Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Review of "Son of Havana"

I remembered watching Luis Tiant as a child when he pitched one season for my favorite team, the Minnesota Twins.  He had a good year, but was hurt and later went to the Boston Red Sox where achieved his best seasons.  His life in and out of baseball is captured in his memoir.  Here is my review of "Son of Havana". 


Title/Author:

“Son of Havana: A Baseball Journey from Cuba to the Big Leagues and Back” by Luis Tiant with Saul Wisnia



Tags:
Baseball, memoir, professional, Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees



Publish date:

May 14, 2019


Length:

300 pages


Rating: 

4 of 5 stars (very good)


Review:

One of the most charismatic players to ever don a big league uniform, Luis Tiant was best known for his unusual pitching motion while compiling very good statistics for four teams in the 1960’s and 1970’s.  His story, from the rock-strewn fields in his native Cuba to his glory days in Major League Baseball are captured in his memoir written with Saul Wisnia.



As sports memoirs go, there isn’t anything different in the format of the book as Tiant talks about his childhood, his family, his career in both the minor and major leagues and how he has enjoyed his life after baseball.  He tells many stories about teammates, the camaraderie on the teams, and the most exciting games in which he participated.  The biggest of these games, the two games he started for the Boston Red Sox in 1975, were the best parts of his baseball memoires as it is clear that he enjoyed performing on the big stage.  While he shares mostly positive memoires of his time with the Cleveland Indians (he was always grateful to their general manager, Gabe Paul, for giving him a chance), Minnesota Twins and New York Yankees, it is clear that he relishes his time with the Red Sox best.



This was also evident in his stories about non-baseball events in Boston during that time. Being a dark-skinned Cuban, he was always subject to the prejudice and racism that was prevalent during his playing days, but he never let that make him angry or seek revenge. Instead, he always wanted to prove the racists wrong by being the best pitcher he could be. Tiant was also a beloved figure to people of all races in Boston – this was especially noticed during the unrest the city experienced when desegregation of schools by busing was done in the mid 1970’s. He was a voice of calm during this time that people of all races heard.



What I liked best about the book is how Tiant wrote with his heart on his sleeve about every topic.  The passages about his family, whether about his wife Maria and their four children or his parents, were clearly written with genuine love and affection.  When two United States Senators worked on his behalf to have Fidel Castro allow his parents to visit Luis in the United States, it was a huge relief for Tiant to be able to see his parents again.  When he left Cuba in 1961, he feared he would never see them again.  Reading about the joy he felt when he was able to share his biggest moment in his career, winning a World Series game with his parents present, will make any reader feel the joy.



Baseball fans and readers who followed the game during the period in which Tiant played will enjoy this book as he shares much of his life with readers, including why he had that famous delivery.  No spoilers here – read the book to find out.   



I wish to thank Diversion Books for providing a copy of the book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.


Book Format Read:
E-book (Kindle)


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