Big Bad Rad Brad Radke

[First Ice-Mike]

I was watching the game last night when Brad came up to the booth for an inning....... This guy is one on the classiest athletes is all of sports. I hope everyone appreciates what this guy has done for Minnesota - from his playing career to his and his wife's foundation this family has been a huge asset to our state. Plus he's a huge fisherman!! Maybe when his kids are all grown he'll think about returning as a pitching coach - hopefully with the Twins.

FI

[TNFL]

Gotta love Ra"D"ke!

[Eric Wettschreck]

Way back when people were calling for Bradkes head on a platter I was standing behind the dude. He was THE backbone of the Twins rotation and he will be missed.

He was THE control master. Any good pitcher can bring the cheesey. A great pitcher knows when he's lost a few MPH's and makes up with finesse. AKA Brad Radke.

I hope he comes back to MN as a pitching coach, after Rick Anderson retires that is.

[Jarrod32]

Remember the off-season with the talk of contraction, and that the Twins would be eliminated as a team? Radke had a player option that year...he could have simply become a free agent by saying the word.

But he exercised his option to remain with the Twins. Had the team been contracted, he would have been open to the contraction draft and would almost certainly have been one of the first few players taken...likely by a bad team (as they would have drafted first).

That was a defining moment for him, in my mind. And a testament to the Twins organization.

[Scott M]

Jarrod, good point! That had never occured to me. Radke really was a control master as he got older. He is a pretty darn good example athlete for kids to look up to, when that sort of thing is so rare these days.

[Muskycrazy]

I loved Radtke , no doubt . After he got out of the 1st , he was fine . Would have been fun if , when he tossed out the 1st pitch the other day , he would have wild thinged it or something . Maybe he'll be back .

[Spinner1]

They honored him a few minutes before opening game. Santana and Mauer stopped warming up to applaud him. (As they should have) You could tell him team mates really respect Brad.