December 13, 2024 • 39 mins
The late, great former Red Sox pitcher, Luis Tiant, was snubbed by the Baseball Hall of Fame! Tiant needed to earn 75% of the vote to earn induction. Over 19 MLB seasons Tiant went 229-172 with a 3.30 ERA, 3,486.1 innings and 2,416 strikeouts. Tiant was also a three-time All Star and a two-time ERA champion. Do you think Tiant deserves to be in the Baseball Hall of Fame? What other athletes do you believe got snubbed?
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
It's nice side with Dan Ray w Bzy Constance New
Radio Boy.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It is cold out there tonight. It's cold out there today,
but it's really cold out there tonight. I hope wherever
you are, you're warm, and whether you're in a car
heading somewhere or you're home, you're nice and nice and warm.
And before we get to the issue of this hour,
which is why Louis t Aren't is not in the
(00:28):
Baseball Hall of Fame, is beyond me. You know, Louis
passed away in October. A great guy. I want a
wonderful person, someone who I considered to be a friend.
I wasn't what you call a close personal friend, but
I knew Louis pretty well. We spent some time together.
And I'm just so disappointed that he's not in the
(00:50):
Hall of Fame. And of course everybody would hope that
the Baseball Writers initially and now the Old Timers Committee,
whatever they want to call it, they would have done
the right thing by Louis in the weeks following his
passing last October. Before we do that, I just, you know,
(01:10):
thoughts in prayers tonight to Randy Moss. I noticed in
the sports reports tonight that the you know, the great
Randy Moss played for the Patriots as well as the
Minnesota Vikings and probably a couple other teams along the way.
Who is an NFL Hall of Famer Dealing tonight with
bile duct cancer, which is not No cancer analysis is helpful,
(01:36):
no question about that, but bile duct is is a
really tough one because of its location. As I understand it.
I'm not a cancer specialist or a surgeon or anything
like that. But again, you know, for for a guy
who had a stellar career in the in the NFL,
not without controversy at different times, no question about that,
(01:58):
but he always performed at a high level here and
part of some of the Patriots, you know, great championships
that we all enjoyed. I want to get back though,
to Louis tonight, and I'd love to hear from some
of you. I know that many of you who are
(02:18):
in your twenties or thirties probably don't remember what not
only a great performer, what a great picture he was,
but what a great individual he was. He you know,
(02:39):
married to a wonderful woman, and I would see them
on more than one occasion, on many occasions at a
place that I like to stop by Newcomb's, which is
in Milton on Route twenty eighth, and I would see
Louis there, and Louis would be holding court, and you know,
(03:00):
people would come up and ask for an autograph. And
he was just always a complete, quintessential gentleman, a great
representative of the game. You know, he had a wonderful
baseball career. He sort of reinvented himself in nineteen sixty
eight for the Cleveland Indians. He won twenty one games.
(03:23):
He repeated that three times with the Red Sox, thank
goodness here in Boston in seventy three, seventy four, and
then seventy six. Who can ever forget all of his
contributions to the seventy five Red Sox team that went
to the World Series and for that run to the
World Series, but went to the World Series against the
Reds and then three years later in seventy eight they
(03:46):
lost that playoff game to the Yankees. But even that
year Louis contributed mightily thirteen and eight with two hundred
and twelve innings. And this guy was a horse, he
just but beyond that, he was such an entertainer. I mean,
you go and when Louis Tiant was pitching, you knew
(04:06):
it would be a great game to watch. And you
just knew that this guy didn't look like your traditional
pitcher of the day six three, six y four, you know, sculpted.
He had a wind up and emotion that baffled people.
And when you look at the bottom line records of
(04:27):
Louis Tiant, yeah he didn't win three hundred games, but
he pitched for nineteen seasons. Here eight seventeen seasons. Now, no,
I'm sorry, eighteen seasons. He ended up with then the
California Angels back in eighty two, and started off with
the Cleveland Indians in nineteen sixty four. This was a
guy that was born in Cuba. I think those of
(04:49):
us in Boston who remember during the nineteen seventy five
World Series his mom and dad were released from Cuba
are allowed to travel to Boston for the World Series
and watched his son pitch against Cincinnati Reds, the big
Red machine. It was a big red machine in the
form of the Castro government that let his parents travel
(05:10):
to Boston and I what an emotional homecoming. I mean,
Louis had been told by his dad. Louis left Cuba
and went and pitched in Mexico City in the Mexican League,
and that's where he was discovered by the Indians and
came up and you know, for a pretty run of
the mill. Indian team had a great first season, went
(05:31):
ten and four and pitched so well for them, and
then he had he had to reinvent himself. He went
from nineteen sixty eight when he won twenty one games
and had an earned run average of one point six.
One point six as an earned run average for a
pitcher that threw over two hundred and fifty innings. That
(05:53):
inn of except that in of itself is absolutely extraordinary.
Don't find a picture today who would be able to
have those sort of statistics. It's as simple as that. Well,
he had an earned run average of one point six. Oh,
I mean think about it again in the year in
(06:16):
which he threw two hundred and fifty eight innings. And
within a couple of years he had hit some hard
times athletically, so that when he came to the Red
Sox in nineteen seventy one, he wasn't a great picture.
He was one in seven, started ten games that year,
(06:40):
he was one in seven and a lot of people figured, well,
you know, that's it, this guy's done. No, he had
only started the next season. He won fifteen, and then
he won twenty and twenty two, and he won eighteen
and seventy five, and of course a couple of World
Series wins, and he won twenty one and seventy six
and twelve and seventy seven, and on and on and on,
(07:00):
and at the end of the day you look at
his statistics, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. I mean,
if Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame, and
I think he does. If Jack Chesbroo a great picture
from the turn of the twentieth century, the first decade
of the twentieth century, primarily what they would call the
(07:22):
Highlanders then, but it's the New York Yankees organization. Catfish
Hunter has a record that is almost identical to Louis
Tion now Catfish Hunters in the Hall of Fame. We
can find pictures statistically whose records are very similar, and
of course we can find pictures who Louis records are
(07:45):
substantially better then. I mean, Bob Lemon is in the
Hall of Fame. Two hundred and seven victories. Louis had
two hundred and twenty nine victories. It goes on and on.
I just hope that some of you out there might
like to recall a Louis t On story, not only
perhaps as a player at Fenway Park. And we don't
(08:07):
do this often, but I just the more I thought
about it earlier this week, and I thought to myself, Yeah,
we can do politics. We do a lot of politics,
but I wanted to do this as a as a
tribute to a great guy, a guy who always represented
the game of baseball very well. He he took time
with fans, and he performed in the field. I don't
(08:30):
know what else makes a guy a Hall of Famer.
He was all Hall of Famer, as a dad, Hall
of Famer, as a husband, Hall of Famer, as a
baseball player, Hall of Famer. With with the Indians, I mean,
I can't think of a pitcher who had a better
record consistently with the Indians other than Louis. Oh yeah,
maybe Bob Feller. But he had a great record with
the Red Sox. I mean, those are two, you know,
(08:52):
major franchises that he he was on top of the
world with. Then he went to New York and he
had continue to pitch in New York and then finish
his career. So I'm just going open up the phone lines.
If you ever met Louis, if you had a chance
at some point to I love remembering his I think
(09:12):
it was Benjamin Moore paint ads back in the day.
Louis was their spokesman and his English wasn't superb. It
wasn't the Queen's English, but it got the point across
With Louis. He always got the point across on the
ball field or in person. Here are the numbers six one, seven, two,
five four ten thirty or six one seven, nine three
(09:34):
one ten thirty. I think it is ridiculous that they
do not open the door to Louis taunt. And if
you agree with me, I'd love to hear your voice.
If you disagree with me and want to tell him,
I'd really be interested in why you don't think Louis
belongs in the Hall of Fame. And I hope you're
(09:56):
not ambivalent on this. If you're a sports fan, you
got the numbers six thirty, six one seven, nine three
one ten thirty. Every once in a while I like
to take a chance on this show. Sometimes the chances
work out. Sometimes they don't because this is not necessarily
a sports audience. I'm sure that some of you who
are the real sports fans, and I'm a sports fan,
believe me. I'm a sports fan, big time, big time,
(10:19):
uh and uh. And some of you who know me
know me know well what I mean and different sports, hockey, baseball,
friends in those sports and love to hear from you.
