The Players
Dick Radatz — a big man for the Sox and Jimmy Fund
Dick Radatz, the Boston Red Sox relief ace whose powerful physique and fastball earned him the nickname "The Monster" during and after his 1960s heyday, was in fact a gentle giant whose generosity extended to many friends and charities — including The Jimmy Fund.
Radatz died March 16, 2005, from severe head injuries caused when he fell down a flight of stairs at his home in Easton, Mass. He would have turned 68 on April 2, 2005.
At 6-feet-5 and well over his 230-pound playing weight, Radatz was tough to miss at Jimmy Fund events, and he was always gracious in talking with his many fans. His trademark husky laugh was especially familiar to attendees at Jimmy Fund Golf tournaments, where Radatz was a longtime regular. In 1986, he earned the "Jimmy Award" as the individual who did the most for the Golf Program that year.
"He was a good friend to me and a great friend to the Jimmy Fund," says Jimmy Fund Chairman Mike Andrews. "While he was playing and in the years that followed, he was always available to help us. He was a very well-spoken guy who could carry the Dana-Farber message in radio interviews or in person as well as anybody. He went out on many speaking engagements for us, and would send his fee in to the Jimmy Fund as a donation."
Andrews, a former Red Sox second baseman, says that Radatz was "arguably the most dominant right-handed reliever in Red Sox history for a brief period of time." With a fastball that could reach 95 miles per hour or faster, and pinpoint control, Radatz compiled statistics his first three seasons that are even more incredible considering the poor teams he played on.
He won or saved 33 of Boston's 76 wins in his rookie season of 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 — when he went 16-9 with 29 saves and 181 strikeouts — still a major league record for a pitcher hurling exclusively in relief. His career fizzled out after 1965, but he still ranks second on the Sox all-time list of saves leaders with 104.
Radatz's "Monster" nickname was alleged to have come from New York Yankees slugging great Mickey Mantle, who reportedly struck out 12 times in 16 times at-bat against him. In one memorable 1963 game, Radatz came in in the ninth inning against the Yankees and struck out Mantle, Roger Maris, and Elston Howard — the previous three American League Most Valuable Players — on a total of 10 pitches. He then thrust his arms over his head, a move that instantly became his trademark.
