A sad e-mail from a friend notes the passing of the great Dick Radatz, who became the apotheosis of relievers.

From the "Everyman" blog of my old law partner and friend Ed McCabe:

The Passing Of A Monster
Topic: Musings Of A Hopelessly Hopeful Fan
Posted by Everyman - 09:48:36 EST
Dick Radatz, closer extraordinaire of my beloved Red Sox, died in a fall at his home yesterday. He was 67.

As explained by Bill Monbouquette - a pretty good pitcher in his own right, and a teammate - Radatz was one-of-a-kind, the likes of which had never been seen before and, indeed, have never been seen since. The sports page obituary appears in today's Boston Globe.


"He was the best," said former Sox teammate Bill Monbouquette, reached last night by phone in Lakeland, Fla., where he is a minor league pitching coach for the Detroit Tigers. ''How would I say the best? When you compare him to other guys, they couldn't do what he did. Three innings one day, maybe four the next, one the next day, and three more the next.

"Relievers today throw one inning. Dick almost never pitched just an inning."

In one memorable two-game span, Mr. Radatz pitched 15 innings, 6 in one game, then 9 of an extra-inning game the next night.

"I never used to give the ball to the manager when he'd come to get me," Monbouquette said. "I'd wait to give it to the guy coming into the game. I used to say to Dick, 'You'd better get these guys out or I'm going to kick your [butt],' He'd say, 'Go in the clubhouse, crack me a Bud, and I'll be right up.' And he would.' "

Radatz won the name "The Monster" well before anyone thought to give it to the Fenway Park left field wall.


"The Monster" nickname was born in 1963, after a game against the Yankees in Fenway Park in which Mr. Radatz entered with the bases loaded and struck out Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris, and Elston Howard -- all American League MVPs at one time -- on a total of 10 pitches.

It was after that game that Mr. Radatz punched the sky, a gesture he forgot about making until legendary Sox broadcaster Curt Gowdy reminded him of it the next day.

Mantle, the story goes, was heard to grumble about "that monster" afterward, and a nickname was born. Newspaper reports say Mr. Radatz faced Mantle, a Hall of Famer, 63 times, and struck him out 47 times.

"Mickey used to say, 'Damn it, I know what he's going to throw and I still can't hit it," Monbouquette said. ''I think he hit one home run off Dick, in Yankee Stadium, and I think Dick broke his bat.

"Just to watch him, you knew you had no chance against him," Monbouquette said. "He had no offspeed pitch, but he threw 95, 96, he had great location and he'd come right at you, get you 0 and 2 and just blow you away. He was a pure power guy."

Mr. Radatz won or saved 33 of Boston's 76 wins in 1962; 40 of Boston's 76 wins in 1963; 45 of Boston's 72 wins in 1964; and 31 of Boston's 62 wins in 1965. He led the American League in saves in 1962 and 1964 and made the All-Star team in 1963 and 1964.


He was, of course, never "Mr. Radatz" to us. He was just "Dick".

R.I.P., Dick.

And thanks for the memories.