Join the conversation. Coming back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Now, back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
It's nice to see some people are interested in Louis Tianta.
I will be disappointed. My audience doesn't disappoint me often sometimes,
but this is one where I like to step out
and do something different. I mean, it's Friday night and
we could We tried to talk last night at eleven
o'clock about up the drones over New Jersey, and I
said to myself, we're gonna we're gonna change it up
tonight and we're gonna do something that everybody should relate to.
(11:06):
And again, if you're a sports fan, you got to
know Louis tan if you're a Ritz Sox fan, if
you live in Boston, and you're not a rit Sox fan.
What's what's your problem? Okay, let me go to Steve
and Newton. Steve welcome, How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I'm fine? Thank you, Dan. Uh I just wanted to
make a couple of comments about his World Series game
against the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Game one.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
I think it was a.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Lot of pitches in that game, if I recall.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, and I think he won the game. And uh uh,
the first pitch is the thing I remember the most.
When Pete Rose came to the plate, Louis did his classic.
He looked up in the sky, He looked everywhere except
the plate. Finally threw a side arm, side arm, bloopy pitch.
(12:01):
It was probably like seventy miles an hour, and it
dropped over the plate, and uh, Rose took two hitches
before he didn't swing. He started to go, and then
he started to go and he stopped and the ball
just dropped into the catchersmith for a strike and Rose
just put the bat down and just stared out at him.
(12:21):
He's like, who is this guy?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
It was like it was.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
It was just the funniest. It was just it was
really cool. And then there were you.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
This yeah, he was on TV. Look, there's a lot
of players a showman. That's what was great about Louis.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Oh he really oh he really was. He put seats
in the people in the seats, and he was up
against a lineup that was they all probably are in
the Hall of Fame. I mean, that was an all
star lineup against the Cincinnati Reds, I.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Mean Red Machine and yeah, yuh.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
And the other thing I wanted to mention he got
a base hit. Pitchers back then still hit at least
in the National League. And he first time at the
plate he got a hit, and the Red Sox dugout
was just going wild, teasing him, yelling and screaming, and
then and then he went from first. The second guy
behind him got a hit, close play at second, but
Louis legged at the second and slid like bounced, bounced
(13:24):
into the bag. They were just laughing and it was
just it was just fun to watch. He was. He
was such a character. So that's all.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
No, no, no, your recollection is correct. He won that game.
It was a complete game. Five hitter, uh.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah, against that lineup. That's that was unbelievable. Against that lineup,
I mean, and you know, I mean he was swirling
and dancing. They they were baffled by him, and you know,
but you were right. I mean, he was not only
just a showman, but he really could pick. He knew that,
he knew the art of it. And there's nobody.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Ever be like, yeah, I'm looking at the box score,
so that Cincinnati had Pete Rose leading off. Your recollection
is correct. Joe Morgan at second hits He had two
hits two of the five hits. Johnny Bench hit third,
Tony Perez hit fourth at first base. Four uh, George
Foster was in left field. Dave Concepcion, the shortstop, Ken
(14:27):
Griffy was hitting second in right field. I think it
was Caesar Geronimo, if I'm not mistaken, was hitting eighth
in center field. And Don gallet Uh a pretty good
pitcher in his own right for a while. He kind
of didn't have a long career, but Don gullet Uh
went six.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, he was a great pitcher that year. He I
think he was a lefty. A friend of mine still
is by the way. Yeah, a friend of mine was
lucky he was dating the own he's daughter of the
Cincinnati Reds. He was a Red Sox fan and he
sat right was beside the.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Dugout and was the owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Reds
was March shots, yes.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Oh I'm sorry, well maybe it was. And anyway, he
was he was dating a woman who was related to
the owners. I think she was a daughter, but I'm
not sure. But he had a seat right beside the dugout.
He could look into the Cincinnati dugout and see Sparky
Anderson and it was it was just a great year,
(15:35):
a great Uh. It broke my heart because Jim Rice,
I don't think play could play because he was injured.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
It was hit by a pill by a Tiger's pitcher
whose name I have long since forgotten. But he was
hitting on the wrist in September and and that took
him out of the uh, the the World Series, you
know that that. I was lucky enough to go to
the seventh game of the World Series with a really
(16:04):
a great friend of mine for many years, a fellow
who's passed away now, Jim Hosker. And he had a
couple of tickets and he said, you want to go
to the World Series. And it's like, yeah, what seventh game?
And that was the game that they lost and remember
remember walking through ken Moore Square and uh after that game,
(16:27):
and you know, it was packed with people and it
was just quiet. It was just it was almost as
if we had lost the war or something like that,
but it was. It was eerie, eerily quiet, no doubt. Steve,
Thanks very much, it's it's gonna thanks thanks for getting
us going as a go ahead. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Can I make one more comment? One more? It just
reminded me. At the end of that game. Uh, Pete
Rose was interviewed and he said, I could not believe
I've never seen fans like this. He played third base.
He says, they're right on top of you. They never
stopped yelling. He said, these are unbelievable fans. He said,
(17:11):
I wish the season would start tomorrow. I want to
do this again. I was yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
After the seventh Yeah yeah, well he was. He had
reasons to celebrate, that's sure. That was the game that
Willoughby was pitching, and they they brought in this left
hander and uh to face Joe Morgan.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And Morgan.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Yeah Burton, I think his name is. He was a rookie.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah that's right, yeah, right, Well, and they obviously went
with the I know lefty left.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Mist will was Yeah, Willoughby was mobled down. You know,
he was unbelievable. Yeah, you got it anyway, nice talking
to you.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Nice talk with you, Steve, Thanks very much. Take quick
break news at the bottom of the hour. Got some
lines here come on six one, seven thirty, six seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. Trying to ease you into the weekend. Here.
There's a little bit of strategy involved in my uh
MY program, and we do some of the tough, tougher
topics where politics and economics and international policy. We get
(18:14):
some of those out of the way Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday and on Friday night. I want to I
want you to go to the weekend and enjoy yourself.
And if this brings back some memories of Louis Tia
aunt and maybe you get some people talking over the
holiday season about why Louis t At is not in
the Hall of Fame, that would be a great thing.
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty. One line
(18:35):
there and both lines at six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. We'll be back on nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY Boston's
News radio.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Thank you very much. Emma Douglas is in how Massachusetts.
I'll bet it's a little breezy in Nantaska tonight. Douglas,
how are you?
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I'm good? Thank you?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Actually, okay, it says holl but that's always originally'aurea blew up?
What's your recollection? You think you think Louis Tian belongs
in the Baseball Hall.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Of Fame absolutely just out of the character of a man.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, well, character of the man. But he also has
the stats, you know, Catfish Hunter, I.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Heard them all that you thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Well, that's forgot the Hunter for a second, because I
want to mention Hunter for a second, because Louis won
two hundred and twenty nine games. Catfish Hunters in the
Hall of Fame won two twenty four, right, Okay. Louis
uh pitched three three thoy four hundred eighty six innings.
(19:52):
Hunter was three thousand, four hundred and forty nine innings,
so they're very close. Strikeouts. Louis had twenty four hundred
strike outs, Catfish only two thousand, and their era was
almost identical. Louis was three three oh and Hunters three
twenty six. And there are other pictures who Louis is
is much better than he's It's not even a close
(20:15):
call in my mind. Did you we were a Red
Sox fan back when Louis was pitching for the Red Sox.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Yes, I was, well, I was about ten years old
when he started pitching for the Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Okay, it's a great, great time to be a ten
year old.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
So I saw the whole thing, and my father and
I I haven't a dance.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
And do you remember do you have a do you
have a memory of watching him pitch?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Of course I do. Yeah, and well that that World
Series and Judge, but he also visited our town and
say to our little league game. He tired, retired eighty two.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, that was his last, That was his last year.
He wrapped it up, uh two and two. You know,
probably got released some way halfway through the season with them.
