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Richard Raymond Radatz
Boston Red Sox
Pitcher
Born: April 2, 1937, Detroit, MI
Signed: Signed by the Boston Red Sox as an amateur free agent, June 1959
Major League Teams: Boston Red Sox 1962-1966; Cleveland Indians 1966-1967; Chicago Cubs 1967; Detroit Tigers 1969; Montreal Expos 1969
Died: March 16, 2005, Easton, MA (age 67)
Relief specialist Dick Radatz was one of the game's original and top closers in the early 1960s, earning spots on two All-Star teams and leading the league in saves in his rookie season of 1962 and again in 1964. Radatz was arguably the game's top reliever during the first three years of his big league career. He finished third in the 1962 Rookie of the Year voting, and was named the league's Fireman of the Year by The Sporting News. Radatz was 9-6 with a 2.24 ERA with a league leading 62 appearances and 24 saves that season. He saved 23 games in 1963, becoming the first pitcher ever with back-to-back 20-save seasons. Radatz enjoyed a career-year in 1964, going 16-9 with a 2.29 ERA while leading the league with 67 appearances and 29 saves. He struck out a career-best 181 over 157 innings pitched. He recorded 10 strikeouts in his two All-Star Game appearances, with his victims including Willie Mays (#250), Willie McCovey (#176), Duke Snider and Henry Aaron (#170).
Radatz recorded his fourth and final season of at least 20 saves in 1965, and his output steadily declined thereafter. He pitched four more seasons, bouncing around somewhat, before making a final 22 appearances with the Expos in 1969. For his career, Radatz was 52-43 with a 3.13 ERA and 120 saves. He recorded 745 strikeouts over 381 games and 693 2/3 innings pitched. He was Boston's original all-time saves leader and his 104 saves while with the Red Sox are currently fourth on their all-time list. Radatz was inducted into the Boston Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.
Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #552
The Card / Red Sox Team Set
Radatz has the same serious expression on each of his Topps flagship cards issued throughout the 1960s. The cartoon on the back celebrates his five strikeouts from the 1963 All-Star Game, but neglects to mention he repeated the feat at the 1964 All-Star Game. Radatz also surrendered the game-winning, three-run home to Johnny Callison (#310) in the bottom of the ninth in that game, sending the National League to a 7-4 victory. His 79 appearances in 1964 were second to the Athletics' John Wyatt (#590), who had 81.
1965 Season
Radatz was 9-11 with a 3.91 ERA and a team-leading 22 saves, which is impressive given the Red Sox lost 100 games. He appeared in 63 games, striking out 121 over 124 1/3 innings pitched.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1962-1967, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Fleer Tradition #69
51 - Radatz non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Building the Set
March 6, 2022 from The Philly Show (Sports Cards Plus - Cooper City, FL) - Card #552
This is the 68th of 102 cards acquired for our set from the Baseball Card Sports Memorabilia Show, affectionately known as The Philly Show, held in the basement of the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia in early March. We went nuts and left the show needing only 12 more cards to complete our 1965 Topps set, and I wrote about the show in detail over at The Phillies Room. After our 51 card haul from Uncle Dick's, and with more card spending budget still in place, I set out to find another dealer with a binder of 1965 Topps cards with reasonable prices. I had purchased cards from Sports Cards Plus before, finding the last few cards needed for our 1971 Topps set from this dealer back in December 2019.
Settling in, we found 37 commons, semi-stars and team cards needed for our set, including this Radatz card, with the average price per card working out to around $6. After paying for this mini haul, we were officially 13 cards away from a complete set, with one more purchase coming to end the day.
The Card / Red Sox Team Set
Radatz has the same serious expression on each of his Topps flagship cards issued throughout the 1960s. The cartoon on the back celebrates his five strikeouts from the 1963 All-Star Game, but neglects to mention he repeated the feat at the 1964 All-Star Game. Radatz also surrendered the game-winning, three-run home to Johnny Callison (#310) in the bottom of the ninth in that game, sending the National League to a 7-4 victory. His 79 appearances in 1964 were second to the Athletics' John Wyatt (#590), who had 81.
1965 Season
Radatz was 9-11 with a 3.91 ERA and a team-leading 22 saves, which is impressive given the Red Sox lost 100 games. He appeared in 63 games, striking out 121 over 124 1/3 innings pitched.
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First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1962-1967, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Fleer Tradition #69
51 - Radatz non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 8/9/22.
Sources:
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database
SABR
The Trading Card Database
Wikipedia
Previous Card: #294 Tim McCarver - St. Louis Cardinals
Previous Card: #294 Tim McCarver - St. Louis Cardinals
Next Card: #296 Tony Taylor - Philadelphia Phillies
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