossible Dream of nineteen sixty
seven where we got to go. Next, let me go
to Gail in Lancaster. Hey, Gail, thank you for calling in.
How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Oh fine, thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Dan.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
I just have a quick story.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
Nineteen seventy five World Series. I saw Ltiante, I saw
Louis tiant pitch. I was with my dad and missus
Kean was ahead of us, you know, in the stands,
and she had this giant noise maker thing she was.
(25:24):
It was amazing, just amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Yeah, his wife Maria was was one of the prettiest women.
I mean just in terms of wholesome, pretty looks.
Speaker 7 (25:37):
Yeah, I know she was something yet.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah, and I'm talking about seeing her a couple of
years ago when probably you know, she and Louis were
both eighty years old. They were a vibrant couple. I mean,
they enjoyed life. As I said, I would see them
at this restaurant in Milton that I frequented, and Louis
would be there and it'd be holding court. You know,
(26:00):
people would come by and shake his hand, and he
was he was kind and and and generous with his
time to everyone, which you know, it was kind of
hard to do after a while, you know, you he
probably he probably met virtually everybody in Boston. I would
think at some point or another he he was around
and uh, you know, I just when I when I
(26:21):
saw this yesterday, the Globe broke the story that he
had passed, and it just hit me. I mean, I
wasn't his closest friend or anything like that. I knew
him a little bit, knew him, you know enough. We
knew each other's names and all of that, and we
knew each other's families. But it's impossible, Gail, for people
who weren't living in the seventies and baseball fians in
(26:44):
Boston to know the impact that he had on the
city and on the team.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
I agree.
Speaker 8 (26:49):
No, a wonderful person and it's a great loss.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, as they say. The other thing, too, is that
today when you see the pictures, a lot of them
like six four six ' five, Louis was probably five ten,
five eleven on a really good day. He didn't have
true he didn't have the body structure of the pictures
(27:15):
that happen today. I think about Chris Sales six seven
years old, six seven, six feet seven inches. But Louis
did it. Louis won. Amazing, just an amazing guy.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Thanks so much, Jail, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Talk to you soon. Let me get one more in
here before we got to go to break. We get
more calls coming in, which is great. We got Bob
and Raynham. Hey Bob, thanks for calling in your thoughts,
your recollection of the great Louis tant ltante.
Speaker 9 (27:46):
Yeah, and I get an unbelievable story to tell you.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
So I met Louis all the years go ahead.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I met Louis on September twenty second of this year.
It was a Sunday afternoon game against the Twins. I
received a gift of tickets. Long story I bought. I
bought a Tim Wakefield autograph baseball at the God Sale
a few years ago for God. I had it when
(28:14):
he passed away. I was planing up junk in my cellar.
I got the ball. I gave it to the Red
Sox organization. I knew he was in charge of that
and they were going to take it in auction it
off and they gave me a hat and a shirt
that was back in January. They said, you know, make
sure you call us. We'll get your tickets to the game.
So anyway, they got me tickets to the game. I
(28:37):
was in the deull box and Louie was standing was
I'm sorry. We were eating breakfast and Louis was in
there with his wife Maria. I introduced myself to both
of them, and you know, I told Louis, you know
you were one of my boy had boyhood idols. I
was fifteen and nineteen seventy five. I suppose to Maria
(29:01):
briefly and I shook his hand and I was like,
and then when I heard I was like, oh my god,
I like, I feel like I was blessed to be
able to shake his hand and meet him.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
You know, there was nothing, There was nothing in the
newspapers that that he was sick, you know. And I
just was reading an obituary which said that he passed
in Wells, Maine. So I'm sure more and more will
come out about it if you, if you read either
Shaughnessy or Peter Abraham and the Globe today.
Speaker 9 (29:33):
I would think I would rather be I would think
it would have had to have been rather sudden, because
again I saw him on the twenty second of September,
and he was definitely slow. And actually when I saw
him walk to the men's room and I asked his
wife Maria, Hey, how's it doing, and she said, oh,
he's doing okay. And but he was definitely slowing down
(29:54):
for sure.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Well he was at that age we all we all
slow down. But look, that's only that's less than three
weeks ago. When you think about it, I mean today
is the ninth of October. That's that's two and a
half weeks ago. You had a chance to see him,
so I can understand. I mean, again, i'd heard heard
nothing either publicly or privately that Louis was in any trouble,
(30:19):
but you know you had a chance to meet him,
which I had that opportunity to and just you know,
again it's there's a few players that connect, but they
connect as athletes, you know Bobby or Ted Williams, Kyle Ustremsky.
But his involvement with the city, and of course Tim
(30:41):
Wakefield was another one. You mentioned Tim Wakefield, who really
you know, came to Boston and you know Tim Wakefield's
his career looked pretty much over with the Pirates, but
he came here and learned a knuckleball and it was
great about baseball is you don't have to be of
certain measurements to play a lot. In football, you got
(31:02):
to be pretty big. I mean even the wide receivers
now are six three sixty four. There's a few like
Tyreek Hillhudot who aren't that that size. Basketball, you gotta
be big. But in baseball, you know, Louis t On
I mean you saw him the other day. He was
five ten, maybe five to eleven on a good day.
Speaker 9 (31:24):
Yeah, he'll never be a delivery like his again.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
No question, no question. Hey, thanks Bob, appreciate you call.
It's good memory. Thank you much.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Have a good way, all right.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I got some open lines here. We need a couple
more Louis Tian stories to finish the hour out. I'll
talk about Louis t On for the rest of the
hour if you want, but we'll change topics on the
other side of the eleven o'clock news. But if you
have a memory of Louis, either on the field or
off the field, I'd love to have you share it.
