PAWTUCKET, R.I. (WLNE) -- Boston Red Sox legend Luis Tiant passed away Tuesday at 83 years old.
Worcester Red Sox Senior Vice President of Communications Bill Wanless, who worked with the PawSox for many years before the team's move north, said Tiant was a fixture in the organization.
"He was just one of a kind really," Wanless said. "It is a sad day, but we can also look back and think at some of the memories that Luis gave us both on the mound and off the mound."
On the mound, Wanless said Tiant was a workhorse.
"He's in the Red Sox Hall of Fame, he should be in the National Baseball Hall of Fame, " Wanless said. "His numbers are incredible."
Tiant earned several all-star appearances and led Boston to the brink of a World Series championship, all with his unconventional windup.
"You saw that motion that he had," Wanless said. "He'd take his eyes off the batter, turn his back to the batter, nowadays a pitching coach would never let anyone do it."
Known for his success on the field, Wanless said Tiant's greatest impact may have come after he retired from professional baseball.
"[He was] just a great ambassador, the young players looked up to him," Wanless said. "When he was down in spring training every year, he'd work with them and come see them in Pawtucket and Worcester, and the guys would just gravitate towards him."
Tiant's personality made him a favorite amongst the fanbase.
"In 2004, we hosted the Triple-A all-star game in Pawtucket at McCoy Stadium," Wanless said. "We brought back a ton of legendary players, and Luis was the one that all the fans wanted to go see."
Affectionately named "El Tiante," the Cuban native served as an idol to members of the Latino community.
"Luis came over without his parents and made himself a Bostonian," Wanless said. "In those days, someone coming from Cuba, it wasn't easy."