The Legend of “El Tiante”

There were many ways for Luis Tiant to be great on the mound—he could be great even before he threw a ball.

With a lightning-fast pickoff move, the pitcher threw to first base to try to catch the runner. The Red Sox fans whispered in the majestic Fenway Park, certain that the runner had been caught. First baseman Cecil Cooper raised his arms and did not feel satisfied with the call by first base umpire Nick Colosi.

The runner was the unbeatable Joe Morgan, who…