Letters: Luis Tiant needs to be inducted into MLB Hall of Fame; The tenets of President Abraham Lincoln

Luis Tiant needs to be inducted into MLB Hall of Fame

Luis Tiant is a prime example of a player who should be in the baseball Hall of Fame.

Tiant finished in the top six of Cy Young voting three times and in 1968 was fifth in MVP voting, because of an American League-best 1.60 ERA.

In 342 postseason innings, the lost son of Havana was 3-0 with a 2.86 ERA.

El Tiante helped the Red Sox make the 1975 World Series among the greatest of all time at a moment when baseball needed it most. In Game 4 of that fall classic, Tiant threw a heroic 163 prime pitches in a complete-game effort, helping the Red Sox tie the series and giving the team a belief it could beat the Big Red Machine that featured Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Joe Morgan as well as the hit machine, Pete Rose.

Tiant epitomized the definition of prime. In that World Series the Red Sox won three games to four, Luis Tiant was certainly of the best quality with a 2-0 record and 3.60 ERA in 25 innings pitched. He was “excellent.”

Major League Baseball: Enshrine Luis Tiant in the Hall of Fame!

— Albert DeCiccio
Lowell

The tenets of President Abraham Lincoln

Let’s remember the many sayings by our greatest president that still apply to today’s political situation:

• We can not bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

• You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong.

• You cannot help the strong men by tearing down big men.

• You cannot help the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

• You cannot further the brotherhood of men by encouraging class hatred.

• You cannot help the poor by destroying the rich.

• You cannot establish sound security on borrowed money.

• You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than you earn.

• You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.

• You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they could or should  do for themselves.

This was published by LOOK Magazine in 1950, that my father saved many years ago, that I just recently found in his papers.

Thoughts to consider about the direction our current leaders in Washington, D.C., are pursuing. It is sad what we have forgotten.

— Paul J. Rigazio
North Chelmsford