For many baseball fans of the ’60s and ’70s, Luis TiantBaseball’s exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame is an egregious and continuing slight.

But now, less than a month after his passing at age 83, that could finally change. The beloved former pitcher is one of eight on this year’s Classic Baseball Era Committee ballot. Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, John Donaldson (Negro Leagues), Steve Garvey, Vic Harris (Negro Leagues), Tommy John and Dave Parker comprise the remainder of this year’s ballot, which will be voted on by a 16-member committee.

To be eligible, one must have played, managed or umpired for at least 10 seasons in the Major Leagues, with major contributions to the game before 1980. Tiant’s MLB career spanned 19 seasons; He debuted with the Cleveland Indians on July 19, 1964 and pitched his final game with the then-California Angels on September 4, 1982. He spent most of his career with the Red Sox (8 seasons) and the Indians (6 ). , as well as two years with the Yankees and individual stints in Pittsburgh and Anaheim. He was a three-time All-Star, finished in the top six in American League Cy Young voting three times and received MVP votes four times, all between ’68 and ’76.

Tiant became a hero to aspiring baseball players in his native Cuba. If elected, he will become the seventh member of the Hall born in Cuba. The first was Martín Dihigo, who was a teammate of the New York Cubans in the Negro Leagues with Tiant’s father, Luis Sr., in the years before and after the young Tiant was born.

The Baseball Hall of Fame initially established three Era, Preintegration (1871-1946), Golden (’47-72), and Expansion (’73-present) committees in 2010, before expanding to four in 2016: Early Baseball ( 1871 -1949), Golden Days (’50-69), Modern Baseball (’70-87) and Today’s Game (’88-16). In April 2022, they were restructured for the third time, consolidating into Classic (pre-1980) and Contemporary (80-present).

Tiant was on the BBWAA ballot 15 times and never got more than the 30.9% he received in 1988, his first year of eligibility. He was also considered by six Hall of Fame committees, most recently from the Golden Era in November 2018.

“I would love to be in the Hall of Fame one day,” he told the Herald at the time. “I just hope they do it before I die, so I can drive to Cooperstown with my family.”

Of the eight candidates on this year’s ballot, only Garvey, John and Parker are still alive. It’s something Tiant thought about as the years went by, not only because he was ignored time and time again, but because he saw how many worthy players didn’t get their due until it was too late. Speaking to USA Today after the selection of fellow Cuban star Minnie Miñoso in 2021, Tiant referred to the story of Ron Santo, the great Chicago Cubs infielder who was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 18. and managed this condition throughout his life during his decorated career. professional career. Santo was not elected until 2012, two years after his death and a decade after diabetes required leg amputations below each knee.

“They waited until after he died,” Tiant said. “That is disrespectful. “That’s cruel.”

Results will be announced on MLB Network at 6:30 pm CT on Sunday, December 8. Exactly two months after Tiant’s death.

Originally Posted: November 4, 2024 at 5:14 pm EST