(31:56):
Six one seven, two five four. We got low open
lines there, and I got one open at six one
seven nine. The word yesterday came suddenly and swiftly, and
Louis was gone. And again he meant so much to
so many people. Uh, not only during his time here,
(32:16):
but in his post career. He lived in Milton and
just he was part of he was part of Boston.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
For a.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Young guy that was born into real poverty in Cuba,
certainly made a name for himself and he should be
in the Hall of fame. And he should have been
in the Hall of fame. Before we talked with Alberto
Vassalo earlier tonight with El Mundo, he said that Louis
had said to him, if they put me in the
Hall of Fame after I die. I don't want anyone
(32:49):
to go to the ceremony. Can you imagine what his
speech would have been like at the Hall of Fame
if the Hall of Fame had been smart enough to
induct him while he was alive, it would have been memorable.
Give us a call your memory of Louis Tiant, either
as a player or as someone who you had the
good fortune to meet. My name's Dan Ray. This is
the Night Side. We're coming right back right after these messages.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Now back to Dan Ray line from the Window World,
Night six Studios on w b Z the news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
All right, we're gonna I'd like to finish out with
a couple of more Louis Tian stories. Six one seven, four,
ten thirty, triple eight nine two nine, ten thirty or
six one, seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. Boston lost
a great champion, a living legend who passed yesterday. Louis Tian.
Let me go to Charles Charlie and Bill Ricket. Charlie,
(33:42):
I appreciate you calling in. What's your Louis Tian story
you'd like to share?
Speaker 7 (33:46):
Hi, jid HOWI I'm a first time caller by the way.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Well all right, and give you a lot of applause. Absolutely,
welcome on in. Thanks that's finally got you to the
telephone to talk about Louis tiant I love that.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
Yeah, I watched the coops. Tom would Com just kind
of emaguated in the Hall of Fame and he was
just getting off the golf course. Louis was and uh
I asked him what he was doing there, and he says,
I'm here for Counton Fisk.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
You know, when I said, well, Louis, you're going to
be the next one to go in the Hall of Fame,
he goes, oh jeesez. He says, they'll probably do it
when I die. He said, I'm in the Redstarts Hall
of Fame. But you know I got the same number
when this Catfish Hunter he says, I don't know why
I'm right in there now, you know. And uh, we
were just coming back and forth. Of course he was
spoken the All Road cigar and.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
You're right, I mean his statistics the Globe Sports writers
made it very evident today. Did you look at you know,
Catfish Hunter, who obviously pitched it a little bit in
New York a little more than Louis did in New York.
Hunter died very early of luke gat disease, so that
might have been an emotional factor. Don Drysdale, whose numbers
(34:55):
it was, a great pitcher, should be in the Hall
of Fame. I'm not saying that those guys should not
be in, but I think Louis should be in as well,
no question, no ifs in butts about it. Ye.
Speaker 7 (35:07):
Ken Coleman was there also. Ken Coleman said, if I'm
on that beference committee, I'll vote for him. But uh,
I don't know what happened, but.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I hope I missed who you said you? Who'd you
say said they would have voted for him?
Speaker 7 (35:24):
Ken Coleman. He used to broadcast for the Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Oh sure, Ken Coleman. Absolutely, Well, his the guy that
he brought to Boston, Joe kistig Leone is now in
the broadcasters wing of the Hall of Fame. We've had
Joe on the show last week.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
That he deserves it.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Oh. Absolutely, He's done a great job over the years,
There's no no question about that. Well, Charlie, that's that's
a great story and and it's a memory that you
should hold forever. Obviously, Louis was Carlton Fisk was Louis
battery mate in that world series. So you know Carlton
was soon heading heading off to the Chicago White Sox.
(35:59):
But but that was a magical year, magical October that
year in nineteen seventy five, we missed that.
Speaker 7 (36:07):
He was probably probably the best that you have, one
of the best pictures he ever caught.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
So I think there's no question about that, no question
about that. Charlie, thanks so much for the call. I appreciate.
Cooperstown is a special place, isn't it.
Speaker 7 (36:21):
It sure is?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I thanks John. All right, let me go to Rick
and Bill rick We go from Charlie and Bill Ricket.
We're hot and Bill Rickett tonight, Rick next time. That's right.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
How are you? Then?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I'm doing great. What's your Louis Tian story?
Speaker 7 (36:35):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I don't really have a story. Charlie is as much
better than mine. But I just remember if I was
born in nineteen sixty nine, but I just remember the
name and watching it on TV in the seventies. I
had a baseball card of him because I used to
collect cards, and I don't know, I have no idea
when my cards are located but when I clean my
house out, I'll probably come across them. I know, I
(36:57):
throw them out, they.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
May they may have some value. Don't throw them?
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Well no, wait, yeah you can. I don't throw anything
of you can.
Speaker 9 (37:04):
No.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Of course, baseball cards have value, the most value in
America when it comes to America. That America's past Simon's baseball.
So it's the biggest sport and cards hold the most value.
But I don't know the conditioner, but I know I
had a card of them. And I also remember my
father was a clock collector, and he got a clock
from this guy named Elmer Tennis. He was out of waymouth.
(37:26):
Elmer was accused of murdering I think two wives, so
the first one, and then I know, well it's okay.
He was a great clockmaker. You can look him up.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
No, I believe in the story.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
But I got to tell you what what happened was.
I looked in the clock for information about this but
number twenty two because his stuff clock's whole value was
an excellent clockmaker. And I saw that my father wrapped
something and a story, I mean in a globe or
a herald might have been the globe my parents used
(38:05):
to get the Herald, but might have been a Globe,
and it was nineteen seventy five, and Louis Tian was
on the cover and they had won a game. They
had won some sort of game. It might have been
the World, So I don't know. I think it was
October of seventy five, and I's still in my brother
Greg's house. He's got the clock many other ones too,
But I put it back and it was wrapped in
(38:26):
a newspaper where Louis Tian was jumping up and down
or something. I don remember that.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I would have been nineteen seventy five, Rick, I don't
remember the Elma story. But let's I don't know if
he's passed on, but we'll remember it was a clockmaker,
not as someone who who killed two of his wives.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Well you can look at Elbert sixteen and then yes
he was not away man and unbelievable clockmaker. But anyway,
that's just the side story. But that's where I saw
Louis Tian the last on a nice fresh piece of
Boston Globe, ar Herald and picture and it was wrapped newspaper,
(39:05):
and all.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Right, you got it. All that, hich I appreciate. I
appreciate the story a good night much Okay, didn't need
to know about the background of the clockmaker, but that's okay.
