He made it offical today. It is sad to see him leave.
Radke ends remarkable career
Right-handed pitcher was a winner and team leader
By Kelly Thesier / MLB.com
MINNEAPOLIS -- The end of an era came for the Twins on Tuesday afternoon when pitcher Brad Radke officially announced his retirement after 12 seasons of being the mainstay in the club's rotation.
The announcement wasn't a surprise, as Radke had talked about the possibility of retirement throughout the 2006 season. The right-hander had dealt with shoulder problems over the past two seasons, and with surgery a necessity to fix the problem if Radke wanted to continue pitching, it appeared retirement was inevitable.
Radke, 34, spent his entire career with the Twins after being drafted by the organization out of Tampa (Fla.) Jesuit High School in the eighth round of the 1991 First-Year Player Draft. After joining the Minnesota rotation in 1995, Radke established himself as one of the best pitchers in the franchise's history. He became the first Twins pitcher to have 10 seasons with at least 10 victories since Jim Kaat, and he proved to be quite the workhorse as he threw more than 200 innings in nine of his 12 seasons.
Even while pitching for less talented teams early in his career, Radke still managed to put together an overall record of 148-139 with a 4.22 ERA. He retires with his career numbers ranking near the top of nearly every pitching category for the Twins. He is third in wins, second in starts (377), third in innings pitched (2,451) and third in strikeouts (1,467).
But it was more than numbers that made Radke an integral part of the Twins' organization. His desire to compete and the heart he showed every time he took to the mound are the real reasons why he will be so sorely missed.
"There are always going to be other talented pitchers, but the Brad Radkes of the world don't come around very often," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.
It didn't take long for Radke to prove he was going to be something special for the Twins once he made it to the Major Leagues. He was named the Twins Pitcher of the Year in 1995, and after just one season in the rotation, Radke was named the Opening Day starter for the '96 season.
Even when the team struggled to a 68-94 record in 1997, Radke still managed to become a 20-game winner and earned All-Star honors the next season.
And all of that success came at a time when being a Twins pitcher wasn't easy. Radke pitched for plenty of downtrodden teams before things began turning around for the organization during the '01 season.
Still, the down years may have left an impact on his overall legacy in baseball.
"Obviously if we had more winning teams back when he came up, his numbers would have been a lot better," pitching coach Rick Anderson said. "But there was no doubt about Brad's talent and what you were getting with him every year. You knew you were getting a pitcher that would keep you in games -- each and every game he started."
Radke finally got to experience the postseason for the first time in 2002, and he starred in one of the biggest games of his career. Radke took the mound as the Twins won Game 4 at home in the American League Division Series against the A's to push the series to a final game in Oakland.
At the time it seemed as if there were no better starter to have going for the Twins, and Radke proved that was the case.
"I'm sitting there with butterflies in my stomach, and he was just so calm and under control," Anderson said. "He went out and threw close to seven innings and got us to the ALCS. That was such a big game, and he threw just a great game. To me, that just sums up Brad Radke."
His loyalty to the organization was another trademark for the pitcher, as Radke truly was a Twin in every sense of the word. That included turning down more money from other clubs when he was a free agent after the 2004 season to remain in Minnesota for the final seasons of his career.
Radke also became one of the team's greatest leaders during his 12 years with the club. However, it wasn't as a vocal player, but rather all done through example. The lanky pitcher always was one of the quietest guys in the clubhouse, but it was his lead that everyone followed.
From young pitchers watching Radke's bullpen sessions for pointers to his teammates taking notes on how to be what they described as a "true professional," the pitcher became a mentor for almost everyone in the organization.
"Since I became a starter, I've been following him the whole time," two-time Cy Young award winner and teammate Johan Santana said. "I've learned a lot of things from him. To see him with the courage he has and desire to help the team by going out there even when he was hurt, it's something that is inspiring to everyone."
Radke's career was hampered by injuries, especially during the last two seasons, but no one would ever have been able to tell from talking to him. In an age where players are quick to blame things for their struggles, Radke was the exact opposite.
No one truly knew just how much pain Radke had been suffering through this past season until he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his right shoulder socket during the first week of September. Yet somehow there he was at the end of the year, determined to beat the odds and pitch so his career didn't end on the disabled list.
"Him taking the ball like he did when hurt this last year probably set a tone for a lot of these players that were around him," Gardenhire said. "He set a standard, just like he did throughout his career here."
The one thing Radke won't be able to do any longer is teach by example, and that's something the club clearly will miss. Thinking about the team without him isn't an easy task for anyone around the organization, and it's clear Radke won't soon be forgotten.
"To lose him forever, that is going to be tough," Torii Hunter said. "I was lucky enough to be the center fielder standing behind him for quite a few years, and to watch him mastermind the game like he did, it was unbelievable. Brad Radke has been part of the Twins so long that it's hard to see him go."
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