Then they used to be the Los Angeles Angels. Now
they then they were the California Angels, and now they're
back to becoming the Los Angeles Angels. So for the Angels,
he finished.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Up right around that here, I was about thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
So what year were you born?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
The end of my little league career?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Okay, so was that? Was that the end of your
baseball career. You're going to big your story. I hope.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
You know when he showed up at our town, it
was a big to do. You know, he was kind
enough to do that.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You get a chance to shake his hand and to
talk to him.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
Or I did, but of course I was a nervous
young kid.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
So you were born in what year you were born in? Yes?
Sixty eight? Okay, yeah, so so you were born and
you missed all of the disappointing seasons for the Red
Sox except sixty seven. Gave us a throw, but you
missed a lot of them.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
By my father, though.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
That's great, Well, those are those are great memories to have.
And to think that you shook Louis hand. I shook
his hand many times, and he was he was a
quintessential gentleman and we got to get him in the
Hall of Fame, simple as that, Douglas. I appreciate you
calling back. I'll bet you can remember your little league
team name? What was your little league team's name?
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Corkin? It was a.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Sponsor company, right, But did you have like the Red
Sox with the Yankees, the Tigers? What what? What everybody.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Back in those days, they had Matthlope there and.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Those Yeah, those are sponsors. But what I'm saying is,
was your team the Giant Cubs. Well I know it's
from Massachusetts. Yeah, okay, good enough, all right, Thanks Douglas.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Louis Tian definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
You're in total agreement. Thanks Douglas, talk to you.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Love your show.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Suzanne and Newton. Suzanne,
I'm sure you remember Louis Tiant.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Well, uh, actually sports a great cobboard, our particular Forte.
But I do something about face fall. But I'm going
to keep quiet, make it face but I do dare
share your love of Hot Touch Sundays.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Well, that's good to know, Suzanne, and I appreciate your call.
As always, it's always good to talk to someone who
loves Hot Touch Sundays. Thanks Susanne. Let's get back to
the topic. I'm going to go to Susan in Cambridge.
You're going to have more to say about Louis Tian
than Suzanne did. Go ahead, I'll try to, Okay.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
I think I told you at some point that I
was a big sports person, and growing up I wanted
to be the first female major league baseball pitcher. So
my heroes were.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Still by the way, Susan, not to bring politics into this.
We're still waiting for the first major league baseball pitcher,
and we're waiting for the first women women president of
the United States, and hopefully someday we'll have both.
Speaker 6 (24:36):
Okay, exactly. Yeah, so it was Louis Tian and then
not from the home team, but Vita Blue. Do you
remember Blue? My first baseball glove was a It was
a blue, autographed Vita Blue glove.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
For you. So so you were you were left not
only politically, but you were a left handed pitcher. That's
good to know.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Actually, I started out as a as a lefty, but
then I moved to uh, to a right. I was
I wrote with my left, but I was fairly ambidextrous,
and at some point I switched to I switched to
throwing with my right for whatever, when I was stronger
on that side.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
They say a lot of people as they get older
and they gained wisdom because they moved to the right.
Teasing your hear it a little bit, you know, it's
funny I'll tell you one funny story that you're going
to appreciate and you will get I don't know how
much of the audience will get it. I used to
spend every opening day at Fenway Park for the when
we were doing live shots in the nineties and into
(25:41):
the two thousands, and Tom Monina was the mayor. Menina
was a friend of mine, and we would we would
we would be playing catch and and all that at
Fenway Park at five thirty six o'clock in the morning
in anticipation of opening day. And we've had we had
Romney with this one year we had Democratics. There were
(26:03):
only well for the most part, that were Republican governors
at that time, as you know, but we would have
the Speaker of the House. And so one time I
wanted to have Bill Della hunt On, who's a Democratic congressman.
Good guy, great guy unfortunately passed away this past year,
but a really good guy. So we were talking and
(26:27):
he said to me, he said on the phone, I said, Bill,
I want you to join you know, Menino will be there.
I'll be there and we'll have a couple of other people.
I forget who it was. Maybe he was Romney maybe
it was Salucci. I don't know. And so he said
to me, he says, Dan, I'm a left hander. I said,
you know me, I don't care about your politics. He says, no,
I throw left handed. I need a lefty glove and
(26:47):
I don't have a left to glove. I said, we'll
get you a lefty glove. Don't worry. So I got
him from the Red Sox a lefty glove. And he
looked at it. And in those days, if you were
in Congress, you couldn't accept the gift. That was anything
over twenty five dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
And he looked at the glove and before he said anything, No, no,
it was worth more than twenty I said, build that's
twenty five dollar glove. He says, okay, I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Okay, that's awesome. That's great.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So so I read, did you grow up? Did you
grow up in this neck of the woods? I hope.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
A little bit south in Connecticut, but the the Red
Sox rooting part of Connecticut near Rhode Island.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Eastern Connecticut.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
Right, So you're not a yeah, not those awful people
down by New York.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
New Haven and Greenwich.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I get that, Okay, exactly, but I feel like some
of those pictures from the classic era should get some
extra points for all their complete games, you know, Like
I mean when you try to compare pictures from that
ere to you know, ones that came along, you know,
a little bit later, weren't you know, who were only
going like, you know, seven innings or you know whatever.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Seven Today is the if they make it five, because
you know the pitch County is up to eighty seven
in the bottom of the third. You know, it's like,
I don't think he's going to get this to the
seventh inning tonight. Did you on pitcher fin Way Park?
Speaker 6 (28:15):
I hope no, never in person? Unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, I was.
I was a little kid. I was saying here as
the guy who just called previously, and my and I
did get to play. They allowed me to play in
Little League and my mask. Our team was the Falcons,
but it stopped with Babe Bruce. They wouldn't let me play,
(28:37):
so I had to. I had to give it up
because I hated softball. Tayer, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
I don't know if you I didn't realize you're a
pretty good athlete if you playing tennis and softball. My
daughter was a It was a hockey player and a
and a softball player, and and she enjoyed both of those.
And she told me that they're playing sports as a
woman and as a girl. Uh instilled in her the
competitiveness that that she feels is an important element of
(29:07):
her life. By the way, she's much more she's much
closer to you politically than than she is to me.
Good she would enjoy you, and you would enjoy her.
But but we'll save that more conversation down the line.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
But no, it's you know it, I never got used
to the larger ball, Like it just didn't after you, like,
you know, learned how to properly. I was like, intent,
I'm learning to throw all the different kinds of pitches,
you know, and once you learn how to do that
with baseball, like like I mean, it's like throwing a
(29:43):
pumpkin to throw a softball, you know what I.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Mean, totally totally different motion. Obviously under hand as opposed
to overhand. You know. I recently talked there's going to
be a woman's professional baseball league that is going to
be starting next year. A few weeks ago, we had
one of the women who were organizing this and I
heard that good six teams. I remember watching the the
(30:10):
Core's Silver Bullets. There was a team in the in
the nineties of some really accomplished women's baseball players, and
they played at Fenway Park and they were really good.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
And you know, there's no reason why if they were
allowed to play, you know, from Little League gone up,
why you know they couldn't be you know, nearly as
good as the men.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Honestly, well, I've got to be honest with you, I
think that the the the element of strength. When you
talk talk about the major league hitters and for that matter,
of minor league hitters, who can just send a ball,
you know, four and fifty feet with one swing of
the bat. That's a little tough. And I don't know
(30:53):
what what how, I don't know how how quick, how
hard the pitchers, the women pitchers are gonna throw, they
told me in the low eighties, which is still you know,
I mean Greg Maddox didn't throw much harder than that,
but he also had, you know, pinpoint controls.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
So like a couple of generations from now, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I think so, I absolutely, Look, we have we have
now women coaches. There is now some major league coaches
who are women. You have women women softball. We'll see
you know this side of you have never I've never known.
Thank you so much. Great to chat with you.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Okay, I'm all for Louis, you know I was, but
he didn't get him.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Well, maybe someday we can get that rectified either.
Speaker 6 (31:42):
I looked it up.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Who's that? Yeah, well I don't I remember watch it?
Speaker 6 (31:49):
He what he pitched a no hitter and he never
made it in.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
That doesn't get you in the Hall of Fame. There's
a lot of guys who pitched no hitters and they
have they win, they have set. You know. Bol Bolinsky
pitched a no hitter for the Angels, and I think
he won eight games in his career. But it was
the real pitcher. And I remember watching Vita Blue and
Sunny Seabert pitch at Fenway Park in the late sixties,
around the time you might have been born. Uh, and
(32:13):
it was one nothing was a great game, you know.