The whole story is there. You got it, the whole story,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We'll be
back right after the eleven o'clock news and I'm going
to uh cover a story that deals with a newscast
(39:29):
that I very really watch, the CBS Morning News. I
will explain
It's night's time with Dan Ray I dell you fleazy
Boston Radio.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
All right, welcome out back everyone. As we move into
the ten o'clock hour, I'd like to spend one hour
talking about your remembrance, your recollection of Louis Tiant. I
don't care if you watch the game on TV, if
you watch it in person, if you met him. It's
a real gentleman, and we lost him yesterday, and I
(00:29):
would love to have you join the conversation. But before
we do that, we'll open up the lines right now
at six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty. But
we have some tickets. These are special tickets. There's a
great show coming to the Hanover Theater in Worcester, So
(00:50):
I'd like to take the tenth caller since it's the
ten o'clock hour. At six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty, the tenth caller, Robin Dan will win two
tickets to see Tina the Tina Turner Musical at the
Hanover Theater in Worcester on Friday night, October eighteenth, at
eight pm. That is a week from this Friday night.
(01:13):
It's an uplifting comeback story like no other. Tina the
Tina Turner Musical is the inspiring journey of a woman
who broke barriers and became the Queen of rock and roll,
set to the pulse pounding soundtrack of her most beloved hits.
This electrifying sensation will send you soaring to the rafters.
So again, this is on October eighteenth at eight o'clock.
(01:34):
All you have to do is become caller number ten
at six one, seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. Rob
will let me know when we have a winner. You
can stop calling. Rob is just going to tell you
call her one, you call her two, you call her
three or whatever, and just move on. And if if
in the you can call, you can call twice. At
(01:57):
the point I'm trying to make okay, you always can.
If you call on number seven, keep calling. You just
got to hit lucky caller number ten. That's the secret. Uh.
And someone from WZ will contact you tomorrow and get
these tickets to years in plenty of time to enjoy
the show next Friday night, October eighteenth at eight o'clock.
(02:17):
And Rob, once you get caller number ten, you let
me know and we will we will let everyone know that.
And again, if you're calling, if you're calling the regular
number of folks the call The number to call is
six one seven, nine three, one ten thirty six one seven, nine,
three one ten thirty. That is the contest line. The
other lines are not going to get you these tickets.
(02:38):
You've got to waste your time calling the other lines.
Oh this is fun to watch. Actually, I'd like you
guys to write these two numbers down and understand that
the that that on the show, they both work six
one seven nine three one ten thirty is the one
that works for the caller line. So when you when
(03:00):
you get a winner, rob let me know and we
will we will get to the to the to the
the issue of the hour. So yesterday, earlier tonight, we
spoke with a good friend of the Tion family, Alberto Vassalo,
president CEO of El Mundo Boston, about Louis Tiant and
(03:21):
Louis Tiant I don't think that Boston. You know, Pedro Martinez,
for those of you who were a little younger, was
a great picture for the Red Sox in the early
part of this century, in the two thousand oughts, as
they say, uh, and it well obviously in the late
(03:42):
nineteen nineties as well.
Speaker 3 (03:44):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (03:44):
And and Pedro an incredible pitcher. Louis was an incredible pitcher,
but for those of you who remember him, he was
at his best in a big game. He was born
in to poverty in Cuba, was able to escape Cuba
(04:05):
after the revolution. He was born in nineteen forty, so
by time he was I guess in his late teens,
he had escaped and he was playing baseball in Mexico. See,
we have a winner. So if you're dialing any more, folks,
the winner has been this pair of tickets. Will give
(04:27):
away another pair next hour, I promise. So just the
lines of full clear, those lines robbed, so everybody knows
we have a winner this hour for the Tina Turner tickets,
and we will have two more another set of these
tickets available next hour. So Louis Tiant. They don't make
pitches like Louis ti Hunt anymore. I mean the stories
(04:50):
about Louis Tiant, the number of pitches that he threw
in a game. I think those of you who are
real baseball fans at this point know that most pitchers
are very limited on their pitch count, and the managers
get nervous if particularly young pitchers, if they're throwing in
the in the eighties or nineties, ninety pitchers during a
(05:13):
game and they want to take him out. Now, pitchers
today might be throwing a little harder. I think that
might be true consistently. There aren't too many Greg Maddox
pitchers in Major League Baseball anymore. Not that Louis Tiant
was a Greg Maddox pitcher. He could throw as hard
(05:33):
as anyone at his you know, when he was pitching,
but he was a pitcher. He wasn't a thrower, and
he was I mean, it was magical to watch him
perform at Fenway Park, and I'm sure many of you
remember those games. But when you look at his the
entirety of his record, he pitched for nineteen seasons, and
(05:55):
then of course after his career, after his career really
became his home. I have a friend, Joe Fitzgerald, who
was a writer for the Boston Harold and a sports
writer and a really good sportswriter, and he befriended Louis,
and he wrote a biography of Louis, and he would
(06:18):
tell stories about Louis and Joe and Louis I think
both enjoyed cigar smoking, and maybe that's what they bonded over.
But Louis spent several years with the then Cleveland Indians
now the Cleveland Guardians. He then went to Minnesota for
one year, did okay, a pretty good year. Didn't pitch
(06:39):
as much that year, he must have been hurt. And
then he came back with the Red Sox in seventy
one and it was only one in seven and a
picture of less confidence might have said at that point, hey,
I'm thirty one years old. Maybe I've hit my peek,
and maybe it's time for me to move on. But
(07:03):
he didn't. He came to the Red He stuck with
the Red Sox, and the next year he won fifteen games,
and the next year twenty, and the next year twenty two,
and then he won eighteen in nineteen seventy five, as
well as some games in the playoffs in the World Series.
