JetBlue Park - 2012 Spring Training

[VA Sox Fan]

Not true! Some of the greatest nicknames were given by the great sport writers. It is in another sport but the Galloping Ghost and the Four Horseman come to mind. You know who gave Dick Radatz his nickname don't you?

 

Regardless, David Ortiz is always going to be known as Big Papi, as Fisk will be Pudge, Evans will be Dewey etc etc.

 

I do not know who Dick Radatz is or who gave him his nick name.

[mvp 78]

I do not know who Dick Radatz is or who gave him his nick name.

 

I'm not old enough to remember him as a player, but WEEI hasn't been the same since he passed.

[a700hitter]

Regardless, David Ortiz is always going to be known as Big Papi, as Fisk will be Pudge, Evans will be Dewey etc etc.

 

I do not know who Dick Radatz is or who gave him his nick name.

Mickey Mantle

[Elktonnick]

Regardless, David Ortiz is always going to be known as Big Papi, as Fisk will be Pudge, Evans will be Dewey etc etc.

 

I do not know who Dick Radatz is or who gave him his nick name.

 

He was called the "monster". He was the Red Sox first great closer but he pitched more than one innining his stats in the early sixties were tremendous. John Gilhooy the iconic Boston sportwriter of the old Boston Record once wrote that Radatz was the pitcher most likely to throw a "pluperfect" game. I remember the column well. And as I recall it was he who first stuck the nick name monster on Dick Radatz who was also called Moose. But Monster stuck.

 

Gilhooy was legendary for his fights with Ted Williams who tried to get Gilhooy banned from the clubhouse in the fifties.

 

Gilhooy in the early fifties got into a famous feud with another sportwriter for the old Boston American which was the morning paper also owned by the Hearst Corp which owned the Record. Every day they would insult and jab one another. The other writer was named Shantz I think. Anyway some years later Shirley Povitch the hall of fame babeball writer of the Washington Post revealed that Gilhooy and Shantz were the same person. It was all a stunt by the Hearst Corp to sell papers.

[a700hitter]

He was called the "monster". He was the Red Sox first great closer but he pitched more than one innining his stats in the early sixties were tremendous. John Gilhooy the iconic Boston sportwriter of the old Boston Record once wrote that Radatz was the pitcher most likely to throw a "pluperfect" game. I remember the column well. And as I recall it was he who first stuck the nick name monster on Dick Radatz who was also called Moose. But Monster stuck.

 

Gilhooy was legendary for his fights with Ted Williams who tried to get Gilhooy banned from the clubhouse in the fifties.

 

Gilhooy in the early fifties got into a famous feud with another sportwriter for the old Boston American which was the morning paper also owned by the Hearst Corp which owned the Record. Every day they would insult and jab one another. The other writer was named Shantz I think. Anyway some years later Shirley Povitch the hall of fame babeball writer of the Washington Post revealed that Gilhooy and Shantz were the same person. It was all a stunt by the Hearst Corp to sell papers.

I though Mantle pinned that nickname on Radatz. Mantle also pinned Pete Rose with Charlie Hustle. BTW It was meant in a derogatory way.

[a700hitter]

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/mar/18/local/me-radatz18

 

Dick Radatz, 67; Red Sox Relief Pitcher Was Called 'The Monster'

Obituaries

March 18, 2005|From Associated Press

 

Dick Radatz wanted to be a starting pitcher. His minor league manager had different plans.

 

Johnny Pesky turned him into a reliever in 1961 with Seattle of the Pacific Coast League, and Radatz became one of baseball's most dominant relievers in the early '60s with the Boston Red Sox.

 

"The season opens," Pesky said. "We played five games. He's in four of them and he saves all four games. From that time on he liked it."

 

The 67-year-old Radatz, who struck out Mickey Mantle 44 of the 63 times he faced the New York Yankee slugger, died Wednesday after falling down a flight of stairs at his home in Easton, Mass., and suffering a severe head injury, according to police.

 

The Bristol County district attorney's office ruled that Radatz's death was accidental.

 

A native of Detroit, Radatz graduated from Michigan State University, where he was a star basketball and baseball player. Boston signed Radatz before the 1959 season as an amateur free agent.

 

He spent two years with Triple-A Seattle, then joined Boston in 1962 and was managed by Pesky in 1963 and 1964. The right-hander went 49-32 with 104 saves and a 2.66 earned-run average in 286 games with Boston. He had 627 strikeouts in 557 1/3 innings.

