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Richard Raymond Radatz
Detroit Tigers
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 1962-66; Cleveland Indians 1966-67; 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 (#190), Willie McCovey (#440), Duke Snider and Henry Aaron (#100).
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 (#190), Willie McCovey (#440), Duke Snider and Henry Aaron (#100).
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.
Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.
Building the Set / Card #591
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
1969 Season
Radatz spent all of the 1968 season away from the big leagues, appearing in 24 games for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. After a successful season in the minors, and having regained his control, Radatz made the Tigers' opening day roster in 1969. He pitched in 11 games for Detroit, going 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 2/3 innings pitched. On June 15th, his contract was sold to the Expos, and Radatz would pitch in the final 22 games of his career with the expansion team. He was 0-4 with a 5.71 ERA in 22 relief appearances (and three saves) when the Expos released him on August 26th.
Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1962-67, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Fleer Tradition #69
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 51 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (America's Pastime)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. The first place I stopped was a table with well-organized and well-marked binders of commons and semi-stars with 20% Off notes across the front of each binder.
I took my time and found 32 commons and semi-stars needed before asking to see the dealer's star cards from the set. It turned out this first purchase was also my biggest, as I spent over half my allotted budget here, America's Pastime from Fair Lawn, New Jersey, before moving on to my second stop. This was the 32nd of 36 total cards bought from America's Pastime, and the 32nd of 91 cards for set added overall on the day. It cost a little over $6 after the dealer discount, a little pricey in hindsight.
The Card / Tigers Team Set / Accuracy Index -8
Radatz was with the Cubs in 1967, and I'm guessing he's wearing a Cubs jersey here. This is his final appearance in a Topps flagship set. His early career accolades are highlighted in the cartoon and the write-up on the back of the card.
Accuracy Index: Radatz earns a rare, late series -8, and his addition to the Tigers' opening day roster (see below) probably caused Topps to want to include him in the set.
1969 Season
Radatz spent all of the 1968 season away from the big leagues, appearing in 24 games for the Triple-A Toledo Mud Hens. After a successful season in the minors, and having regained his control, Radatz made the Tigers' opening day roster in 1969. He pitched in 11 games for Detroit, going 2-2 with a 3.38 ERA in 18 2/3 innings pitched. On June 15th, his contract was sold to the Expos, and Radatz would pitch in the final 22 games of his career with the expansion team. He was 0-4 with a 5.71 ERA in 22 relief appearances (and three saves) when the Expos released him on August 26th.
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First Mainstream Card: 1962 Topps #591
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (7): 1962-67, 1969
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2003 Fleer Tradition #69
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 51 in the Beckett online database as of 11/8/25.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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