And then in seventy six he won twenty one games,
and then it fell off a little bit, seventy seven
to twelve games. But all of those seasons, all of
(07:26):
those seasons he pitched magnificently. I mean again, if you're
a real baseball fan, wins and losses are important, but
things like earned run average and whip, you know, walks
and hits per inning pitch pitched. That is now the
sacred scroll in which people ad judged because you could
(07:46):
be a great pitcher for a bad team and you
might lose more games than you win, but that's the
pitcher who if they can get that pitcher to a
good team, that picture that can become dominant. But enough
about Willie Lewis's career. I had the good fortune to
meet him many times, and he would always remember your
face and also always remember your name. He was just
(08:08):
an extraordinary guy, plain and simple, Louis Tian. So what
I'd like to do is open up the phone lines
and hear your stories about Louis Tiant because particularly for
people you know who have been I don't know, were
born after nineteen ninety, they never would have seen Louis pitch.
(08:32):
Louie's career was over in the early nineteen eighties, they
never would have would have seen him on the mound.
I mean he was he was a showman on the mound.
And you know, if you've seen the video, you know
what I'm talking about. So those of you who spent
interacted with him, I would see him at this restaurant
(08:54):
in Milton, which was just a wonderful a restaurant. Would
go there, I'd go there for breakfast, and more often
than not, Louis would be there and we'd have a conversation.
Uh and uh, Louis would always try to buy you.
I buy breakfast. I know, Louis, you bought breakfast last time.
I'm buying you up. Oh no, no, no, Louis buy breakfast.
(09:16):
That was the sort of guy he was. I mean,
he was as regular a guy as as as you
could find. And those of you who might remember Louis
when when he came to the Red Sox, and even
after he left the Red Sox, he was doing television
commercials for I think it was a paint store, might
have been one of the big paint and you know
(09:38):
Louis English at that of course, his English now was superb,
but his English at that time was unlimited. But it was.
It was a commercial everybody watched because it was Louis
ti On. So anyway, I'm going to open up these lines. Uh,
all the the lines are open at six one, seven ninety.
(09:58):
We did those for the the Tina Turner tickets. Will
do them next hour, So stay away you Tina Turner fans,
but if you're a Louis Tian fans six month, seven
ninety three thirty and I got one line in six one, seven, two, five, four,
ten thirty. We'll be back on Nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (10:15):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
night Side Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:22):
I was just looking at Louis Tian's career. We talked
about wins and losses and all of that. According to
apparently he passed away in Wells, Maine. I don't know
the circumstances. Uh. He was born in nineteen forty in Mariano, Cuba,
UH and of course was probably what nineteen years old
(10:46):
when the Cuban Revolution occurred in nineteen fifty nine, was
able to get out of the country UH, and was
pitching for the Mexico City Tigers in Mexico. He didn't
think he would ever go back to Cuba. He was
traded who sold rather by the Mexico City Tigers to
the Cleveland Indians in nineteen sixty two. Cleveland traded him
(11:13):
to Minnesota in nineteen seventy one, and in the spring
of seventy one he's released by the Minnesota Twins signed
with the Atlanta Braves. His career obviously was in trouble
at that point. He was released by the Atlanta Braves.
Never pitched in a Major League game for the Atlanta Braves.
Thankfully signed by the Boston Red Sox in nineteen seventy one,
(11:36):
and the rest is history, and he had his best
years here in Boston. He was one of those first
guys who became a free agent and was signed by
the Yankees in November of seventy eight, shortly after the
Bucky Dent home run. If you remember that, pitched for
a couple of years with the Yankees. I remember when
(11:56):
he left Boston, there was a big news conference at
Logan Airport and I covered that news conference. So he
pitched for the Yankees, was given free agency by the Yankees,
signed by the Pirates, released by the Pirates, sold to
the Tabasco So he went to play for a team
(12:18):
in Tabasco, Mexico, who sold his rights back to the
California Angels. So it was a very interesting career for
Louis Tian. I mean, let's go to phones. Your memory
of Louis Tion Maybe you bumped into him, maybe you
saw a great game in Fenway Park, and ladies, you
are more than welcome to participated this. So far, all
(12:39):
the callers are mail. The only lines that are available
right now are six, one, seven, nine, ten thirty. Let
me start it off with Dennis and Lowell. Dennis, what's
your Louis Tion story? Go ahead, Dennis.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Of course, Dan, you know I had to call. He's
talking about baseball stories. Absolutely, I met Louis at least
two times, one time in andover at a sports night.
I sat at the table with him and Casey Jones
and sat Sanders. Now that's not a bad trio.
Speaker 2 (13:11):
That's not a backgroop. Whatso there's a few championship rings there.
Speaker 4 (13:16):
Oh, I guess. Oh you talk about his record nineteen
sixty eighty earn run average of one point six oher.
You know, great year in sixty eight, but of course
the year remember best nineteen seventy five when he said
he remember he threw one hundred and fifty five pitches
in one game. He won game four in nineteen seventy five.
Speaker 2 (13:40):
I mean that's unheard of, unheard of.
Speaker 4 (13:43):
Yeah, it was clutch and his style, his rotating acrobatic,
you know, facing the center field, having around pitching, and.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
He didn't have the build of an acrobat, if you get.
Speaker 4 (13:59):
My yeah, not at all. And I'll just I'll just
finish up. He came to Lowell about nineteen eighty eight
when we're desegregating the schools, and I rode a bus
with him, you know, and here what a nice man
like you said. He's a very very nice man.
Speaker 2 (14:19):
Great gentleman. Every time I met him. I mean, there's
a big bear hog and a handshake. You know. He's
one of those guys that had his hands were like,
you know, shaking hands with uh, you know, a bear
or something you felt like you were from a baseball glove.
Speaker 4 (14:34):
Oh it's great now, but great person anyway.