 

Pesky, now a special assignment instructor in Boston's spring training camp, recalled on Thursday the time he brought in Radatz to replace pitcher Earl Wilson with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth against the Yankees.

 

"He says [to Wilson], 'Go on in, crack a couple of cold ones. I'll be up in 10 minutes,' " Pesky said. "He strikes out [Roger] Maris, Mantle and the catcher, Elston Howard. Nine pitches. And that was the best pitching I had ever seen."

 

At 6 feet 6 and about 250 pounds, Radatz, who reportedly was first called "The Monster" -- among other things -- by Mantle, was an overpowering reliever.

He holds the major league record for strikeouts in a season by a relief pitcher with 181 in 1964. He struck out five batters in two innings in the 1963 All-Star game and five in 2 2/3 innings in the 1964 All-Star game. He often pitched several innings, unlike modern closers.

 

Infielder Rico Petrocelli played with Radatz from 1963 through 1965, and they remained friends.

 

"There were times when he'd throw seven innings. Then he'd come in for an inning the next day," Petrocelli said. "In his prime, he'd blow guys away. His fastball was overpowering."

 

The Red Sox traded Radatz to Cleveland on June 2, 1966. He later played for the Cubs, Detroit and Montreal. In seven seasons, he was 52-43 with a 3.13 ERA, 122 saves and 745 strikeouts in 693 2/3 innings.

[SoxSport]

He was called the "monster". He was the Red Sox first great closer but he pitched more than one innining his stats in the early sixties were tremendous. John Gilhooy the iconic Boston sportwriter of the old Boston Record once wrote that Radatz was the pitcher most likely to throw a "pluperfect" game. I remember the column well. And as I recall it was he who first stuck the nick name monster on Dick Radatz who was also called Moose. But Monster stuck.

 

Gilhooy was legendary for his fights with Ted Williams who tried to get Gilhooy banned from the clubhouse in the fifties.

 

Gilhooy in the early fifties got into a famous feud with another sportwriter for the old Boston American which was the morning paper also owned by the Hearst Corp which owned the Record. Every day they would insult and jab one another. The other writer was named Shantz I think. Anyway some years later Shirley Povitch the hall of fame babeball writer of the Washington Post revealed that Gilhooy and Shantz were the same person. It was all a stunt by the Hearst Corp to sell papers.

 

I think you are referring to Gilhooly.

 

You gotta love those generations of Irish sportswriters in Boston.Kind of like Irish cops and politicians. They are part of Boston history.

 

The first great Red Sox closer was Ellie Kinder-- in the early 50s. He was a 20 game winner as a starter in the late 40s, but switched to closer in the early 50s. He was their game finisher, and as good as any in baseball at the time. He always pitched better with a hangover--seriously.

[a700hitter]

Actually Whitey Ford pinned Rose with Charlie Hustle

 

During another spring training game against the New York Yankees, Whitey Ford gave him the derisive nickname "Charlie Hustle" after Rose sprinted to first base after drawing a walk. Despite (or perhaps because of) the manner in which Ford intended it, Rose adopted that nickname as a badge of honor. In Ken Burns' documentary Baseball, Mickey Mantle claimed that Ford gave Rose the nickname after Rose, playing in left field, made an effort to climb the fence to try to catch a Mantle home run that everyone could see was headed over everything.

[Elktonnick]

I though Mantle pinned that nickname on Radatz. Mantle also pinned Pete Rose with Charlie Hustle. BTW It was meant in a derogatory way.

 

It is possible that we both could be right if you think about it. Gilhooy could have got it from Mantle. I know he popularized it. Radatz is a monster kind of thing. I don't recall the exact quote. I do recall the exact quote about the pluperfect game. Gilhooy was a force in those days.

[a700hitter]

It is possible that we both could be right if you think about it. Gilhooy could have got it from Mantle. I know he popularized it. Radatz is a monster kind of thing. I don't recall the exact quote. I do recall the exact quote about the pluperfect game. Gilhooy was a force in those days.

For sure someone had to put it in print. The story goes that Mantle was cussing on the way back to the dugout, and one of the printable things he called him was a Monster.

[Elktonnick]

I think you are referring to Gilhooly.

 

You gotta love those generations of Irish sportswriters in Boston.Kind of like Irish cops and politicians. They are part of Boston history.

