MLB panel ranks Luis Tiant as No. 3 Latino pitcher in major-league history

A panel convened by Major League Baseball selected Luis Tiant as the No. 3 Latino pitcher in major-league history.

The question of who were the top Latino pitchers (only retired players could be considered) was posed as part of MLB's salute to Hispanic Heritage Month.

Luis Tiant, the son of Cuban and Negro leagues star Lefty Tiant, played just one season in the Cuban League.

According to Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961, Tiant was named Cuban League rookie of the year in 1960-61 -- , the final year of the professional Cuban League. -- after going 10-8 with a 2.72 ERA for Habana.

Tiant, who won 229 major-league games with Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels, was elected into the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997.

His 229 career victories rank No. 1 among pitchers born in Cuba.

On this date: Luis Tiant - not the one you think - was born

Aug. 27: On this date in 1906, Luis Tiant was born.

If you're thinking that was way too long ago even for a pitcher whose age was often in question when he pitched in the major leagues, that's because we're talking about Luis Tiant Sr.

The father of popular Boston Red Sox right-hander Luis Tiant Jr., was a Cuban League and Negro Leagues star in his own right.

The left-handed throwing Tiant Sr., elected to the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame in 1983, pitched for Cuba, Cienfuegos, Santa Clara, Regla, Habana, Almendares and Marianao during 15 Cuban League seasons between 1926 and 1947, compiling a 42-59 record.

In the Negro Leagues, he played for the Cuban Stars, Cuban House of David and the New York Cubans.

And of course, Tiant Sr., and his wife, Isabel Vega, gave the baseball world their son, Luis Jr., who went on to compile a 229-172 record with a 3.30 ERA in 19 major league seasons with the Indians, Twins, Red Sox, Yankees, Pirates and Angels.

Despite those impressive numbers -- and some grassroots and online efforts -- Tiant Jr. hasn't reached the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, falling short of the needed notes in 15 years of voting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America from 1988 to 2002.

Tiant Jr., however, did join his father in the Cuban Baseball Hall of Fame with his election in 1997.

If you've never seen it, Lost Son of Havana, the 2009 documentary about Tiant Jr.'s first visit to Cuba in 46 years, is terrific. Aside from Tiant Jr.'s return to Cuba, it touches on Tiant Sr.'s career and, of course, his attendance at the 1975 World Series, in which Tiant Jr. pitched three games, winning Games 1 and 4.

Tiant Sr. died Dec. 2, 1976.

Best Cuban pitchers in history

The hype surrounding Cuban defector Aroldis Chapman continues to ratchet up after his first spring training start for the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

After hitting 102 mph on the radar gun in his Cactus League debut on March 8, the 22-year-old lefty -- after allowing a home run to the first batter he faced -- was "almost untouchable," striking out five batters in three innings in his first spring training start on Wednesday.

Whether Chapman will become the next star Cuban major league pitcher remains to be determined. While we wait to find out the answer, here's my top 5 pitchers who were born in Cuba:

1. Martin Dihigo: Because of baseball's color barrier, Dihigo (right), born in Matanzas in 1906, never played in the majors, but the Negro League star is enshrined in the Halls of Fame in the United States, Cuba and Mexico.

A versatile player who played multiple positions, Dihigo -- known in Cuba as El Inmortal, The Immortal One -- compiled a 104-56 record in 18 seasons in Cuba pitching for Habana, Marianao Almendares, Santa Clara and Cienfuegos, according to Jorge S. Figueredo's book, Who's Who in Cuban Baseball, 1878-1961.

2. Jose Mendez: Born in Cárdenas in 1887, El Diamante Negro, the Black Diamond, also was denied a career in the majors because of the color of his skin, but he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by a special election of Negro League players in 2006.

In 13 seasons in Cuba, pitching for Almendares, Santa Clara and Matanzas, Mendez compiled a 76-28 record, according to Figueredo's research.

3. Luis Tiant: The four-time 20-game winner leads all Cuban-born pitchers with 229 career major-league victories (229-172) to go with a 3.30 ERA and 2,416 strikeouts.

Tiant's best season came in 1968 with the Cleveland Indians, when he went 21-9 with an American League-leading 1.60 ERA and nine shutouts, while striking out 264 batters.

4. Adolfo Luque: In 20 major-league seasons, The Pride of Havana, compiled a 194-175 career record with a 3.24 ERA.

His best season came in 1923 with the Cincinnati Reds. After losing 23 games despite a 3.31 ERA the previous season, Luque (left) led the National League with 27 wins (eight losses), a 1.93 ERA and six shutouts.

5. (tie) Mike Cuellar and Camilo Pascual: Cuellar was a four-time 20-game winner, posting a career 3.14 ERA in 15 major-league seasons while winning 185 games with 130 losses. His best season came in 1969 when he went 23-11 with a 2.38 ERA with the Baltimore Orioles.

Given his 3.63 career ERA, Pascual, a two-time 20-game winner, deserved better than his 4-games-above .500 174-170 record in 18 major-league seasons. His best season came in 1963: 21-9 with a 2.46 ERA and an AL-leading 202 strikeouts with the Minnesota Twins.