Spartan Baseball To Honor 1971 Team, Dick Radatz
5/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Baseball
May 11, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State baseball program will celebrate the 35th Anniversary of the 1971 Big Ten Championship team on Sunday, May 21. As part of the regular-season series finale with Illinois (May 19-21), the '71 team will be recognized prior to Sunday's contest at Kobs Field. On Monday, May, 22, the MSU Bullpen Club will host the annual baseball banquet, naming the late Dick Radatz as the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.
Compiling a 36-10 overall record and a 13-3 mark in Big Ten play, the 1971 MSU baseball team captured just the second Big Ten title in school history. Heavy hitting was the Spartans' trademark, as the team boasted a .307 batting average, to go along with a 2.68 ERA. The '71 title was the first for Michigan State since 1954, and the first of two championships won under the direction of legendary head coach Danny Litwhiler.
The Michigan State baseball banquet, hosted by the MSU Bullpen Club, will take place on Monday, May 22 at the LaSalle Bank Club in Spartan Stadium. A social hour begins at 5 pm, with dinner starting at 6 pm and the program at 7 pm. A silent auction of MSU memorabilia and sports collectables is scheduled to be held as well. The 2006 senior class will be recognized, and Dick Radatz Jr. will accept the Distinguished Alumnus of the Year award, on behalf of his father, former major-leaguer and Spartan standout Dick Radatz, Sr.
Radatz was a three-year starter for the Spartan baseball team (1957-59), and spent seven years in the major leagues. A right-handed pitcher, Radatz compiled an overall record of 17-4 at Michigan State and a 1.12 ERA in the 1959 season, serving as captain that same year.
Signed as an amateur free agent by the Boston Red Sox in 1959, Radatz filled the role as a reliever and earned the nickname "The Monster" for his overpowering fastball. Set in 1964, Radatz still holds the major league mark for strikeouts in a season by a relief pitcher with 181. In his seven-year stint in the majors, Radatz saw time with Boston, Cleveland, Detroit, the Chicago Cubs and Montreal, totaling a 52-43 record with 122 saves and a 3.13 ERA. Until his passing in 2005, Radatz provided baseball commentary and sports talk.
Tickets for the 2006 banquet are $40 and may be purchased by contacting the Michigan State baseball office at (517) 355-4486 or contacting Eric Rosekrans, MSU Bullpen Club president at (517) 319-9209.