Brad Radke
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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|---|---|
| Minnesota Twins — No. 22 | |
| Pitcher | |
| Bats: Right | Throws: Right |
| Major League Baseball debut | |
| April 29, 1995 for the Minnesota Twins | |
| Selected MLB statistics (through 2006) |
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| Wins-Losses | 148-139 |
| ERA | 4.22 |
| Strikeouts | 1467 |
Brad Radke (born October 27, 1972), is a former Major League Baseball pitcher for the Minnesota Twins.
Contents |
[edit] Biography
Radke was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and graduated from Jesuit High School of Tampa where he was known as a scholar-athlete.
Radke was not considered a top prospect before being drafted in the 8th round of the 1991 amateur draft by the Twins. Once he was in the majors though, he was valued highly and the Twins were offered a large amount of talent for him, but they never gave him up.
In his debut season (1995), he finished 11-14 with a 5.32 ERA. It was not a great start, and he vowed to improve as a pitcher. He did just that in the next two years. In 1997, he finished an excellent season with a 20-10 record (including a streak of 12 wins in 12 starts) and a 3.87 ERA. He finished the year with 239 innings pitched, 4th most in the league.
For the past 9 years, he has been known as one of the most consistent pitchers in the game. Besides his debut season (5.32), he never finished above a 5.00 ERA. Besides his 2004 season (3.48), he has never finished below a 3.50 ERA. In his career, he is a solid 127-118 with an overall ERA of 4.23.
He is 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.
Radke has hinted that he may retire following the 2006 season, citing a torn labrum (through which he has been pitching the 2006 season). An official announcement has yet to be given. A stress fracture in his shoulder suffered in late August has sidelined him as of September 2. On September 12, he threw catch from a distance of 110 feet (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 season and the Twins' playoff drive, and even more important with Francisco Liriano's season appearing to be over with the reappearance of pain in his left elbow on September 13. On September 28, Radke returned to action, pitching five innings and surrendering one unearned run, earning no decision in a 2-1 Twins victory over the Kansas City Royals. It was Radke's last regular season start. He pitched in the third game of the division series against the Oakland Athletics, giving up four runs on two two-run home runs in four innings. Most everyone believes that this is Brad Radke's last major league appearance.
[edit] Career statistics
| SEASON | TEAM | G | GS | CG | SHO | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | W | L | ERA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1995 | MIN | 29 | 28 | 2 | 1 | 181.0 | 195 | 112 | 107 | 32 | 47 | 75 | 11 | 14 | 5.32 |
| 1996 | MIN | 35 | 35 | 3 | 0 | 232.0 | 231 | 125 | 115 | 40 | 57 | 148 | 11 | 16 | 4.46 |
| 1997 | MIN | 35 | 35 | 4 | 1 | 239.2 | 238 | 114 | 103 | 28 | 48 | 174 | 20 | 10 | 3.87 |
| 1998 | MIN | 32 | 32 | 5 | 1 | 213.2 | 238 | 109 | 102 | 23 | 43 | 146 | 12 | 14 | 4.30 |
| 1999 | MIN | 33 | 33 | 4 | 0 | 218.2 | 239 | 97 | 91 | 28 | 44 | 121 | 12 | 14 | 3.75 |
| 2000 | MIN | 34 | 34 | 4 | 1 | 226.2 | 261 | 119 | 112 | 27 | 51 | 141 | 12 | 16 | 4.45 |
| 2001 | MIN | 33 | 33 | 6 | 2 | 226.0 | 235 | 105 | 99 | 24 | 26 | 137 | 15 | 11 | 3.94 |
| 2002 | MIN | 21 | 21 | 2 | 1 | 118.1 | 124 | 64 | 62 | 12 | 20 | 62 | 9 | 5 | 4.72 |
| 2003 | MIN | 33 | 33 | 3 | 1 | 212.1 | 242 | 111 | 106 | 32 | 28 | 120 | 14 | 10 | 4.49 |
| 2004 | MIN | 34 | 34 | 1 | 1 | 219.2 | 229 | 92 | 85 | 23 | 26 | 143 | 11 | 8 | 3.48 |
| 2005 | MIN | 31 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 200.2 | 214 | 98 | 90 | 33 | 23 | 117 | 9 | 12 | 4.04 |
| 2006 | MIN | 28 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 162.1 | 197 | 87 | 78 | 24 | 32 | 83 | 12 | 9 | 4.32 |
| Total | 378 | 377 | 37 | 10 | 2451.0 | 2643 | 1233 | 1150 | 326 | 445 | 1467 | 148 | 139 | 4.22 |
- Statistics through 2006 season
[edit] Batting
Being in the AL, interleague play has only forced him to bat 29 times. He has 3 hits, a .130 batting average. He has 0 walks, but 2 sacrifice hits.
[edit] Postseason
Before the 2002 season, his Twins team was generally one of the lesser teams of the league. However, from 2002 to 2004, they made the playoffs each year. His postseason totals are very solid with an overall 3.19 ERA in 31 innings pitched.
His best postseason series was his first, against Oakland. He started 2 games out of the 5, winning both with a 1.54 ERA. Radke only gave up 1 run in the deciding game of the series before the 5-1 Twins lead was almost squandered in the 9th, when Eddie Guardado gave up 3 runs. But the Twins won 5-4 and advanced to the 2002 American League Championship Series. He would go on to lose the only game he pitched against the Angels, but shut them out for the first 6 innings of that game. In the end, the Twins bullpen and offense failed and they lost 7-1 and lost the series 4-1.
He is 2-2 overall in the postseason.
As of Aug. 6, 2006, he has pitched 2414 career innings.
[edit] The Retirement
Following his loss in Game 4 of the ALDS and the Twins 2006 Postseason elimination he is expected to retire. Radke had pitched in the postseason despite a torn shoulder socket.
[edit] Highlights
- All-Star (1998)
- Led league in strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.27-to-1, 2001)
- 7th in the league in strikeouts (174, 1997)
- 2nd in the league in complete games (six, 2001, tied with Mark Mulder, behind only Steve Sparks)
- Ranks #16 in strikeout to walk ratio, #7 among active players (3.249/1) All-time SO/BB leaderboard from BaseballReference.com
- Ranks #38 in lowest walks per nine innings pitched ratio (1.681), #1 among active players All-time lowest BB/9IP leaderboard from BaseballReference.com
[edit] External links
- Brad Radke - statistics and profile
