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Radke finishes what he started
Righthander Brad Radke said his farewell to baseball, prompting thanks from grateful Twins officials past and present -- and from a boy with cancer he helped with his charity foundation.
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Share on DiggThis was the basement room at the Metrodome where Kirby Puckett announced his retirement in the summer of 1996, and Tom Kelly announced his retirement in the fall of 2001, and now the task had fallen to Brad Radke.
The room was jammed with a few Twins legends, most Twins employees and much media. For 12 years, Radke was as quiet as any prominent athlete we've had in these parts, but on Tuesday, he bordered on the loquacious in making the retirement announcement.
Early on, he nodded toward Kelly and said: "T.K., being my first manager, he scared me to death ... in a good way, of course."
When Radke's comments were finished, Kelly said from his seat in the audience: "I wish I would have scared a few more. I did a good job of scaring one, anyway."
This caused laughs all around, including from a young man standing along a side wall in this crowded room. He was Nick Nieson, 12, the grandson of Chuck Nieson, a righthander who surfaced with the Twins for two appearances and two innings in 1964.
When his baseball days were over, Chuck stayed in the Twin Cities and raised his family. His son, Mark, now lives in Eden Prairie with his family, including Nick.
Four years ago, Nick was diagnosed with brain cancer. He underwent treatment at Children's Hospital. The organization Cancer Kids put the Niesons in contact with the Radke Family Foundation, a charitable outlet started by Brad and his wife, Heather, five years ago.
The Niesons received a $5,000 donation from the Radke foundation, and a matching $5,000 from the Twins Community Fund. More than that, the Radkes have maintained a personal relationship with Nick and the Niesons.
"I can guarantee you the Radkes are the real deal," Mark said. "Brad and Heather give their time as well as their dollars."
The start of the Radke Family Foundation coincided with Brad signing his first large contract with the Twins. That deal was struck in July 2000, with the Twins in the middle of what would be an eighth consecutive losing season.
Kelly, current manager Ron Gardenhire and General Manager Terry Ryan all have cited that as a turning point for the franchise. Owner Carl Pohlad had gone to the sub-basement with his payroll before agreeing to that four-year, $36 million extension for Radke that would start in 2001.
"Things had been pretty bad around here," Ryan said Tuesday.
Kelly came back for one more season and put the Twins on the right side of .500. Gardenhire has followed by managing the Twins to four playoff appearances in five seasons.
"I thought we had four great chances to make it to the World Series," Radke said to Gardenhire. "Baseball's a funny game. You can't predict what happens ... especially this year, losing three tough games.
"Life goes on, and it's good times."
Baseball and the Twins were going through very bad times when Radke first arrived in a big-league camp in 1995. There had been a players strike that wiped out the 1994 season after Aug. 11, and then there was the replacement-player fiasco in March 1995.
Finally, the real players came to an abbreviated camp in April. Kelly had two established starters in Scott Erickson and Kevin Tapani. Beyond that, it was tryout time.
"If [Ryan] had his choice, Radke wouldn't even have been in camp," Kelly said. "For sure, he didn't want him to pitch in the exhibitions. He knew if we saw him throwing strikes, we'd want to keep him."
Kelly wasn't sure of the team or the hitter, but he did recall his impression from Radke's first appearance that spring. "This lefthanded hitter had been ripping the ball," he said. "The other pitchers that day ... they just took it. Then, this kid, Radke, came in and his first pitch was a fastball in here."
Kelly made a gesture with his right hand buzzing past his chest, and said: "So was his second."
At the end of April, the 22-year-old out of Class AA was headed north as the Twins' fifth starter.
Radke's first big-league appearance was in relief. His next 377 were starts -- all for the Twins.
"I wish I had a ball," Radke said to Gardenhire. "You could take it from me one last time."
Patrick Reusse can be heard weekdays on AM-1500 KSTP at 6:45 and 7:45 a.m. and 4:40 p.m. preusse@startribune.com
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