Why Chris Sale Paid Homage To Red Sox Icon In Spring Training Start

Chris Sale prepared a first-class gesture for Saturday’s spring training exhibition against his former Boston Red Sox club in honor of an all-time great.

The left-hander took the mound and faced Boston’s Jarren Duran, and on the first pitch, Sale performed an off-branded windup. To the untrained eye, it would’ve appeared as though Sale was testing out some preseason mechanics. However, most Red Sox fans — both at JetBlue Park and watching from Boston — immediately detected that Sale was paying tribute to the late, great Luis “El Tiante” Tiant.

“It first came up, I was talking to my wife about it, and then I told (Braves Triple-A pitching coach Craig Bjornson) about it — we were together in Boston for a little bit — as we were walking in from warming up,” Sale said, per MLB.com’s Ian Browne. “When I got to the dugout, I was like, ‘Hey guys, just to let you know, I’ve got something up my sleeve,’ and I told them what I was going to do, and they loved it.”

Sale imitated Tiant’s one-of-a-kind windup, which caught the attention of those in attendance and drew an early applause for the 2018 World Series champion. It was kind-hearted and unexpected but also spoke volumes, both of Sale’s character and his relationship with Tiant and the Red Sox organization.

Tiant passed away in October at the age of 83, leaving behind a legacy that spans from his hometown of Marianao, Havana, Cuba, all the way to Boston. He spent eight seasons with the Red Sox (1971-78), going 122-81 across 238 appearances with a 3.36 ERA and 1,075 strikeouts tallied. Tiant also helped Boston reach the 1975 World Series against the “Big Red Machine” Cincinnati Reds. The Red Sox’s quest for a title was to no avail, but Tiant’s footprint became revered among fans and the city of Boston.

Seemingly everyone, from players to coaches to fans, all shared similar experiences with Tiant’s charismatic personality. He was a legendary baseball player and human being, always spotted smiling at Fenway Park throughout the regular season and months before whenever the team regathered for spring training in Fort Myers, Fla.

Sale, last season’s National League Cy Young award winner with the Atlanta Braves, is just another of the many people impacted by Tiant.

The 35-year-old lasted six seasons with the Red Sox, all while getting a first-hand glimpse at the experience of Tiant’s tutelage, friendship and “larger-than-life” personality that resonated with just about everyone.

“I had kind of had this start circled for a little bit. Just who Luis was to me and what he meant to me, not only in baseball but just in my life,” Sale said. “He was one of my favorite people. Any time he came into the clubhouse, he was one of those larger-than-life characters, and he was a special person. And I just felt like that was something cool for me to be able to do — kind of tip my cap to him.”

The Red Sox beat Sale to the punch this spring by honoring Tiant’s memory during their GrapeFruit League home opener against the Toronto Blue Jays last month. Boston welcomed Tiant’s wife, Maria, their children, Dan and Isabel, and granddaughter, Gia, to throw a ceremonial first pitch. The team also held a moment of silence, plastered a heart shape at Fenway South’s centerfield wall that reads “El Tiante” and set up a golf cart with a paneled picture of Tiant for fans to sign.

Boston manager Alex Cora still feels the void left, even months after Tiant’s passing.

“It’s a lot different. Obviously last year he wasn’t around that much. And he’s one we miss,” Cora said in February, per Browne. “You saw him with the fans interacting and all that stuff. It was cool for him to go in there in the training room and (talk trash) to the players. That’s what they really liked. Obviously a guy who performed at the highest level. He was amazing. I think as a person he was awesome. He lifted a lot of people in that clubhouse, not only here but in Boston. We miss him.”