And it was when Pat Fenway was really rocking in
the late sixties. After the sixty seventh season. Yeah, I'm
gonna run because I got a bunch of others.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Okay, take care.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
I loved your call. Uh call more often.
Speaker 6 (32:26):
Okay, having Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Merry Christmas to you as well. I hope that I
celebrate Christmas, and I hope you do as well. And
if you don't, I'll wish you whatever you do, celebrate Christmas.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
Right, yeah, yet to do. Okay, take care, have a
great holiday, you two.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Thanks by Ba. We're coming right back on Nightside right
after this.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
All right, we're gonna get three. We got three and
back leading off now Allan and Worcester. Alan. Should Louis
tu Ont be in the Hall of Fame?
Speaker 7 (33:00):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely in the Hall of Fame. I was
at the I was at the sixth game of the
seventy five series.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
At the game.
Speaker 7 (33:12):
Sure, yeah, that's right and absolutely incredible. I mean I
had I was lucky enough somebody at work waited online
and I got a standing room ticket. And Fenway Park
was much different in those days, much different, no fancy scoreboard,
(33:34):
and not a lot of women at the game, and
you had to pay attention to watch what was happening,
especially if you were standing and it was a cold,
windy night, and and I had I had to drive
back to Worcester, so I you know, I was not
drinking at all. But it was an incredible game. And
(33:55):
to watch Louis tillat and and I saw Sandy Kofax
pitching at Brooklyn and and you know, many many years ago,
but to watch to watch him pitch was absolutely incredible.
He he was, he was stunning the way he did.
It wasn't just his athletic ability, but he he was
(34:19):
he he was psychologically so involved in what the hell
he was doing that he had these pitchers, these these
his they were talking to themselves.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
And I don't know if you, I don't think you
mentioned it, but that World Series, he started three games,
you know, which is incredible, and he won. He won
two and I think there was no decision in one
of those games.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yeah, he was so he didn't get a decision because
obviously I'm looking at the box going now. He pitched
seven innings, kept him in it. Uh. And and Rick
Wise was the winner. And the guy that threw the
pitch to Carlton Fisk was a guy named Pat Darcy. Uh.
Of course that was that was the one that was
the swing, and you wanted it to be keep keep
(35:04):
it fair. It's he was.
Speaker 7 (35:06):
He was dancing and I was actually I was standing
almost you know, even with that foul that foul line
on you.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
You were in the left field corner then, yeah, I was.
I was.
Speaker 7 (35:19):
No, I was behind home not behind home players standing,
but it was all away, you know, like close the
first base first but but it was just it was
and when the game ended, which was incredible, and you know,
when the game ended, and I was with a younger uh,
a younger guy, much younger.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
And.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
It was like exhausting the fans and it was obviously
the sixth game, and nobody left, okay, like we were
we was, we were just it was so incredible. People
were cheering, going crazy, but they stayed in the all park.
It was like, you know, almost it was it was
(36:03):
almost like, hey, this is so great. And it was
terrible because it was almost like it doesn't matter if
they win tomorrow. And of course it did well. We had,
you know, like an incredible experience and what a blessing
to be there.
Speaker 8 (36:18):
But you know, I'm going to tell you I got
two more.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I got to sneak in here. I want to know.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
I just I just thought that the sports writers didn't
have had to really relate to a Latin American player
very well, and I think that disadvantage we bless appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Thank you very much, have a great night. Let me
go next real quickly, Bill, I can give you a minute.
I give John a minute. You both called in a
little late. Your your recollection of Louis t go right ahead, Bill, all.
Speaker 9 (36:47):
Right, I listened. I'm not I'm going to say a
couple of things. I'm not an AM radio listener, so
this is a new thing for me. I listened to
FM and and shot wave. But anyway, I want to
say a couple of things. I love Louis and he
was the most charismatic pitch, and that's how I like
to describe him. He turned the center around. You see
his handlebo mustache, and it will knock me out.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You know.
Speaker 9 (37:08):
The other thing I remember, You remember the game they
put him in there. He had a hit and he
actually hit them hit the ball.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Yeah, we talked about that again.
Speaker 9 (37:17):
That was he hit the ball, but the crime went crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, well pitches didn't hit in those days, right, That's.
Speaker 9 (37:23):
What we thought about it. But he made a crazy switch.
And I always only looked like he hit down like
the ball from the top down and it bounced like
and uh. I never forget that. The uh, the the
the people in listening went crazy. People in the in
the in the standard absolutely bananaz They were screaming and
yell and everything. I always thought it was the most
charismatic pitcher I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
No, you made a great call. You made a couple
of great points. And by the way, I want to
convince you to start listening to Nightside on AM radio.
We cover a variety of topics.
Speaker 7 (37:53):
Listen tonight.
Speaker 9 (37:53):
This is unusual for me. I'm I'm I'm normally on
shim and here in the car and I'm on shot
Wave at.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
The stay stay on a busy at night side Monday
through Friday night eight to midnight busy.
Speaker 9 (38:05):
I know who you were, Okay, I listened to card
More all right and having Christmas and all that.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Same to you, first time caller. We'll get him round
of applause later, John and Boston. John, we got about
forty five seconds for you. You've called late. What can
you do with it?
Speaker 8 (38:21):
Dan Louis Tian was amazing. I can't believe he had
forty nine shutouts three times he was in the All
Star Game and four times he won twenty games. That
is amazing his He should be in the Hall of
Fame if he's right up there with catfish hunting Dan,
you remember, and he used to be really was amazing.
Louis t had the most unusual form of pitching Dan.
He would be looking the outfield and then so so
(38:42):
weird pitch the home plate. That would fake the battle
of He had the most amazing pitching style that would
That was just phenomenal. He should definitely be in the
Hall of Fame. That's an amazing guy, Tode.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
John. I wish you call earlier, but I'm flat out.
I'm up against the ten, so we'll talk again. Okay.
Speaker 8 (39:00):
His son Dinny was a great guy too. I knew Diddy.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yep, absolutely, Thanks John, talk to you soon. David's South
North Carolina. If you want to hang on, I'll take
you as one call right after the news and then
we're going to switch topics unless we want to continue
to talk about Luisit on back on night's side. Right
after the ten o'clock news,
It's nice side with Dan Ray w Bzy Constance New
Radio Boy.
Speaker 2 (00:06):
It is cold out there tonight. It's cold out there today,
but it's really cold out there tonight. I hope wherever
you are, you're warm, and whether you're in a car
heading somewhere or you're home, you're nice and nice and warm.
And before we get to the issue of this hour,
which is why Louis t Aren't is not in the
(00:28):
Baseball Hall of Fame, is beyond me. You know, Louis
passed away in October. A great guy. I want a
wonderful person, someone who I considered to be a friend.
I wasn't what you call a close personal friend, but
I knew Louis pretty well. We spent some time together.
And I'm just so disappointed that he's not in the
(00:50):
Hall of Fame. And of course everybody would hope that
the Baseball Writers initially and now the Old Timers Committee,
whatever they want to call it, they would have done
the right thing by Louis in the weeks following his
passing last October. Before we do that, I just, you know,
(01:10):
thoughts in prayers tonight to Randy Moss. I noticed in
the sports reports tonight that the you know, the great
Randy Moss played for the Patriots as well as the
Minnesota Vikings and probably a couple other teams along the way.
Who is an NFL Hall of Famer Dealing tonight with
bile duct cancer, which is not No cancer analysis is helpful,
(01:36):
no question about that, but bile duct is is a
really tough one because of its location. As I understand it.