Speaker 2 (14:38):
Great, appreciate your calls. A baseball guy. I know that
from from many years ago.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
Okay, thank you, talk to.
Speaker 2 (14:47):
You, my friend. I'll keep rolling here. See who else?
What are the stories we have? Let's go to Mike
in Plymouth. Mike, you next side, Welcome?
Speaker 5 (14:53):
How are you, hi, Dan, how are you tonight? Thanks
for taking my call.
Speaker 2 (14:58):
Remembering Louis t On and again this is there's a
lot of people out there tonight who are young in
the audience, who they think about Louis Tiant maybe like
those of us think about Cy Young or someone. I mean,
his his career was for all intents and purposes over. Well,
(15:18):
it wasn't over, but it was. You know, it's over
forty five years ago. It's been forty five years, and
he threw a pitch in the major leagues. Well, it
would be forty nine. No, now, let me see, it
would be forty two years ago. So it's forty let's
just say forty years. You'd have to be at least
fifty years old. Who have ever seen a pitch so
in person?
Speaker 5 (15:37):
Well, I was born in sixty one, so I'm sixty
three years old man, and I do remember him pitching.
I don't say. I can't say for sure I ever
saw him pitch live at some way, but I remember
the seventy five series like it was yesterday. Yeah, however,
as great as that that was, to see, my story
(15:59):
is about heart, not about baseball. And I'm going to
tell you why I grew up.
Speaker 2 (16:04):
As to Louis, we're not acre ahead.
Speaker 5 (16:09):
Well, the story is about his son, Louis Junior. As
you know, he was from Milton, and I grew up
in the city of Boston, but we moved to Milton
when I was in junior high and I played Milton
youth hockey and Louis son played in Milton youth hockey
against me at Milton at the Milton Academy rink on
(16:29):
Sunday mornings and Sunday nights, and I had the pleasure
or misfortune, whichever you want to call it. Infamy, I
guess of scoring one goal against his son, who played
goalie for the Flyers that year, and it was either
seventy four or seventy five. I scored the one goal
to break up his son Louis shut out against us,
(16:51):
and his son was very upset at the end of
the game and nudging me and pointing at me saying
you you, you, you you. And Louis came over and said, hey,
give him a high five and shake his hand. You
know he's scoring on it. There's nothing you can do.
That's the type of guy he was. His son was
upset that he lost the shutout good nakedly. Of course
he wasn't really crying.
Speaker 2 (17:12):
Oh no, no, no, I get that. Sure. Well, that's
what sportsmanship is all about. It, That's that's it.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
And my older brother my older brother and his best
friend were in the stands and saw me score that goal.
And I'll tell you it was it was one of
the greatest memories of my childhood. And for Louis to
come up afterwards and say, hey, nice job kid. You
know I was twelve or thirteen years old. I think
it was thirteen or fourteen years old at the time.
That memory is forever etched in my mind. And I'll
(17:40):
again if your.
Speaker 2 (17:41):
Math is if you said you were born in nineteen
sixty one, right, right, yep, Okay, so if you were
twelve or thirteen years old, that would get you to
seventy three or seventy four. And Na ti On was
as big in Boston as Pedro Martinez ever won. It's
a matter of fact, in seventy four. Louis that year
(18:02):
won twenty two games.
Speaker 5 (18:05):
That's my point. And he was a regular guy. He
went and watched this kid play hockey in the winter,
you know. So it had to be in December and
January before spring training started, which it was probably a
January Sunday night more than like early.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
And that that year, okay, of we were talking about
seventy four, he pitched three hundred and eleven innings. I
don't think there's a Red Sox started this year who
pitched over two hundred innings.
Speaker 5 (18:31):
He skate this a complete game in the seventy five
complete game, shutout five nothing in the first game of
the seventy five World Series.
Speaker 4 (18:39):
Wah No, that's unheard of today.
Speaker 2 (18:43):
Yeah, yeah, I think he had.
Speaker 6 (18:46):
He had three wins October in the postseason.
Speaker 2 (18:50):
Yeah, I know he had three wins in the in
the seventy five World Series. Mike, that's a great Believe
me as a as a guy who played goal in
high school a little bit in college. Were a lot
of guys.
Speaker 5 (19:03):
I knew you played hockey.
Speaker 2 (19:05):
Yeah. I made my kids skate out, so you have
to pick pucks out of the net.
Speaker 7 (19:10):
And I did.
Speaker 5 (19:11):
I think I know that Milton restaurant you're talking about too,
Is it the one up by the Yeah?
Speaker 2 (19:17):
Oh yeah, yeah, Louis was there. More of Louis and
his and his beautiful wife Maria would be there. And
Maria is just lovely, I mean, one of the loveliest
people you'd ever want.
Speaker 5 (19:26):
A fantastic guy. Fantastic guy.
Speaker 2 (19:28):
Great, I appreciate it. Appreciate all right, we won't see
he's kind again. I don't think thanks, I don't think
all right. I have a great one, good night. Great
articles in the Herald or other in the Globe today,
particularly Dan Shaughnessy and Peter Abraham's article, amongst others, uh,
(19:50):
in other newspapers, But feel free to join the conversation.
I like to hear some of you Louis Tian stories.
He was around, whether you were a kid and you
went and you watched him play, whether you were diehard
rich fan. Again, people who were under twenty, they don't
have any recollection of a guy who would pitch when
twenty two games.
Speaker 8 (20:08):
Uh.
Speaker 2 (20:08):
And then of course in seventy five he won eighteen
games and won won three games in the World Series
that year. That's they don't make baseball players like Louis
taunt and uh. That's that was part of the magic
and the mystique of him. I love baseball. Louis was
a great guy. I got to know him, you know,
(20:28):
not my closest friend to the world, trust me on that,
but I knew him very well and a gentleman, never
a taint of scandal or anything like that. He was
just a baseball player who loved the game and loved
the city of Boston, and the city loved him back.
Here's the news. We're coming right back. I got one
line at six one, seven, two, five, four, ten thirty.
