EL Tiante: Staying in the Game

(SmokeMagazine) Luis Tiant leads a charmed life these days. As an instructor with the Boston Red Sox, one of six teams he pitched for during his illustrious 19-year major league career, Luis Tiant (nicknamed Looie or, more famously since 1972, "El Tiante") shares his vast knowledge and experiences during spring training while also making the occasional public relations appearance on behalf of the club.
As "El Patriarca" of the Tiant Cigar Group, he gets to combine two of his passions. A cigar smoker since he was 17, the 71-year-old Cuban native works alongside his son, Danny, the founder and CEO of the company that released two new blends of El Tiante cigars in the fall. The senior Tiant seems as comfortable at a cigar tasting as he did on the mound, working the room like a seasoned politician; he moves easily, whether signing autographs, posing for photos, or discussing the finer points on how his cigars are rolled. Continued