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
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)
E-book (Kindle)
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