(20:49):
I got two lines at six one seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. And I know that some of you ladies
out there at some point met Louis uh and I'd
love to hear your stories as well. Back on nights after.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
This Night's Side with Dan Ray ONBZ Boston's news radio.
Speaker 2 (21:08):
Back to the phones, wed go, let me go to
Steve and Stephen in Franklin, Massachusetts. Steven, welcome next on
nightscer right ahead.
Speaker 6 (21:15):
Yeah, a day in that. I mean, you mentioned that
Louis escaped from Cuba. I guess jose Knseko escaped from Cuba.
Speaker 2 (21:23):
A lot of these players got out of Cuba. It
probably was a little easier when Kenseco got out. I mean,
it's not easy at all. But Louis would have gotten
out either just before or just after the revolution in
fifty nine. He didn't see his family, his dad until
nineteen seventy five. There was a story about some of
the politicians here in Massachusetts who were able to convince
(21:46):
Castro to allow Louis's dad, who was a great baseball player, to.
Speaker 6 (21:50):
Go yatch, he was letting some people out in.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
The major leagues.
Speaker 6 (21:54):
Yeah, come to think of you, when you mentioned seventy five,
I was thinking of seventy seven when the Red Sox
had that fourteen game lead.
Speaker 1 (22:02):
Then they blew.
Speaker 6 (22:03):
It with the Yankees. Oh yeah, he was probably on
the team.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
He was Yo. Absolutely, seventy seven.
Speaker 7 (22:12):
They blew it.
Speaker 6 (22:13):
But anyway, I'm.
Speaker 2 (22:15):
Not sure if you're thinking of seventy seven or if
you think seventy eight.
Speaker 7 (22:19):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
Yeah, in eight when they had a pretty comfortable lead
in early September and the games just chipped away. That
was the y They had the one game playoff, yep
with the Yankees when Bucky whose name shall not be
mentioned his middle name shall not be mentioned, on the
year Dent, Bucky Dent, you know Homeward. You know.
Speaker 6 (22:43):
I went over my friend's house and the guy was
relating the Red Sox and he said that that ground
ball Buckner Mookie Wilson thought he could have beat it
out anyway.
Speaker 2 (22:55):
Well, it doesn't matter because it went through Buckner's legs.
But that was after.
Speaker 6 (23:01):
That was after Louis time could beat it out anyway,
but I was.
Speaker 2 (23:06):
After after his time. My one story about that I
remember so vividly about Louis was nineteen sixty five when
he was pitching in his first year for the Indians.
He pitched and uh at Fenway Park late in the season.
There are about a thousand people in the ballpark that afternoon.
It was a Thursday afternoon, and he lost.
Speaker 6 (23:26):
There've been there in the sixties.
Speaker 2 (23:29):
Well, he lost the Frank.
Speaker 6 (23:31):
Coward the Senators.
Speaker 2 (23:34):
I'll tell that story later.
Speaker 6 (23:35):
We'll look for retirement. He's walking with a cane.
Speaker 2 (23:41):
Yeah, no, it happens to all of us. Steven. I
appreciate your call, Thank you very much, No problem, Bye bye.
The story that I was going to tell was that
late September game, the Red Sox were in probably ninth
place or something like that. I think that was the
The league was ten at that point, and the Indians
(24:03):
were there, and I had a friend of mine who
was on the Indians, and so I had tickets right
next to the Indians, dugout and was stayed with my dad.
I was a seventeen year old kid at the time,
and Louis was pitching for the Indians, and he lost
that day to nothing. There was a Red Sox pitcher
by the name of Dave Moorehead, who was not the
greatest Red Sox pitcher in history, not the best known,
(24:25):
but Dave Morehead happened to throw a no hitter that afternoon,
and Louis lost to nothing. Pitch very well, but Moorehead
that day threw a no hitter, and you generally don't
beat guys that throw no hitters. So that was a
no hitter that I had that I witnessed. So again,
I think the official attendant that day was twelve hundred.
It was the depth of the Red Sox two years
(24:47):
before the Miracle year, the impossible Dream of nineteen sixty
seven where we got to go. Next, let me go
to Gail in Lancaster. Hey, Gail, thank you for calling in.
How are you tonight?
Speaker 8 (25:00):
Oh fine, thank you.
Speaker 2 (25:01):
Dan.
Speaker 4 (25:01):
I just have a quick story.
Speaker 8 (25:03):
Nineteen seventy five World Series. I saw Ltiante, I saw
Louis tiant pitch. I was with my dad and missus
Kean was ahead of us, you know, in the stands,
and she had this giant noise maker thing she was.
(25:24):
It was amazing, just amazing.
Speaker 2 (25:27):
Yeah, his wife Maria was was one of the prettiest women.
I mean just in terms of wholesome, pretty looks.
Speaker 7 (25:37):
Yeah, I know she was something yet.
Speaker 2 (25:39):
Yeah, and I'm talking about seeing her a couple of
years ago when probably you know, she and Louis were
both eighty years old. They were a vibrant couple. I mean,
they enjoyed life. As I said, I would see them
at this restaurant in Milton that I frequented, and Louis
would be there and it'd be holding court. You know,
(26:00):
people would come by and shake his hand, and he
was he was kind and and and generous with his
time to everyone, which you know, it was kind of
hard to do after a while, you know, you he
probably he probably met virtually everybody in Boston. I would
think at some point or another he he was around
and uh, you know, I just when I when I
(26:21):
saw this yesterday, the Globe broke the story that he
had passed, and it just hit me. I mean, I
wasn't his closest friend or anything like that. I knew
him a little bit, knew him, you know enough. We
knew each other's names and all of that, and we
knew each other's families. But it's impossible, Gail, for people
who weren't living in the seventies and baseball fians in
(26:44):
Boston to know the impact that he had on the
city and on the team.
Speaker 4 (26:48):
I agree.
Speaker 8 (26:49):
No, a wonderful person and it's a great loss.
