Lost Son of Havana

Wasn't Luis Tiant the guy who used to wrap his bubble gum around a wad of chewing tobacco and put the whole thing in his mouth?

I tried that once...bad idea.

If you were a baseball-loving kid between 1967 and 1974, you no doubt spent some time mimicking Tiant's delivery in the back yard with your friends.

I'm not sure about the chewing gum + tobacco stuff, but I do remember that he refused to ice his arm, preferring instead to taking scalding hot showers. Other players would not shower next to him for fear of getting sprayed.

Not that many years ago son went through a spell where he would turn his back slightly to the batter in his wind-up, suggested by a pitching coach to help keep his front shoulder closed. The other dads and I had a great time with this, doing our imitations of Luis Tiant. Of course, the kids had no idea what we were talking about and thought we were being stupid, as usual.

Good one Wayne; I can just see you guys out in the parking lot while the kids make fun of you (happens to us all the time)... just part of all the fun ain't it.

Turning your back ain't the half of it. You have to do that thing where you buck up the back of your head to the batter, then whirl and throw.

The Weaver brothers turn their backs, but they ain't no Luis Tiants.

Ah, this brings back such great memories of playing wiffle ball in the back yard with kids from the outskirts of Boston neighborhood. Luis Tiant was a GOD growing up outside Boston in the 70s. We called it the dipsy-do windup. I plan to watch this documentary just to see my child hood idol in his home country and to understand his life and struggles.

You're right, Midlo. Luis was interviewed last night by Joe Morgan, Jon Miller, and Steve Phillips during the Sunday night game, and Joe brought up the old saying about Tiant that I had forgot. "At some point during his wind-up, Luis Tiant will make eye contact with everyone at Fenway Park." I laughed out loud at that.

Watched this last night. Very touching story.

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"At some point during his wind-up, Luis Tiant will make eye contact with everyone at Fenway Park."

I finished watching this last night. Wow, really a must see for those who need to understand what desire really is. I had not previously known what a dominant fireballer Tiant had been before his shoulder injury forced him to reinvent himself.

Can you imagine having a guy finish a season with four consecutive complete game shutouts in the finish of a successful pennant race run? What would that guy be worth today? Yet when asked if he was a millionaire, Tiant just laughed ruefully, no no no. Oh how things have changed.

How about Tiant holding a 5-4 lead while stranding 2 men aboard in each of the 5th-9th innings of Game 4 of the World Series? The manager goes out in the 9th -- then leaves him in to face, and retire, NL MVP Joe Morgan to end it. 173 pitches that day. No one would ever even think about that today.

Also not a bad lesson in history and political economics for the non-baseball fan -- a great lesson about the things in this country that we take for granted. After 50 years under Castro, people in Cuba are still driving the same cars they had when he came in (if they are fortunate enough to have one). No grocery stores, no hardware stores. Families living on provisions doled out by the government, half a month's worth to last you a month, you have to forage for the rest. Poverty stricken people living in the same flats they've been in for 50 years, the very same places except they look like they haven't seen any maintenance for 50 years. Sickness, idleness and decay everywhere you look.

Someday I will figure out why so many people seem to want the USA to become a socialist nation. The legacy of socialism is poverty and all that comes with it, not to mention that it typically goes hand in hand with oppression.

Great points Midlo. Many lessons on many fronts to be learned from this documentary. I was fascinated by it.

Socialism - stay away from it. Cuba is a perfect example. I could not believe what I was looking at while watching this movie. Yeah, I did not see a car newer than a late 50's - early 60's model, horse drawn carriages in the streets, family members saying they were living on cigarettes because they had no food. Not just no food, but no where to buy food. Unbelievable.

It was great to see that Castro allowed his parents to come to the U.S. to let them see Louis pitch. I did not realize that his father was such a stand out pitcher in the Negro Leagues. Lots to learn from this flick.

On the other front, Tiant's resolve. I did not realize that he actually broke his shoulder blade after his 2nd or 3rd year. How do you come back from that? Like I said in my earlier post, very touching story.

I also loved the story. Watching Tiant reconnect to his family after 46 years was poignant. It also shows how much pain has been caused by the tensions between our two countries.

Having spent a fair amount of time in Cuba in recent years, I have enormous respect for the people there. They are resilient, but more than that, they remain a passionate and proud people. This is clearly seen in their love for baseball. They may be the most devoted baseball fans in the world.

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preferring instead to taking scalding hot showers

I was told by Buck O'Neil that Satchel Page followed this same regime.

Hot Corner Dad:
Can you go to directly to Cuba or do you have to enter from, say Mexico??? Is it difficult to go there now? just curious

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Can you go to directly to Cuba or do you have to enter from, say Mexico??? Is it difficult to go there now? just curious

On my trips to Cuba I have flown through Jamaica. I do know that there are charter flights out of Miama directly into Havana for those with licenses to travel legally to Cuba. My trips to Cuba have been with a church group that has a license from the U.S. govt to travel.

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how much pain has been caused by the tensions between our two countries.

Boy, that's a PC way of stating it.

But I will restrain myself from turning this into a political polemic.

on the upside, they don't feel a recesion like we do.

i have worked in the carribean and bwi.peopl in the eastern carribean go there for the better medical attention. they are happy people. climb a tree for fruit, snorkel for lobster and fish. never a social ladder to climb.

a very simple life. not sure we could do what they do. whether it's a better life or not , is in the eye of the beholder.

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on the upside, they don't feel a recesion like we do.

i have worked in the carribean and bwi.peopl in the eastern carribean go there for the better medical attention. they are happy people. climb a tree for fruit, snorkel for lobster and fish. never a social ladder to climb.

a very simple life. not sure we could do what they do. whether it's a better life or not , is in the eye of the beholder.

In the meantime, they don't have money for electricity, or to make home repairs. You can't pick a tube of toothpaste, or catch a roll of toilet paper. What is mentioned is an idilic idea of beauty, but in reality, it is not very pretty.