Luis Tiant, a Cuban-born right-hander who was one of baseball’s most entertaining and charismatic pitchers, and whose personal story was among the game’s most poignant, died on Tuesday. He was 83.

His death was announced by the Boston Red Sox, for whom he pitched in the 1970s. The team did not say where he died or cite the cause.

El Tiante, as he was known on the sports pages — or Loo-ee! as stadiums full of fans would often chant while he was on the mound — won 229 games over 19 big-league seasons, playing for teams in six cities, including one season in Minnesota. His longest tenures were in Cleveland and Boston, where he led the Red Sox to a World Series and became one of the most beloved players in the team’s storied history.

In a career that necessitated a long separation from his family and from Cuba, his homeland, and that was bifurcated by a serious shoulder injury, Tiant won 20 or more games four times and threw 187 complete games (more than Don Sutton, Don Drysdale, Lefty Gomez or Dizzy Dean) and 49 shutouts (more than Roger Clemens, Whitey Ford, Catfish Hunter, Sandy Koufax or Bob Feller).

In a bizarre turnaround, Tiant lost 20 games in 1969, and Cleveland traded him to the Minnesota Twins. He won his first six decisions in 1970, but an injury to his shoulder — eventually diagnosed as a broken scapula — undermined his season, and the Twins, believing he was finished at age 30, released him before the beginning of the 1971 season.

But beyond his achievements, he was one of the game’s memorable showmen, distinctive in almost every way — from his Fu Manchu mustache, barrel-shaped torso and ever-present mammoth cigar to his dizzying repertoire of breaking balls and delivery angles, as well as perhaps the most elastic, twisty-turny windup in history.

NHL

Kraken name captain, giving all teams a C

The Seattle Kraken selected Jordan Eberle as their captain moments before their season opener, filling the last void at that spot among the NHL’s 32 teams.

Every team in the league has a captain for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

The Utah Hockey Club recently announced Clayton Keller as their captain, and the Buffalo Sabres put the “C” on young leader Rasmus Dahlin before they opened their season in Prague.

Panthers extend Verhaeghe for 8 years

Carter Verhaeghe and the Panthers have agreed to an eight-year, $56 million contract extension. The deal was announced shortly after the Stanley Cup champions opened their season by beating the Boston Bruins 6-4.

The two-time Cup winner — he also won one with Tampa Bay — is entering his fifth season with the Panthers. He had 42 goals and 73 points in the 2022-23 season, then 34 goals and 72 points last season to help Florida’s title run. Verhaeghe says he is grateful for the contract and the chance to be a Panther for years to come.

NBA

CEO Marshall to retire after overhauling Mavs

Cynt Marshall is retiring as CEO of the Dallas Mavericks at the end of the year, and then she will stay on for another year as a consultant in the organization where she is credited for a comprehensive overhaul of workplace policies.

Marshall, a former AT&T executive, was introduced by the Mavericks in February 2018, about a week after a Sports Illustrated report detailed years of incidents of sexual harassment and misconduct in the franchise’s business office.

When hired, Marshall became the first Black female CEO in NBA history. She will retire as CEO effective Dec. 31 and will remain in the consultant role through December 2025.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL

NCAA cracking down on weapon gestures

College football is on high alert for players flashing make-believe guns at an opponent.

That happened Saturday when freshman edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who sacked Mississippi quarterback Jaxson Dart for a loss of eight yards on third down, stood over him and pretended to shoot his opponent with a repeating firearm.

Stewart was called for unsportsmanlike conduct and South Carolina was penalized 15 yards.

The flag did not deter Stewart, who celebrated the same way — he got off three shots of his pretend shotgun — a few minutes later after stopping Rebels runner Matt Jones for a 4-yard loss. No penalty was called on that play.

At Minnesota, defensive back Justin Walley broke up a pass in his team’s 24-17 win over then-No. 11 Southern California, then lifted up his shirt as if he were showing a handgun sticking out of his waistband.

Walley was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct for what the official said was “simulating brandishing a gun.”

“There’s a list of automatic unsportsmanlike conduct fouls. One of them in our rule book is simulating firing of a weapon,” Steve Shaw, the NCAA’s national coordinator of officials, told The Associated Press by phone. “That’s not really a judgement call.”

Minnesota coach P.J. Fleck said at his weekly news conference that he tells his players to celebrate with teammates and not leave themselves open to an officials’ interpretation of their actions.

“In our world right now, we’re talking about everybody should express themselves, rightfully so,” Fleck said. “Sometimes we’re flagging a particular move, sometimes we’re not. Our whole thing to counter that is don’t leave it up to somebody to interpret something the wrong way.”

COLLEGE hockey

NCAA considers letting CHL players onto teams

The NCAA Division I Council is considering making a landmark change in eligibility rules this week that would allow Canadian Hockey League players to compete at U.S. colleges, as long as they are not paid more than actual and necessary expenses as part of that participation.

The council introduced a proposal that will be considered at its November meeting and, if approved, would go into effect Aug. 1.

BRIEFLY

COLLEGE FOOTBALL >> A 20-year-old man has been arrested in Michigan and charged with first-degree murder in last month’s fatal shooting of former Clemson receiver Diondre Overton.

— From news services