Speaker 2 (26:53):
Yeah, as they say. The other thing, too, is that
today when you see the pictures, a lot of them
like six four six ' five, Louis was probably five ten,
five eleven on a really good day. He didn't have
true he didn't have the body structure of the pictures
(27:15):
that happen today. I think about Chris Sales six seven
years old, six seven, six feet seven inches. But Louis
did it. Louis won. Amazing, just an amazing guy.
Speaker 4 (27:29):
Thanks so much, Jail, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 2 (27:32):
Talk to you soon. Let me get one more in
here before we got to go to break. We get
more calls coming in, which is great. We got Bob
and Raynham. Hey Bob, thanks for calling in your thoughts,
your recollection of the great Louis tant ltante.
Speaker 9 (27:46):
Yeah, and I get an unbelievable story to tell you.
Speaker 2 (27:49):
So I met Louis all the years go ahead.
Speaker 9 (27:52):
I met Louis on September twenty second of this year.
It was a Sunday afternoon game against the Twins. I
received a gift of tickets. Long story I bought. I
bought a Tim Wakefield autograph baseball at the God Sale
a few years ago for God. I had it when
(28:14):
he passed away. I was planing up junk in my cellar.
I got the ball. I gave it to the Red
Sox organization. I knew he was in charge of that
and they were going to take it in auction it
off and they gave me a hat and a shirt
that was back in January. They said, you know, make
sure you call us. We'll get your tickets to the game.
So anyway, they got me tickets to the game. I
(28:37):
was in the deull box and Louie was standing was
I'm sorry. We were eating breakfast and Louis was in
there with his wife Maria. I introduced myself to both
of them, and you know, I told Louis, you know
you were one of my boy had boyhood idols. I
was fifteen and nineteen seventy five. I suppose to Maria
(29:01):
briefly and I shook his hand and I was like,
and then when I heard I was like, oh my god,
I like, I feel like I was blessed to be
able to shake his hand and meet him.
Speaker 2 (29:12):
You know, there was nothing, There was nothing in the
newspapers that that he was sick, you know. And I
just was reading an obituary which said that he passed
in Wells, Maine. So I'm sure more and more will
come out about it if you, if you read either
Shaughnessy or Peter Abraham and the Globe today.
Speaker 9 (29:33):
I would think I would rather be I would think
it would have had to have been rather sudden, because
again I saw him on the twenty second of September,
and he was definitely slow. And actually when I saw
him walk to the men's room and I asked his
wife Maria, Hey, how's it doing, and she said, oh,
he's doing okay. And but he was definitely slowing down
(29:54):
for sure.
Speaker 2 (29:55):
Well he was at that age we all we all
slow down. But look, that's only that's less than three
weeks ago. When you think about it, I mean today
is the ninth of October. That's that's two and a
half weeks ago. You had a chance to see him,
so I can understand. I mean, again, i'd heard heard
nothing either publicly or privately that Louis was in any trouble,
(30:19):
but you know you had a chance to meet him,
which I had that opportunity to and just you know,
again it's there's a few players that connect, but they
connect as athletes, you know Bobby or Ted Williams, Kyle Ustremsky.
But his involvement with the city, and of course Tim
(30:41):
Wakefield was another one. You mentioned Tim Wakefield, who really
you know, came to Boston and you know Tim Wakefield's
his career looked pretty much over with the Pirates, but
he came here and learned a knuckleball and it was
great about baseball is you don't have to be of
certain measurements to play a lot. In football, you got
(31:02):
to be pretty big. I mean even the wide receivers
now are six three sixty four. There's a few like
Tyreek Hillhudot who aren't that that size. Basketball, you gotta
be big. But in baseball, you know, Louis t On
I mean you saw him the other day. He was
five ten, maybe five to eleven on a good day.
Speaker 9 (31:24):
Yeah, he'll never be a delivery like his again.
Speaker 2 (31:27):
No question, no question. Hey, thanks Bob, appreciate you call.
It's good memory. Thank you much.
Speaker 9 (31:33):
Have a good way, all right.
Speaker 2 (31:35):
I got some open lines here. We need a couple
more Louis Tian stories to finish the hour out. I'll
talk about Louis t On for the rest of the
hour if you want, but we'll change topics on the
other side of the eleven o'clock news. But if you
have a memory of Louis, either on the field or
off the field, I'd love to have you share it.
(31:56):
Six one seven, two five four. We got low open
lines there, and I got one open at six one
seven nine. The word yesterday came suddenly and swiftly, and
Louis was gone. And again he meant so much to
so many people. Uh, not only during his time here,
(32:16):
but in his post career. He lived in Milton and
just he was part of he was part of Boston.
Speaker 4 (32:26):
For a.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Young guy that was born into real poverty in Cuba,
certainly made a name for himself and he should be
in the Hall of fame. And he should have been
in the Hall of fame. Before we talked with Alberto
Vassalo earlier tonight with El Mundo, he said that Louis
had said to him, if they put me in the
Hall of Fame after I die. I don't want anyone
(32:49):
to go to the ceremony. Can you imagine what his
speech would have been like at the Hall of Fame
if the Hall of Fame had been smart enough to
induct him while he was alive, it would have been memorable.
Give us a call your memory of Louis Tiant, either
as a player or as someone who you had the
good fortune to meet. My name's Dan Ray. This is
the Night Side. We're coming right back right after these messages.
Speaker 1 (33:11):
Now back to Dan Ray line from the Window World,
Night six Studios on w b Z the news radio.
Speaker 2 (33:19):
All right, we're gonna I'd like to finish out with
a couple of more Louis Tian stories. Six one seven, four,
ten thirty, triple eight nine two nine, ten thirty or
six one, seven, nine, three, one ten thirty. Boston lost
a great champion, a living legend who passed yesterday. Louis Tian.
Let me go to Charles Charlie and Bill Ricket. Charlie,
(33:42):
I appreciate you calling in. What's your Louis Tian story
you'd like to share?
