Brad Radke

[Brock Beauchamp]

Brad Radke is one of the most underrated players in Twins history. He's third in Twins history (excluding any Senators players) in pitcher wins and fourth in innings pitched. Only Bert Blyleven is consistently ahead of him in most counting stats since the franchise moved to Minneapolis in 1961.

Radke was born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin but before you consider him a "hometown" guy, note that his family moved to Florida when he was a very small child. He graduated from Jesuit High School in Tampa, Florida and was drafted by the Minnesota Twins in the eighth round of the 1991 MLB Draft. Never considered a top prospect by Baseball America, Radke quietly progressed through the Twins' farm system, posting a 3.20 minor-league ERA.

He was called up to the Twins in 1995 and made his MLB debut on April 29 against the Baltimore Orioles. He struggled through the 1995 season but the Twins were a bad team and gave Radke slack to figure out MLB hitters. He ended the season with 181 innings pitched and a 5.32 ERA (91 ERA+).

He took steps forward in 1996, becoming an above-average starting pitcher. But in the 1997 season, Radke broke out in a big way. He started 35 games that season (winning 20 of them) and pitched to a 3.87 ERA (120 ERA+) on his way to third-place in the Cy Young Award voting after the season. This paved the way to Radke becoming one of the great workhorses in Twins history, pitching over 200 innings per season nine out of the next ten years.

As the Twins struggled through the late 90s and into the early 2000s, it was tempting to consider trading Radke. The Twins received multiple offers from several teams but stuck by their top pitcher. Most of baseball expected Radke to be traded during the 2000 season but General Manager Terry Ryan continued to negotiate with Radke's camp and in July, they reached an agreement on a club-record four year, $36 million extension.

As Radke aged into his 30s, the wear and tear on his arm began to show. By his standards, he struggled a bit through the 2002 and 2003 seasons but returned to form in 2004, posting a 3.48 ERA (136 ERA+, a career high). Following that season, it was again speculated that he would leave Minnesota but Radke signed another contract with the Twins, this time for two years. As it turns out, this contract would take Radke through the rest of his career.

As the Twins became a perennial contender in the 2000s, it was Radke who provided the stabilizing force in the rotation. But in 2006, a torn labrum would prove to be the final straw for Radke. He pitched through incredible pain that season but stayed on the mound and finished with 162 innings pitched. He also started one postseason game against the Oakland Athletics, going four innings and allowing three earned runs. It was the last game Radke would pitch in a major league uniform.

Following the season and citing that the arm injuries sapped his desire to play the game, Radke retired. He was only 33 years old when his pitched his final game for the Twins.

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