Dick Radatz died yesterday.

Dick Radatz, whose towering presence and 95-mile-per-hour fastball made
him baseball's most dominant relief pitcher in the mid-1960s and earned
him the unforgettable nickname of "The Monster" in Red Sox lore, died
yesterday when he fell down a flight of stairs in his home in Easton,
according to police.

The 6-foot-5-inch Mr. Radatz, who would have turned 68 April 2, lost
his balance and suffered a severe head injury in the fall, according to
Easton Police Chief Thomas Kominsky.

Mr. Radatz spent the last two years as pitching coach for the
Lynn-based North Shore Spirit, an independent minor league team, and he
was planning to return this spring, according to Spirit manager John
Kennedy, the former Red Sox infielder, even though Mr. Radatz's
considerable girth — his weight approached 400 pounds — made trips to
the mound a rarity.

On the rare occasions that I got to listen to EEI when going to Sox
games, I rember he was frequently on the radio.  A cranky old
bastard; he always cracked me up.

Is it wrong that I barely pay attention to Spring Training?  I did
listen to most of the game yesterday thanks to my trusty XM radio…Sox
hit a lot of homers.  That's about that, I suppose.

One guy I'm rooting to make the team is Josias Manzanillo. 
I saw him in the first ST game of the season that I DID watch, and was
amazed to find out that he was drafted by the Sox in 1983.  He
seems MUCH younger than that.  Do I want him to make the team
because I think he can help?  Nahh..I just think it would be cool
for the old guy to make it.  Totally irrational.

Dick Radatz died yesterday.

Dick Radatz, whose towering presence and 95-mile-per-hour fastball made
him baseball's most dominant relief pitcher in the mid-1960s and earned
him the unforgettable nickname of "The Monster" in Red Sox lore, died
yesterday when he fell down a flight of stairs in his home in Easton,
according to police.

The 6-foot-5-inch Mr. Radatz, who would have turned 68 April 2, lost
his balance and suffered a severe head injury in the fall, according to
Easton Police Chief Thomas Kominsky.

Mr. Radatz spent the last two years as pitching coach for the
Lynn-based North Shore Spirit, an independent minor league team, and he
was planning to return this spring, according to Spirit manager John
Kennedy, the former Red Sox infielder, even though Mr. Radatz's
considerable girth — his weight approached 400 pounds — made trips to
the mound a rarity.

On the rare occasions that I got to listen to EEI when going to Sox
games, I rember he was frequently on the radio.  A cranky old
bastard; he always cracked me up.

Is it wrong that I barely pay attention to Spring Training?  I did
listen to most of the game yesterday thanks to my trusty XM radio…Sox
hit a lot of homers.  That's about that, I suppose.

One guy I'm rooting to make the team is Josias Manzanillo. 
I saw him in the first ST game of the season that I DID watch, and was
amazed to find out that he was drafted by the Sox in 1983.  He
seems MUCH younger than that.  Do I want him to make the team
because I think he can help?  Nahh..I just think it would be cool
for the old guy to make it.  Totally irrational.

{mos_sb_discuss:491}