Speaker 7 (33:46):
Hi, jid HOWI I'm a first time caller by the way.
Speaker 2 (33:48):
Well all right, and give you a lot of applause. Absolutely,
welcome on in. Thanks that's finally got you to the
telephone to talk about Louis tiant I love that.
Speaker 7 (33:57):
Yeah, I watched the coops. Tom would Com just kind
of emaguated in the Hall of Fame and he was
just getting off the golf course. Louis was and uh
I asked him what he was doing there, and he says,
I'm here for Counton Fisk.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
Uh.
Speaker 7 (34:09):
You know, when I said, well, Louis, you're going to
be the next one to go in the Hall of Fame,
he goes, oh jeesez. He says, they'll probably do it
when I die. He said, I'm in the Redstarts Hall
of Fame. But you know I got the same number
when this Catfish Hunter he says, I don't know why
I'm right in there now, you know. And uh, we
were just coming back and forth. Of course he was
spoken the All Road cigar and.
Speaker 2 (34:34):
You're right, I mean his statistics the Globe Sports writers
made it very evident today. Did you look at you know,
Catfish Hunter, who obviously pitched it a little bit in
New York a little more than Louis did in New York.
Hunter died very early of luke gat disease, so that
might have been an emotional factor. Don Drysdale, whose numbers
(34:55):
it was, a great pitcher, should be in the Hall
of Fame. I'm not saying that those guys should not
be in, but I think Louis should be in as well,
no question, no ifs in butts about it. Ye.
Speaker 7 (35:07):
Ken Coleman was there also. Ken Coleman said, if I'm
on that beference committee, I'll vote for him. But uh,
I don't know what happened, but.
Speaker 2 (35:17):
I hope I missed who you said you? Who'd you
say said they would have voted for him?
Speaker 7 (35:24):
Ken Coleman. He used to broadcast for the Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (35:26):
Oh sure, Ken Coleman. Absolutely, Well, his the guy that
he brought to Boston, Joe kistig Leone is now in
the broadcasters wing of the Hall of Fame. We've had
Joe on the show last week.
Speaker 7 (35:36):
That he deserves it.
Speaker 2 (35:38):
Oh. Absolutely, He's done a great job over the years,
There's no no question about that. Well, Charlie, that's that's
a great story and and it's a memory that you
should hold forever. Obviously, Louis was Carlton Fisk was Louis
battery mate in that world series. So you know Carlton
was soon heading heading off to the Chicago White Sox.
(35:59):
But but that was a magical year, magical October that
year in nineteen seventy five, we missed that.
Speaker 7 (36:07):
He was probably probably the best that you have, one
of the best pictures he ever caught.
Speaker 2 (36:11):
So I think there's no question about that, no question
about that. Charlie, thanks so much for the call. I appreciate.
Cooperstown is a special place, isn't it.
Speaker 7 (36:21):
It sure is?
Speaker 2 (36:22):
I thanks John. All right, let me go to Rick
and Bill rick We go from Charlie and Bill Ricket.
We're hot and Bill Rickett tonight, Rick next time. That's right.
Speaker 3 (36:31):
How are you? Then?
Speaker 2 (36:32):
I'm doing great. What's your Louis Tian story?
Speaker 7 (36:35):
Wow?
Speaker 3 (36:35):
I don't really have a story. Charlie is as much
better than mine. But I just remember if I was
born in nineteen sixty nine, but I just remember the
name and watching it on TV in the seventies. I
had a baseball card of him because I used to
collect cards, and I don't know, I have no idea
when my cards are located but when I clean my
house out, I'll probably come across them. I know, I
(36:57):
throw them out, they.
Speaker 2 (36:57):
May they may have some value. Don't throw them?
Speaker 3 (37:00):
Well no, wait, yeah you can. I don't throw anything
of you can.
Speaker 9 (37:04):
No.
Speaker 3 (37:04):
Of course, baseball cards have value, the most value in
America when it comes to America. That America's past Simon's baseball.
So it's the biggest sport and cards hold the most value.
But I don't know the conditioner, but I know I
had a card of them. And I also remember my
father was a clock collector, and he got a clock
from this guy named Elmer Tennis. He was out of waymouth.
(37:26):
Elmer was accused of murdering I think two wives, so
the first one, and then I know, well it's okay.
He was a great clockmaker. You can look him up.
Speaker 2 (37:43):
No, I believe in the story.
Speaker 3 (37:44):
But I got to tell you what what happened was.
I looked in the clock for information about this but
number twenty two because his stuff clock's whole value was
an excellent clockmaker. And I saw that my father wrapped
something and a story, I mean in a globe or
a herald might have been the globe my parents used
(38:05):
to get the Herald, but might have been a Globe,
and it was nineteen seventy five, and Louis Tian was
on the cover and they had won a game. They
had won some sort of game. It might have been
the World, So I don't know. I think it was
October of seventy five, and I's still in my brother
Greg's house. He's got the clock many other ones too,
But I put it back and it was wrapped in
(38:26):
a newspaper where Louis Tian was jumping up and down
or something. I don remember that.
Speaker 2 (38:32):
I would have been nineteen seventy five, Rick, I don't
remember the Elma story. But let's I don't know if
he's passed on, but we'll remember it was a clockmaker,
not as someone who who killed two of his wives.
Speaker 3 (38:45):
Well you can look at Elbert sixteen and then yes
he was not away man and unbelievable clockmaker. But anyway,
that's just the side story. But that's where I saw
Louis Tian the last on a nice fresh piece of
Boston Globe, ar Herald and picture and it was wrapped newspaper,
(39:05):
and all.
Speaker 2 (39:06):
Right, you got it. All that, hich I appreciate. I
appreciate the story a good night much Okay, didn't need
to know about the background of the clockmaker, but that's okay.
The whole story is there. You got it, the whole story,
the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. We'll be
back right after the eleven o'clock news and I'm going
to uh cover a story that deals with a newscast
(39:29):
that I very really watch, the CBS Morning News. I
will explain
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