Changing places

Longtime Boston Red Sox ace Luis Tiant defects 46 years ago today as the free agent pitcher signs a two-year, $875,000 deal – hey, that is a lot of money in baseball at the time – with the rival New York Yankees.

The colorful, cigar-chomping Tiant, who is 10 days shy of his 38th birthday when he signs with New York, is a pedestrian 21-17 in two seasons with a 4.31 earned-run average for the Yankees before drifting off to Pittsburgh and Anaheim for the final two years of an otherwise outstanding pro career that starts in 1961 with the Mexico City Tigers.

Tiant finishes his career in the majors with a record of 229-172 and a 3.30 ERA, along with three All-Star Game selections and two ERA titles.

Tiant is eligible this year for the Hall of Fame in a special voting on its “Classic Era” ballot with the results to be announced on Dec. 8.

Tiant is one of eight former players on the ballot, which includes Dick Allen, Ken Boyer, Steve Garvey, Tommy John and Dave Parker, as well as Negro League standouts John Davidson and Vic Harris.