Brad Radke

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Radke was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated from Jesuit High School of Tampa where he set a single-season school record with a 0.31 earned run average. He also played for the school's basketball team. He accepted a scholarship to play college baseball at South Florida. Radke was not considered a top prospect before the Minnesota Twins drafted him in the 8th round of the 1991 Major League Baseball draft. In his debut season (1995), he finished 11–14 with a 5.32 ERA. In 1997, he finished an excellent season with a 20–10 record and a 3.87 ERA in 239 innings. During the year, he earned a win 12 consecutive starts, becoming only the third player since 1950 (along with Bob Gibson and Pat Dobson) to accomplish the feat. He finished third in American League Cy Young Award voting. From 1998 to 2001, Radke averaged 12 wins and 32 starts each season. He pitched over 210 innings each season. In 2002, for the first time in his big league career, he failed to pitch in 30 games and fell one win short from finishing with 10 wins for the eighth consecutive season. His ERA was 4.72, the first time since his rookie season that he had recorded an ERA above 4.50. In 2003 and 2004, Radke came back to form, notching 14 and 11 wins respectively. Radke was known for being one of the best control pitchers of the modern era, walking an average of only 41 batters a year, in an average of 34 games a year. He was, however, also known for giving up home runs, yielding as many as 40 in a single season. Radke's susceptibility to home runs was lampooned in a commercial for Sega Sports' World Series Baseball II in 1995, and featured Radke watching as home runs sailed out of the park. In addition to home runs, Radke was often plagued by first-inning troubles. Radke allowed 76 home runs and a .285/.324/.508 slash line in the first inning. Radke's first inning issues led to a career 5.05 ERA in the frame, well over his career mark of 4.22. Radke had hinted that he might retire following the 2006 season, citing a torn labrum (which he had been pitching through during the season). A stress fracture in his shoulder suffered in late August sidelined him as of September 2. On September 12, he threw catch from a distance of (slightly less than twice the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate) without pain, an important step in the way to his return for the last week or two of the se

In Their Own Story

The 2006 season tested Radke's durability as he pitched through a torn labrum before suffering a stress fracture in his shoulder on August 29. Sideline status seemed imminent, but by September 12, he threw catch from 110 feet without pain, aiming to return for the Twins' playoff drive. He made his final regular-season start on September 28 against the Kansas City Royals, pitching five innings in a 2–1 victory. His career concluded with an appearance in Game 3 of the AL Division Series against the Oakland Athletics, where he gave up four runs on two home runs in four innings. Radke officially announced his retirement on December 19, 2006. He was inducted into the Minnesota Twins Hall of Fame on July 11, 2009, and honored by raising a pennant flag at Target Field on April 12, 2010.

Reader's Guide

Brad Radke was an All-Star in 1998. He led the American League in strikeout-to-walk ratio in 2001. He finished 7th in the AL in strikeouts in 1997. In 2001, he was second in MLB in complete games with 6, tied with Mark Mulder and Curt Schilling, behind Steve Sparks. He finished third in AL Cy Young Award balloting in 1997, behind Roger Clemens and Randy Johnson. He ranks #58th all time in strikeout-to-walk ratio. He ranks #33 in lowest walks per nine innings pitched (1.681).

Did You Know?

• Radke set a single-season school record at Jesuit High School of Tampa with a 0.31 ERA.
• In 1997, Radke earned a win in 12 consecutive starts, becoming only the third player since 1950 (along with Bob Gibson and Pat Dobson) to accomplish the feat.
• Radke's susceptibility to home runs was lampooned in a commercial for Sega Sports' World Series Baseball II in 1995.
• Radke's son Kasey pitched for the University of Tampa, and his son Ryan played basketball for Jesuit High School.