Dick Radatz
| Dick Radatz | |||
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| Relief Pitcher | |||
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Born: April 2, 1937 Detroit, Michigan |
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Died: March 16, 2005 (aged 67) South Easton, Massachusetts |
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| MLB debut | |||
| April 10, 1962, for the Boston Red Sox | |||
| Last MLB appearance | |||
| August 15, 1969, for the Montreal Expos | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 52–43 | ||
| Earned run average | 3.80 | ||
| Strikeouts | 745 | ||
| Saves | 120 | ||
| Teams | |||
| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Richard Raymond Radatz (April 2, 1937 – March 16, 2005) was an American relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. Nicknamed "The Monster", the 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m), 230 lb (100 kg) right-hander had a scorching but short-lived period of dominance for the Boston Red Sox in the early sixties. He got his nickname by striking out several New York Yankees in a row at a game in Fenway Park in 1963. Mickey Mantle, who had a tough time facing Radatz, was heard calling him "that monster", and the name stuck.
Born in Detroit, Radatz attended Berkley High School. He was a star basketball and baseball player at Michigan State University before signing with the Red Sox as an amateur free agent in 1959. Originally a starting pitcher when he began his professional career, Radatz compiled a 16-10 record and 3.48 earned run average in his first two seasons in the Red Sox farm system.
A sore arm led Seattle Rainiers manager Johnny Pesky to convert him into a reliever in 1961 against Radatz's will. The experiment worked, as Radatz earned a job out of spring training the following season as a non-roster invitee.
Radatz was immediately dominant at the major league level, as he pitched 18.1 innings and recorded six saves before surrendering his first earned run on May 15, 1962 against the Yankees (a game which the Red Sox won, and Radatz earned his seventh save). He went on to lead the American League in saves (24), games (62) and relief wins (9), while posting a 2.24 ERA in 124.2 innings his rookie season, earning the AL's Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News.
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