I'm not a cancer specialist or a surgeon or anything
like that. But again, you know, for for a guy
who had a stellar career in the in the NFL,
not without controversy at different times, no question about that,
(01:58):
but he always performed at a high level here and
part of some of the Patriots, you know, great championships
that we all enjoyed. I want to get back though,
to Louis tonight, and I'd love to hear from some
of you. I know that many of you who are
(02:18):
in your twenties or thirties probably don't remember what not
only a great performer, what a great picture he was,
but what a great individual he was. He you know,
(02:39):
married to a wonderful woman, and I would see them
on more than one occasion, on many occasions at a
place that I like to stop by Newcomb's, which is
in Milton on Route twenty eighth, and I would see
Louis there, and Louis would be holding court, and you know,
(03:00):
people would come up and ask for an autograph. And
he was just always a complete, quintessential gentleman, a great
representative of the game. You know, he had a wonderful
baseball career. He sort of reinvented himself in nineteen sixty
eight for the Cleveland Indians. He won twenty one games.
(03:23):
He repeated that three times with the Red Sox, thank
goodness here in Boston in seventy three, seventy four, and
then seventy six. Who can ever forget all of his
contributions to the seventy five Red Sox team that went
to the World Series and for that run to the
World Series, but went to the World Series against the
Reds and then three years later in seventy eight they
(03:46):
lost that playoff game to the Yankees. But even that
year Louis contributed mightily thirteen and eight with two hundred
and twelve innings. And this guy was a horse, he
just but beyond that, he was such an entertainer. I mean,
you go and when Louis Tiant was pitching, you knew
(04:06):
it would be a great game to watch. And you
just knew that this guy didn't look like your traditional
pitcher of the day six three, six y four, you know, sculpted.
He had a wind up and emotion that baffled people.
And when you look at the bottom line records of
(04:27):
Louis Tiant, yeah he didn't win three hundred games, but
he pitched for nineteen seasons. Here eight seventeen seasons. Now, no,
I'm sorry, eighteen seasons. He ended up with then the
California Angels back in eighty two, and started off with
the Cleveland Indians in nineteen sixty four. This was a
guy that was born in Cuba. I think those of
(04:49):
us in Boston who remember during the nineteen seventy five
World Series his mom and dad were released from Cuba
are allowed to travel to Boston for the World Series
and watched his son pitch against Cincinnati Reds, the big
Red machine. It was a big red machine in the
form of the Castro government that let his parents travel
(05:10):
to Boston and I what an emotional homecoming. I mean,
Louis had been told by his dad. Louis left Cuba
and went and pitched in Mexico City in the Mexican League,
and that's where he was discovered by the Indians and
came up and you know, for a pretty run of
the mill. Indian team had a great first season, went
(05:31):
ten and four and pitched so well for them, and
then he had he had to reinvent himself. He went
from nineteen sixty eight when he won twenty one games
and had an earned run average of one point six.
One point six as an earned run average for a
pitcher that threw over two hundred and fifty innings. That
(05:53):
inn of except that in of itself is absolutely extraordinary.
Don't find a picture today who would be able to
have those sort of statistics. It's as simple as that. Well,
he had an earned run average of one point six. Oh,
I mean think about it again in the year in
(06:16):
which he threw two hundred and fifty eight innings. And
within a couple of years he had hit some hard
times athletically, so that when he came to the Red
Sox in nineteen seventy one, he wasn't a great picture.
He was one in seven, started ten games that year,
(06:40):
he was one in seven and a lot of people figured, well,
you know, that's it, this guy's done. No, he had
only started the next season. He won fifteen, and then
he won twenty and twenty two, and he won eighteen
and seventy five, and of course a couple of World
Series wins, and he won twenty one and seventy six
and twelve and seventy seven, and on and on and on,
(07:00):
and at the end of the day you look at
his statistics, he belongs in the Hall of Fame. I mean,
if Jack Morris belongs in the Hall of Fame, and
I think he does. If Jack Chesbroo a great picture
from the turn of the twentieth century, the first decade
of the twentieth century, primarily what they would call the
(07:22):
Highlanders then, but it's the New York Yankees organization. Catfish
Hunter has a record that is almost identical to Louis
Tion now Catfish Hunters in the Hall of Fame. We
can find pictures statistically whose records are very similar, and
of course we can find pictures who Louis records are
(07:45):
substantially better then. I mean, Bob Lemon is in the
Hall of Fame. Two hundred and seven victories. Louis had
two hundred and twenty nine victories. It goes on and on.
I just hope that some of you out there might
like to recall a Louis t On story, not only
perhaps as a player at Fenway Park. And we don't
(08:07):
do this often, but I just the more I thought
about it earlier this week, and I thought to myself, Yeah,
we can do politics. We do a lot of politics,
but I wanted to do this as a as a
tribute to a great guy, a guy who always represented
the game of baseball very well. He he took time
with fans, and he performed in the field. I don't
(08:30):
know what else makes a guy a Hall of Famer.
He was all Hall of Famer, as a dad, Hall
of Famer, as a husband, Hall of Famer, as a
baseball player, Hall of Famer. With with the Indians, I mean,
I can't think of a pitcher who had a better
record consistently with the Indians other than Louis. Oh yeah,
maybe Bob Feller. But he had a great record with
the Red Sox. I mean, those are two, you know,
(08:52):
major franchises that he he was on top of the
world with. Then he went to New York and he
had continue to pitch in New York and then finish
his career. So I'm just going open up the phone lines.
If you ever met Louis, if you had a chance
at some point to I love remembering his I think
(09:12):
it was Benjamin Moore paint ads back in the day.
Louis was their spokesman and his English wasn't superb. It
wasn't the Queen's English, but it got the point across
With Louis. He always got the point across on the
ball field or in person. Here are the numbers six one, seven, two,
five four ten thirty or six one seven, nine three
(09:34):
one ten thirty. I think it is ridiculous that they
do not open the door to Louis taunt. And if
you agree with me, I'd love to hear your voice.
If you disagree with me and want to tell him,
I'd really be interested in why you don't think Louis
belongs in the Hall of Fame. And I hope you're
(09:56):
not ambivalent on this. If you're a sports fan, you
got the numbers six thirty, six one seven, nine three
one ten thirty. Every once in a while I like
to take a chance on this show. Sometimes the chances
work out. Sometimes they don't because this is not necessarily
a sports audience. I'm sure that some of you who
are the real sports fans, and I'm a sports fan,
believe me. I'm a sports fan, big time, big time,
(10:19):
uh and uh. And some of you who know me
know me know well what I mean and different sports, hockey, baseball,
friends in those sports and love to hear from you.
Join the conversation. Coming back on night Side.
Speaker 1 (10:36):
Now, back to Dan ray Line from the Window World
night Side Studios on w b Z, the news Radio.
Speaker 2 (10:44):
It's nice to see some people are interested in Louis Tianta.
I will be disappointed. My audience doesn't disappoint me often sometimes,
but this is one where I like to step out
and do something different. I mean, it's Friday night and
we could We tried to talk last night at eleven
o'clock about up the drones over New Jersey, and I
said to myself, we're gonna we're gonna change it up
tonight and we're gonna do something that everybody should relate to.
(11:06):
And again, if you're a sports fan, you got to
know Louis tan if you're a Ritz Sox fan, if
you live in Boston, and you're not a rit Sox fan.
What's what's your problem? Okay, let me go to Steve
and Newton. Steve welcome, How are you tonight?
Speaker 3 (11:20):
I'm fine? Thank you, Dan. Uh I just wanted to
make a couple of comments about his World Series game
against the Cincinnati Reds.
Speaker 2 (11:32):
Game one.
Speaker 3 (11:33):
I think it was a.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
Lot of pitches in that game, if I recall.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yeah, and I think he won the game. And uh uh,
the first pitch is the thing I remember the most.
When Pete Rose came to the plate, Louis did his classic.
He looked up in the sky, He looked everywhere except
the plate. Finally threw a side arm, side arm, bloopy pitch.
(12:01):
It was probably like seventy miles an hour, and it
dropped over the plate, and uh, Rose took two hitches
before he didn't swing. He started to go, and then
he started to go and he stopped and the ball
just dropped into the catchersmith for a strike and Rose
just put the bat down and just stared out at him.
(12:21):
He's like, who is this guy?
Speaker 4 (12:23):
It was like it was.
Speaker 3 (12:25):
It was just the funniest. It was just it was
really cool. And then there were you.
Speaker 2 (12:31):
This yeah, he was on TV. Look, there's a lot
of players a showman. That's what was great about Louis.