 

The first great Red Sox closer was Ellie Kinder-- in the early 50s. He was a 20 game winner as a starter in the late 40s, but switched to closer in the early 50s. He was their game finisher, and as good as any in baseball at the time. He always pitched better with a hangover--seriously.

 

Forgot about Kinder and Mike Forneiles. But Radatz was a flamethrower. If you look at his stats you can see why he flamed out. He threw 157 innings one year. If they managed him the way they did Paps he'd have lasted a lot longer. In his day he was more dominant than Papelbon considering the teams he played on and those he had to pitch against.

[Elktonnick]

http://articles.latimes.com/2005/mar/18/local/me-radatz18

 

That's the first I've seen of his obit. And they think Paplebon was great. Paps couldn't hold Radatz's you know what in his day. I saw him pitch. We were sitting in Center field and you could hear the pop in the catchers glove way out there like I'd never heard before or since.

[Thunder]

Ah, spring training. First two games are this Saturday against Northeastern and BC. That will be interesting. Here's my main highlight for the season: I have a date circled for June 16, Sox-Cubs@Wrigley. I'll be there. That's a 6:10 Chicago starting time on Fox on a Saturday night.

[VA Sox Fan]

Ah' date=' spring training. First two games are this Saturday against Northeastern and BC. That will be interesting. Here's my main highlight for the season: I have a date circled for June 16, Sox-Cubs@Wrigley. I'll be there. That's a 6:10 Chicago starting time on Fox on a Saturday night.[/quote']

 

Spring Training...great isn't it?

 

VERY nice about the June 16th game!!!:thumbsup:

[MANNYHOF24]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/luke-scott-calls-red-sox-fans-arrogant-ruthless-235857102.html

 

Luke Scott hates Boston fans.

[Emmz]

Isn't it only proper that some hick who collects guns would also be ignorant enough to classify all Red Sox fans together.

[a700hitter]

There isn't enough rivalry in baseball. I liked the days when the players on each team hated each other as much as the fans did. Good for Scott. He is saying what I have heard myself in Baltimore from Baltimore fans. They hate us down there, even though we account for a good part of their team's revenue. Scott took the side of the hometown fans. Good for him, but why did he wait until he left town to talk about it?

[VA Sox Fan]

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/luke-scott-calls-red-sox-fans-arrogant-ruthless-235857102.html

 

Luke Scott hates Boston fans.

 

He'll hear it worse this season, good job Luke.

 

I also hope that BV starts shutting up a little, he's embarassing and it's only March:

 

What in the world is Bobby Valentine going to say about this? So far, he has tweaked the likes of Terry Francona, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and others with his rapier wit. Now, he might be on the verge of sparring with a man who owns the biggest arsenal of guns and fishing spears in Major League Baseball.

[Elktonnick]

There isn't enough rivalry in baseball. I liked the days when the players on each team hated each other as much as the fans did. Good for Scott. He is saying what I have heard myself in Baltimore from Baltimore fans. They hate us down there' date=' even though we account for a good part of their team's revenue. Scott took the side of the hometown fans. Good for him, but why did he wait until he left town to talk about it?[/quote']

 

I go to several Red Sox games a year in Baltimore. It isn't that the O's fans hate us. It is that they hate their owner for putting on such a poor team that the only people who show up at O's games are Red Sox and Yankees fans. Camden Yards is taken over. They know it isn't our fault but they can't confront Angelos so they resent our presence. We are like an Army of Occupation. We are loud and having a good time. Their team has stunk so they can't.

[ORS]

He'll hear it worse this season, good job Luke.

 

I also hope that BV starts shutting up a little, he's embarassing and it's only March:

 

What in the world is Bobby Valentine going to say about this? So far, he has tweaked the likes of Terry Francona, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and others with his rapier wit. Now, he might be on the verge of sparring with a man who owns the biggest arsenal of guns and fishing spears in Major League Baseball.

I wonder how much of Bobby V's stuff isn't strategic? It's plausible to think he's attempting to relieve pressure (ie attention) from the players in the wake of the embarassing end to last season by putting the pressure on himself.

[VA Sox Fan]

I wonder how much of Bobby V's stuff isn't strategic? It's plausible to think he's attempting to relieve pressure (ie attention) from the players in the wake of the embarassing end to last season by putting the pressure on himself.

 

I didn't think about it in those terms. Hopefully that is the reason because he's coming across as an idiot. Bringing up a Jetesy play from 10 years ago? I hope you are right.

