The Smokin Red Sox

[RPB67]

When the Boston Red Sox won the American League Championship Series, four games to three, over the Cleveland Indians, they celebrated with the traditional accouterments: champagne and cigars.
%%pagebreak%% And fittingly enough, the cigars were provided by one of the team’s all-time greats: Cuban-born former pitcher Luis Tiant.

Media reports noted that “El Tiante” was handing out handfuls of his El Tiante 23 Series cigars to Red Sox players and staff after the game. The widely-published photo of Sox closer Jonathon Papelbon with a cigar in his mouth was of him enjoying an El Tiante.

The cigars were actually an idea of Tiant’s son Daniel and feature a picture of the pitcher in his Red Sox days. They’re made in Nicaragua with a choice of a natural (mild-bodied) or maduro (medium-bodied) wrapper in three sizes: Churchill (7 inches by 50 ring), Belicoso (6 x 54) and Robusto (5 x 50). They’re packaged, of course, in boxes of 23, saluting Tiant’s number during his 19-season major league career.

USA Today reported that “The elder Tiant, 66, may get a chance to enjoy a freshly made Cuban cigar next month. Tiant said he hopes to join an ESPN production crew on a trip to Cuba to film scenes for a documentary on his life. He hasn't returned to the Communist island since leaving 46 years ago.

“‘I'd like to see my home country again before I die,’ Tiant said. ‘I'm not sure if it'll happen, but if I go, I can die happy.’”

[Budprince]

Very cool. I didn't know Luis grew tobacco. I used to Love to watch him pitch back in the day.

[Alpedhuez55]

Originally Posted by RPB67

USA Today reported that “The elder Tiant, 66, may get a chance to enjoy a freshly made Cuban cigar next month.

66? I guess he started the Tradition of Cuban Pitchers who lie about their age. Great pitcher though. He was fun to watch. My mom used to take me and my younger sister to Fenway on Sundays. It was always a treat when you got to see him pitch. I even got yelled at by my little league coach when I copied his wind up in a game.

Tiant said he hopes to join an ESPN production crew on a trip to Cuba to film scenes for a documentary on his life. He hasn't returned to the Communist island since leaving 46 years ago,

That would be nice. I will look forward to seeing that. He is a borderline hall of famer and that might be enough to push him over the top.

[SmokeyJoe]

Gotta love some Louis... always entertaining. Hope he gets to visit Cuba again... hopefully with Castro "gone."