Speaker 3 (12:42):
Oh he really oh he really was. He put seats
in the people in the seats, and he was up
against a lineup that was they all probably are in
the Hall of Fame. I mean, that was an all
star lineup against the Cincinnati Reds, I.
Speaker 2 (12:56):
Mean Red Machine and yeah, yuh.
Speaker 3 (13:00):
And the other thing I wanted to mention he got
a base hit. Pitchers back then still hit at least
in the National League. And he first time at the
plate he got a hit, and the Red Sox dugout
was just going wild, teasing him, yelling and screaming, and
then and then he went from first. The second guy
behind him got a hit, close play at second, but
Louis legged at the second and slid like bounced, bounced
(13:24):
into the bag. They were just laughing and it was
just it was just fun to watch. He was. He
was such a character. So that's all.
Speaker 2 (13:33):
No, no, no, your recollection is correct. He won that game.
It was a complete game. Five hitter, uh.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
Yeah, against that lineup. That's that was unbelievable. Against that lineup,
I mean, and you know, I mean he was swirling
and dancing. They they were baffled by him, and you know,
but you were right. I mean, he was not only
just a showman, but he really could pick. He knew that,
he knew the art of it. And there's nobody.
Speaker 2 (14:04):
Ever be like, yeah, I'm looking at the box score,
so that Cincinnati had Pete Rose leading off. Your recollection
is correct. Joe Morgan at second hits He had two
hits two of the five hits. Johnny Bench hit third,
Tony Perez hit fourth at first base. Four uh, George
Foster was in left field. Dave Concepcion, the shortstop, Ken
(14:27):
Griffy was hitting second in right field. I think it
was Caesar Geronimo, if I'm not mistaken, was hitting eighth
in center field. And Don gallet Uh a pretty good
pitcher in his own right for a while. He kind
of didn't have a long career, but Don gullet Uh
went six.
Speaker 3 (14:48):
Yeah, he was a great pitcher that year. He I
think he was a lefty. A friend of mine still
is by the way. Yeah, a friend of mine was
lucky he was dating the own he's daughter of the
Cincinnati Reds. He was a Red Sox fan and he
sat right was beside the.
Speaker 2 (15:06):
Dugout and was the owner of the Cincinnati Reds. Reds
was March shots, yes.
Speaker 3 (15:14):
Oh I'm sorry, well maybe it was. And anyway, he
was he was dating a woman who was related to
the owners. I think she was a daughter, but I'm
not sure. But he had a seat right beside the dugout.
He could look into the Cincinnati dugout and see Sparky
Anderson and it was it was just a great year,
(15:35):
a great Uh. It broke my heart because Jim Rice,
I don't think play could play because he was injured.
Speaker 2 (15:42):
It was hit by a pill by a Tiger's pitcher
whose name I have long since forgotten. But he was
hitting on the wrist in September and and that took
him out of the uh, the the World Series, you
know that that. I was lucky enough to go to
the seventh game of the World Series with a really
(16:04):
a great friend of mine for many years, a fellow
who's passed away now, Jim Hosker. And he had a
couple of tickets and he said, you want to go
to the World Series. And it's like, yeah, what seventh game?
And that was the game that they lost and remember
remember walking through ken Moore Square and uh after that game,
(16:27):
and you know, it was packed with people and it
was just quiet. It was just it was almost as
if we had lost the war or something like that,
but it was. It was eerie, eerily quiet, no doubt. Steve,
Thanks very much, it's it's gonna thanks thanks for getting
us going as a go ahead. Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:50):
Can I make one more comment? One more? It just
reminded me. At the end of that game. Uh, Pete
Rose was interviewed and he said, I could not believe
I've never seen fans like this. He played third base.
He says, they're right on top of you. They never
stopped yelling. He said, these are unbelievable fans. He said,
(17:11):
I wish the season would start tomorrow. I want to
do this again. I was yeah, well.
Speaker 2 (17:18):
After the seventh Yeah yeah, well he was. He had
reasons to celebrate, that's sure. That was the game that
Willoughby was pitching, and they they brought in this left
hander and uh to face Joe Morgan.
Speaker 4 (17:29):
And Morgan.
Speaker 3 (17:32):
Yeah Burton, I think his name is. He was a rookie.
Speaker 2 (17:35):
Yeah that's right, yeah, right, Well, and they obviously went
with the I know lefty left.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
Mist will was Yeah, Willoughby was mobled down. You know,
he was unbelievable. Yeah, you got it anyway, nice talking
to you.
Speaker 2 (17:51):
Nice talk with you, Steve, Thanks very much. Take quick
break news at the bottom of the hour. Got some
lines here come on six one, seven thirty, six seven, nine, three,
one ten thirty. Trying to ease you into the weekend. Here.
There's a little bit of strategy involved in my uh
MY program, and we do some of the tough, tougher
topics where politics and economics and international policy. We get
(18:14):
some of those out of the way Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday
and Thursday and on Friday night. I want to I
want you to go to the weekend and enjoy yourself.
And if this brings back some memories of Louis Tia
aunt and maybe you get some people talking over the
holiday season about why Louis t At is not in
the Hall of Fame, that would be a great thing.
Six one, seven, two, five, four ten thirty. One line
(18:35):
there and both lines at six one, seven, nine, three, one,
ten thirty. We'll be back on nightside right after this.
Speaker 1 (18:42):
You're on night Side with Dan Ray on WBZY Boston's
News radio.
Speaker 2 (18:49):
Thank you very much. Emma Douglas is in how Massachusetts.
I'll bet it's a little breezy in Nantaska tonight. Douglas,
how are you?
Speaker 4 (18:59):
I'm good? Thank you?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
Actually, okay, it says holl but that's always originally'aurea blew up?
What's your recollection? You think you think Louis Tian belongs
in the Baseball Hall.
Speaker 4 (19:17):
Of Fame absolutely just out of the character of a man.
Speaker 2 (19:24):
Yeah, well, character of the man. But he also has
the stats, you know, Catfish Hunter, I.
Speaker 4 (19:29):
Heard them all that you thank you.
Speaker 2 (19:32):
Well, that's forgot the Hunter for a second, because I
want to mention Hunter for a second, because Louis won
two hundred and twenty nine games. Catfish Hunters in the
Hall of Fame won two twenty four, right, Okay. Louis
uh pitched three three thoy four hundred eighty six innings.
(19:52):
Hunter was three thousand, four hundred and forty nine innings,
so they're very close. Strikeouts. Louis had twenty four hundred
strike outs, Catfish only two thousand, and their era was
almost identical. Louis was three three oh and Hunters three
twenty six. And there are other pictures who Louis is
is much better than he's It's not even a close
(20:15):
call in my mind. Did you we were a Red
Sox fan back when Louis was pitching for the Red Sox.
Speaker 4 (20:21):
Yes, I was, well, I was about ten years old
when he started pitching for the Red Sox.
Speaker 2 (20:28):
Okay, it's a great, great time to be a ten
year old.
Speaker 4 (20:31):
So I saw the whole thing, and my father and
I I haven't a dance.
Speaker 2 (20:40):
And do you remember do you have a do you
have a memory of watching him pitch?
Speaker 4 (20:45):
Of course I do. Yeah, and well that that World
Series and Judge, but he also visited our town and
say to our little league game. He tired, retired eighty two.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
Yeah, that was his last, That was his last year.
He wrapped it up, uh two and two. You know,
probably got released some way halfway through the season with them.
Then they used to be the Los Angeles Angels. Now
they then they were the California Angels, and now they're
back to becoming the Los Angeles Angels. So for the Angels,
he finished.
Speaker 4 (21:24):
Up right around that here, I was about thirteen years old.
Speaker 2 (21:28):
So what year were you born?
Speaker 4 (21:29):
The end of my little league career?
Speaker 2 (21:31):
Okay, so was that? Was that the end of your
baseball career. You're going to big your story. I hope.
Speaker 4 (21:40):
You know when he showed up at our town, it
was a big to do. You know, he was kind
enough to do that.
Speaker 2 (21:49):
You get a chance to shake his hand and to
talk to him.
Speaker 4 (21:51):
Or I did, but of course I was a nervous
young kid.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
So you were born in what year you were born in? Yes?