[a700hitter]

I didn't think about it in those terms. Hopefully that is the reason because he's coming across as an idiot. Bringing up a Jetesy play from 10 years ago? I hope you are right.

Why do people hang so much on every word managers say these days. Who cares. Most of them are buffoons in one way or another, and plenty are just plain stupid. Luckily for Casey Stengel that he was not subjected the 24/7 coverage of today. He rarely made any sense when he opened his mouth, but the guy knew the game. It's only important that a manger drills the fundamentals and knows the game, so he doesn't cost his team games.

[a700hitter]

Top of the 2nd, Red Sox 1, Twins 1: Rough inning for Aceves, who threw 26 pitches (17 for strikes). Revere singled and went to third on a one-out double by Tosoni. Benson hit a ball slowly down the third-base line. As Revere scored, Middlebrooks threw to second and caught Tosoni too far off the bag.

[The Boomer]

I wonder how much of Bobby V's stuff isn't strategic? It's plausible to think he's attempting to relieve pressure (ie attention) from the players in the wake of the embarassing end to last season by putting the pressure on himself.

 

You make a good point. As long as he doesn't go after Sox players or the FO, I think that's exactly what happening. It plays to his "strength" of naturally wanting to comment on everything.

[SoxSport]

Whatever Valentine does this spring training, it will be a reflection of what LL and Henry want done.

They are the guys that hired him. Follow the money. I think the FO will have much less impact on the field than it has in the past. To me, it's a boon for the younger players who have a much greater chance to stick than the past. Especially Iglesias and Lavarnway. You figure Bobby V. comes in with an open mind.

 

Meanwhile the Globe, with Cafardo the exception, continues to harp on soap opera themes with Bobby vs Jeter, etc.

[Thunder]

Read a story in my local newspaper this morning about Sox pitcher Aaron Cook, who is only signed to a minor league contract. It talks about his blood clots in his lungs in 2004 with the Rockies and how he recovered to the point where he is fighting for a Red Sox rotation spot. He should replace Bard in the rotation. Anyway, great story.

[seabeachfred]

Forgot about Kinder and Mike Forneiles. But Radatz was a flamethrower. If you look at his stats you can see why he flamed out. He threw 157 innings one year. If they managed him the way they did Paps he'd have lasted a lot longer. In his day he was more dominant than Papelbon considering the teams he played on and those he had to pitch against.

 

I don't know as much about Dick Radatz as you do, but I do remember readin Sport and the Sporting News during that period and some of the stories about "The Monster" were unreal. If they had used him as closers are used today he would be in the Hall of Fame because he would have had a long career, but this guy would come into a game in the sixth innings and throw seeds for four and he did this over and over again. From 1962 until he started fading in 1965 the guy was from another planet. The way he threw hard and the amount of work he did it is surprising he lasted as long as he did as a top flight quality reliever and closer.

[seabeachfred]

Ah' date=' spring training. First two games are this Saturday against Northeastern and BC. That will be interesting. Here's my main highlight for the season: I have a date circled for June 16, Sox-Cubs@Wrigley. I'll be there. That's a 6:10 Chicago starting time on Fox on a Saturday night.[/quote']

 

I'm flying in from California for that series, coming in Thursday and leaving Tuesday. I enjoy coming to Chicago so I wanted to have an extra day and a half to look around and take everything in. The games at Wrigley should be very entertaining.

[Thunder]

I'm flying in from California for that series' date=' coming in Thursday and leaving Tuesday. I enjoy coming to Chicago so I wanted to have an extra day and a half to look around and take everything in. The games at Wrigley should be very entertaining.[/quote']

 

I'm leaving home Friday and returning Monday. I'm just buying tickets for Saturday though. The Cubs haven't put them up for sale yet.

[redsoxfan3]

After practice today, I waited around a little bit and I ended up following a nice white BMW out of the stadium. I didn't really think anything of it. The plates were Mass. and it had a Red Sox logo on it. I come to the red light at Daniels Parkway and I looked at my fiancee and she was like "Do you know who that is? It is Adrian Gonzalez!" I thought it was pretty cool. I waved over to him and he waved back. So far I have been lucky with a lot of autographs this year.

 

I am excited for Saturday. I get to see the first game ever played at JetBlue when they take on Northeastern. I was kind of pissed today. I knew the Sox were playing the Twins in a B game today at Hammond Stadium, but I didn't know it was free. I should have went. I had the entire afternoon off today.