Sixty eight? Okay, yeah, so so you were born and
you missed all of the disappointing seasons for the Red
Sox except sixty seven. Gave us a throw, but you
missed a lot of them.
Speaker 4 (22:13):
By my father, though.
Speaker 2 (22:17):
That's great, Well, those are those are great memories to have.
And to think that you shook Louis hand. I shook
his hand many times, and he was he was a
quintessential gentleman and we got to get him in the
Hall of Fame, simple as that, Douglas. I appreciate you
calling back. I'll bet you can remember your little league
team name? What was your little league team's name?
Speaker 4 (22:38):
Corkin? It was a.
Speaker 2 (22:41):
Sponsor company, right, But did you have like the Red
Sox with the Yankees, the Tigers? What what? What everybody.
Speaker 4 (22:50):
Back in those days, they had Matthlope there and.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
Those Yeah, those are sponsors. But what I'm saying is,
was your team the Giant Cubs. Well I know it's
from Massachusetts. Yeah, okay, good enough, all right, Thanks Douglas.
I appreciate you.
Speaker 4 (23:12):
Louis Tian definitely deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.
Speaker 2 (23:17):
You're in total agreement. Thanks Douglas, talk to you.
Speaker 4 (23:20):
Love your show.
Speaker 2 (23:21):
Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Suzanne and Newton. Suzanne,
I'm sure you remember Louis Tiant.
Speaker 5 (23:28):
Well, uh, actually sports a great cobboard, our particular Forte.
But I do something about face fall. But I'm going
to keep quiet, make it face but I do dare
share your love of Hot Touch Sundays.
Speaker 2 (23:47):
Well, that's good to know, Suzanne, and I appreciate your call.
As always, it's always good to talk to someone who
loves Hot Touch Sundays. Thanks Susanne. Let's get back to
the topic. I'm going to go to Susan in Cambridge.
You're going to have more to say about Louis Tian
than Suzanne did. Go ahead, I'll try to, Okay.
Speaker 6 (24:09):
I think I told you at some point that I
was a big sports person, and growing up I wanted
to be the first female major league baseball pitcher. So
my heroes were.
Speaker 2 (24:24):
Still by the way, Susan, not to bring politics into this.
We're still waiting for the first major league baseball pitcher,
and we're waiting for the first women women president of
the United States, and hopefully someday we'll have both.
Speaker 6 (24:36):
Okay, exactly. Yeah, so it was Louis Tian and then
not from the home team, but Vita Blue. Do you
remember Blue? My first baseball glove was a It was
a blue, autographed Vita Blue glove.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
For you. So so you were you were left not
only politically, but you were a left handed pitcher. That's
good to know.
Speaker 6 (25:02):
Actually, I started out as a as a lefty, but
then I moved to uh, to a right. I was
I wrote with my left, but I was fairly ambidextrous,
and at some point I switched to I switched to
throwing with my right for whatever, when I was stronger
on that side.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
They say a lot of people as they get older
and they gained wisdom because they moved to the right.
Teasing your hear it a little bit, you know, it's
funny I'll tell you one funny story that you're going
to appreciate and you will get I don't know how
much of the audience will get it. I used to
spend every opening day at Fenway Park for the when
we were doing live shots in the nineties and into
(25:41):
the two thousands, and Tom Monina was the mayor. Menina
was a friend of mine, and we would we would
we would be playing catch and and all that at
Fenway Park at five thirty six o'clock in the morning
in anticipation of opening day. And we've had we had
Romney with this one year we had Democratics. There were
(26:03):
only well for the most part, that were Republican governors
at that time, as you know, but we would have
the Speaker of the House. And so one time I
wanted to have Bill Della hunt On, who's a Democratic congressman.
Good guy, great guy unfortunately passed away this past year,
but a really good guy. So we were talking and
(26:27):
he said to me, he said on the phone, I said, Bill,
I want you to join you know, Menino will be there.
I'll be there and we'll have a couple of other people.
I forget who it was. Maybe he was Romney maybe
it was Salucci. I don't know. And so he said
to me, he says, Dan, I'm a left hander. I said,
you know me, I don't care about your politics. He says, no,
I throw left handed. I need a lefty glove and
(26:47):
I don't have a left to glove. I said, we'll
get you a lefty glove. Don't worry. So I got
him from the Red Sox a lefty glove. And he
looked at it. And in those days, if you were
in Congress, you couldn't accept the gift. That was anything
over twenty five dollars.
Speaker 3 (27:02):
Oh my god.
Speaker 2 (27:03):
And he looked at the glove and before he said anything, No, no,
it was worth more than twenty I said, build that's
twenty five dollar glove. He says, okay, I'll take it.
Speaker 6 (27:14):
Okay, that's awesome. That's great.
Speaker 2 (27:18):
So so I read, did you grow up? Did you
grow up in this neck of the woods? I hope.
Speaker 6 (27:23):
A little bit south in Connecticut, but the the Red
Sox rooting part of Connecticut near Rhode Island.
Speaker 2 (27:29):
Eastern Connecticut.
Speaker 6 (27:30):
Right, So you're not a yeah, not those awful people
down by New York.
Speaker 2 (27:35):
New Haven and Greenwich.
Speaker 6 (27:37):
I get that, Okay, exactly, but I feel like some
of those pictures from the classic era should get some
extra points for all their complete games, you know, Like
I mean when you try to compare pictures from that
ere to you know, ones that came along, you know,
a little bit later, weren't you know, who were only
going like, you know, seven innings or you know whatever.
Speaker 2 (27:59):
Seven Today is the if they make it five, because
you know the pitch County is up to eighty seven
in the bottom of the third. You know, it's like,
I don't think he's going to get this to the
seventh inning tonight. Did you on pitcher fin Way Park?
Speaker 6 (28:15):
I hope no, never in person? Unfortunately. Yeah, yeah, I was.
I was a little kid. I was saying here as
the guy who just called previously, and my and I
did get to play. They allowed me to play in
Little League and my mask. Our team was the Falcons,
but it stopped with Babe Bruce. They wouldn't let me play,
(28:37):
so I had to. I had to give it up
because I hated softball. Tayer, I don't know.
Speaker 2 (28:45):
I don't know if you I didn't realize you're a
pretty good athlete if you playing tennis and softball. My
daughter was a It was a hockey player and a
and a softball player, and and she enjoyed both of those.
And she told me that they're playing sports as a
woman and as a girl. Uh instilled in her the
competitiveness that that she feels is an important element of
(29:07):
her life. By the way, she's much more she's much
closer to you politically than than she is to me.
Good she would enjoy you, and you would enjoy her.
But but we'll save that more conversation down the line.
Speaker 6 (29:22):
But no, it's you know it, I never got used
to the larger ball, Like it just didn't after you, like,
you know, learned how to properly. I was like, intent,
I'm learning to throw all the different kinds of pitches,
you know, and once you learn how to do that
with baseball, like like I mean, it's like throwing a
(29:43):
pumpkin to throw a softball, you know what I.
Speaker 2 (29:45):
Mean, totally totally different motion. Obviously under hand as opposed
to overhand. You know. I recently talked there's going to
be a woman's professional baseball league that is going to
be starting next year. A few weeks ago, we had
one of the women who were organizing this and I
heard that good six teams. I remember watching the the
(30:10):
Core's Silver Bullets. There was a team in the in
the nineties of some really accomplished women's baseball players, and
they played at Fenway Park and they were really good.
Speaker 6 (30:21):
And you know, there's no reason why if they were
allowed to play, you know, from Little League gone up,
why you know they couldn't be you know, nearly as
good as the men.
Speaker 2 (30:32):
Honestly, well, I've got to be honest with you, I
think that the the the element of strength. When you
talk talk about the major league hitters and for that matter,
of minor league hitters, who can just send a ball,
you know, four and fifty feet with one swing of
the bat. That's a little tough. And I don't know
(30:53):
what what how, I don't know how how quick, how
hard the pitchers, the women pitchers are gonna throw, they
told me in the low eighties, which is still you know,
I mean Greg Maddox didn't throw much harder than that,
but he also had, you know, pinpoint controls.
Speaker 6 (31:09):
So like a couple of generations from now, yeah.
Speaker 2 (31:16):
I think so, I absolutely, Look, we have we have
now women coaches. There is now some major league coaches
who are women. You have women women softball. We'll see
you know this side of you have never I've never known.
Thank you so much. Great to chat with you.
Speaker 6 (31:32):
Okay, I'm all for Louis, you know I was, but
he didn't get him.
Speaker 2 (31:38):
Well, maybe someday we can get that rectified either.
Speaker 6 (31:42):
I looked it up.
Speaker 2 (31:44):
Who's that? Yeah, well I don't I remember watch it?
Speaker 6 (31:49):
He what he pitched a no hitter and he never
made it in.
Speaker 2 (31:53):
That doesn't get you in the Hall of Fame. There's
a lot of guys who pitched no hitters and they
have they win, they have set. You know. Bol Bolinsky
pitched a no hitter for the Angels, and I think
he won eight games in his career. But it was
the real pitcher. And I remember watching Vita Blue and
Sunny Seabert pitch at Fenway Park in the late sixties,
around the time you might have been born. Uh, and
(32:13):
it was one nothing was a great game, you know.
And it was when Pat Fenway was really rocking in
the late sixties. After the sixty seventh season. Yeah, I'm
gonna run because I got a bunch of others.
Speaker 6 (32:23):
Okay, take care.
Speaker 2 (32:24):
I loved your call. Uh call more often.
Speaker 6 (32:26):
Okay, having Merry Christmas.
Speaker 2 (32:28):
Merry Christmas to you as well. I hope that I
celebrate Christmas, and I hope you do as well. And
if you don't, I'll wish you whatever you do, celebrate Christmas.
Speaker 6 (32:35):
Right, yeah, yet to do. Okay, take care, have a
great holiday, you two.
Speaker 2 (32:41):
Thanks by Ba. We're coming right back on Nightside right
after this.
Speaker 1 (32:45):
Now back to Dan Ray live from the Window World
Nightside Studios on WBZ News Radio.
Speaker 2 (32:52):
All right, we're gonna get three. We got three and
back leading off now Allan and Worcester. Alan. Should Louis
tu Ont be in the Hall of Fame?
Speaker 7 (33:00):
Absolutely, absolutely, absolutely in the Hall of Fame. I was
at the I was at the sixth game of the
seventy five series.
Speaker 2 (33:11):
At the game.
Speaker 7 (33:12):
Sure, yeah, that's right and absolutely incredible. I mean I
had I was lucky enough somebody at work waited online
and I got a standing room ticket. And Fenway Park
was much different in those days, much different, no fancy scoreboard,
(33:34):
and not a lot of women at the game, and
you had to pay attention to watch what was happening,
especially if you were standing and it was a cold,
windy night, and and I had I had to drive
back to Worcester, so I you know, I was not
drinking at all. But it was an incredible game. And
(33:55):
to watch Louis tillat and and I saw Sandy Kofax
pitching at Brooklyn and and you know, many many years ago,
but to watch to watch him pitch was absolutely incredible.
He he was, he was stunning the way he did.
It wasn't just his athletic ability, but he he was
(34:19):
he he was psychologically so involved in what the hell
he was doing that he had these pitchers, these these
his they were talking to themselves.
Speaker 2 (34:30):
Yeah.
Speaker 7 (34:30):
And I don't know if you, I don't think you
mentioned it, but that World Series, he started three games,
you know, which is incredible, and he won. He won
two and I think there was no decision in one
of those games.
Speaker 2 (34:42):
Yeah, he was so he didn't get a decision because
obviously I'm looking at the box going now. He pitched
seven innings, kept him in it. Uh. And and Rick
Wise was the winner. And the guy that threw the
pitch to Carlton Fisk was a guy named Pat Darcy. Uh.
Of course that was that was the one that was
the swing, and you wanted it to be keep keep
(35:04):
it fair. It's he was.
Speaker 7 (35:06):
He was dancing and I was actually I was standing
almost you know, even with that foul that foul line
on you.
Speaker 2 (35:16):
You were in the left field corner then, yeah, I was.
I was.
Speaker 7 (35:19):
No, I was behind home not behind home players standing,
but it was all away, you know, like close the
first base first but but it was just it was
and when the game ended, which was incredible, and you know,
when the game ended, and I was with a younger uh,
a younger guy, much younger.
Speaker 1 (35:41):
And.
Speaker 7 (35:43):
It was like exhausting the fans and it was obviously
the sixth game, and nobody left, okay, like we were
we was, we were just it was so incredible. People
were cheering, going crazy, but they stayed in the all park.
It was like, you know, almost it was it was
(36:03):
almost like, hey, this is so great. And it was
terrible because it was almost like it doesn't matter if
they win tomorrow. And of course it did well. We had,
you know, like an incredible experience and what a blessing
to be there.
Speaker 8 (36:18):
But you know, I'm going to tell you I got
two more.
Speaker 2 (36:21):
I got to sneak in here. I want to know.
Speaker 7 (36:25):
I just I just thought that the sports writers didn't
have had to really relate to a Latin American player
very well, and I think that disadvantage we bless appreciate you.
Speaker 2 (36:37):
Thank you very much, have a great night. Let me
go next real quickly, Bill, I can give you a minute.
I give John a minute. You both called in a
little late. Your your recollection of Louis t go right ahead, Bill, all.
Speaker 9 (36:47):
Right, I listened. I'm not I'm going to say a
couple of things. I'm not an AM radio listener, so
this is a new thing for me. I listened to
FM and and shot wave. But anyway, I want to
say a couple of things. I love Louis and he
was the most charismatic pitch, and that's how I like
to describe him. He turned the center around. You see
his handlebo mustache, and it will knock me out.
Speaker 2 (37:07):
You know.
Speaker 9 (37:08):
The other thing I remember, You remember the game they
put him in there. He had a hit and he
actually hit them hit the ball.
Speaker 2 (37:14):
Yeah, we talked about that again.
Speaker 9 (37:17):
That was he hit the ball, but the crime went crazy.
Speaker 2 (37:20):
Yeah, well pitches didn't hit in those days, right, That's.
Speaker 9 (37:23):
What we thought about it. But he made a crazy switch.
And I always only looked like he hit down like
the ball from the top down and it bounced like
and uh. I never forget that. The uh, the the
the people in listening went crazy. People in the in
the in the standard absolutely bananaz They were screaming and
yell and everything. I always thought it was the most
charismatic pitcher I've ever seen.
Speaker 2 (37:44):
No, you made a great call. You made a couple
of great points. And by the way, I want to
convince you to start listening to Nightside on AM radio.
We cover a variety of topics.
Speaker 7 (37:53):
Listen tonight.
Speaker 9 (37:53):
This is unusual for me. I'm I'm I'm normally on
shim and here in the car and I'm on shot
Wave at.
Speaker 2 (37:59):
The stay stay on a busy at night side Monday
through Friday night eight to midnight busy.
Speaker 9 (38:05):
I know who you were, Okay, I listened to card
More all right and having Christmas and all that.
Speaker 2 (38:12):
Same to you, first time caller. We'll get him round
of applause later, John and Boston. John, we got about
forty five seconds for you. You've called late. What can
you do with it?
Speaker 8 (38:21):
Dan Louis Tian was amazing. I can't believe he had
forty nine shutouts three times he was in the All
Star Game and four times he won twenty games. That
is amazing his He should be in the Hall of
Fame if he's right up there with catfish hunting Dan,
you remember, and he used to be really was amazing.
Louis t had the most unusual form of pitching Dan.
He would be looking the outfield and then so so
(38:42):
weird pitch the home plate. That would fake the battle
of He had the most amazing pitching style that would
That was just phenomenal. He should definitely be in the
Hall of Fame. That's an amazing guy, Tode.
Speaker 2 (38:53):
John. I wish you call earlier, but I'm flat out.
I'm up against the ten, so we'll talk again. Okay.
Speaker 8 (39:00):
His son Dinny was a great guy too. I knew Diddy.
Speaker 2 (39:03):
Yep, absolutely, Thanks John, talk to you soon. David's South
North Carolina. If you want to hang on, I'll take
you as one call right after the news and then
we're going to switch topics unless we want to continue
to talk about Luisit on back on night's side. Right
after the ten o'clock news,
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