Spicy mulled rumors and deals help to make the off season bright! Happiest holidays to my fellow Bat-Fans.

What a perfect cover for a Christmas card. Nothing better then a shirtless Johan. ;)

Strange that batgirl herself writes batgirl.com instead of bat-girl.com, but I guess I have to wait until 2007 to find out why.

God jul og et godt nytt år!

sooo... How many days until pitchers and catchers report?

Thanks for your efforts this season. I think I came across the site back in the early summer, right before the big surge, and you all (Batgirl plus regular posters) have kept my hand in on the Twins more than reading the STrib every weekday ever had.

I do hope someone will make an addendum to the site after Bradke's retirement announcement.....

The best of holidays to all.

Merry Christmas and the best of new years to y'all; it's been a pleasure sharing the joys and agonies of 2006 with the Batlings. BG, best wishes and let's hope Boofina gets to see her first Twins World Series win in 2007!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. God bless us, every one.

Um.... you might want to share some news tomorrow - because there will be a (much anticipated) major announcement tomorrow from the Twins....... Not to cut your holiday short, but......

Happy Holidays and my wish for a terrific New Year for all of my friends here.

JimCrikket

To quote a friend: "May your seasonal holidays, if you celebrate them, be happy, if you want them to happy."

Happy New Year!

Brad is Rad......Peace on Earth to y'all..........

Yes, as much as I've been dreading tomorrow's event, it's now time to pay final homage to one of the all-time Twins - thanks for everything, Brad. It's been an immense pleasure watching you pitch and seeing the quiet intensity you bring to the game; we're losing a true sportsman. God bless you, and best of luck to you and your family.

hahahaha... nice work with Johan's, uh, "tattoo" on his left upper arm!

Merry Christmas, Fröhliche Weinachten, etc.

JOHAN!!!!!!!!!!! *jumps pic and licks it all up* oh god that pic is so...(drool)

and a Feliz Navidad to all :)

Happy Holidays!

Please pass the spring training fix as soon as possible! :)

Happy Holidays to all of my fellow batlings, as well as to Batgirl, Sooz, Jeb, and all of the other people who make this site possible. I just want to thank them for everything they've done. They really make being a fan interesting. Have a nice New Year everyone!

~TwinsPrincess~

Indeed!!!!

Best to everyone here in 2007. I love this place.

Just terrific!
Happy Holidays to everybody!
(Oh no ... I spoonerized Happy Holidays! D'oh!)

Fortunately, Bradke is timing his retirement announcement in perfect harmony so as to allow several stiff glasses of eggnog to take off the sting.

You will never get Cooperstown, Brad, but you're a Hall of Famer in our book.

Happy Holidays to all...

Hard to celebrate anything until pitchers and catchers report.

DAM

jonny551

Thanks BG and all of you who contributed for another wonderful year of reading. May everyones season be blessed with peace and joy.

IN HONOR OF BRADKE'S PENDING ANNOUNCEMENT...

Once in a great while, there comes a man who embodies virtue. Jesus. Ghandi. Martin Luther King Jr. These men carry themselves to a standard and walk a life that inspires mankind towards a better way. Tragically, these men always seem to be taken too soon, only as their glory is being realized.

And we lost another one of these virtuous souls today in Brad Radke.

A shoulder blown from the weight of carrying a franchise for 12 seasons, the Man has resigned himself to retirement.

Radke’s legacy will live on in the hearts of Minnesotans, even as this particular Minnesotan fights back tears as that comforting #22 fails to take the mound for an 11th Opening Day start.

There was something magical about Brad. Something majestic. Something that transcended the pitcher position, or the game, or this world. His calm focus served to sooth the soul, a beacon of light in many dark years, during many dark stretches.

During the darkest years, and the darkest stretches, there was always hope. Every fifth day, we saw his name on that lineup card, and we knew there was reason for optimism. His surgeon’s precision gave our boys a chance to win every start.

Brad never had the flash of Johan’s changeup. Brad never had the wicked slider of Liriano that left Hall of Famers looking like Little Leaguers. But Brad had his resolve, he had his focus, and he had a dugout of 24 other men standing proudly behind him.

They saw his focus, too. They saw his deep pride, his silent professionalism. They rode high behind his 5 career complete-game-shutouts. They rallied behind him during his final few agonizing months. They looked to him not as a brother, not as a father, but as an icon. As one of those few elite men who can transcend the game. They were his Apostles, his Disciples.

Brad embodied more than a Twins players. He represented more than a 148-139 career record starting pitcher. He embodied all that is good in man. He represented all that is right in this world.

His steadfast commitment to excellence provided us all a blueprint for life. His quiet demeanor showed us all something about humility.

He has finally resigned himself to a retirement of his high school sweetheart, two sons, and fishing boat in Florida. Too young, he is. And yet, that is precisely the kind of man he is. The $55-million/4-year contracts being given right now to men of lesser standing will never make him compromise his sense of duty, honor, and integrity.

Cooperstown will never give him a glance. His legacy will only live on in this who bleed the Twins. But neither was Christ’s message truly recognized during his lifetime.

In the ballparks of St. Paul, as children gather for a Tuesday afternoon little league game, their fathers will reminisce to them about the pillar that was Brad Radke. The kind of man he was, the kind of career he had, the kind of character he displayed.

As Brad grimaced with every excruciating pitch the last few months, those fathers grimaced with him. We begged and pleaded and prayed for him to be well – not for the sake of the team, but for the sake of a man who had done so much for so many and asked so little in return.

Brad never tested the free-agent market to attain the mega-bucks. Brad never spoke a foul word to the media. Brad never questioned his coaches or his teammates. Brad never complained. Brad never demanded a trade – even as Selig spoke of contractions and he was winning 20 of our 68 games on a season.

Brad asked for nothing in return, and yet he gave every ounce of himself. He may never again be able to brush his teeth or hair with his right arm. He may never be able to throw a strike to one of his boys. It is a burden he embraced, the burden of a blown arm, and a ruined back. He did it for us, and asked nothing in return.

I will miss you deeply, Brad Radke. I will miss seeing you take that ball on Opening Day. I will miss seeing your firm jaw as you step back out for another inning. I will miss seeing your rare smile as the boys manage to make you laugh.

But I will never forget you.

fish glue for all!

JohnWayne that was a beautiful and stirring tribute.

Haiku for a Pitcher, Upon His Retirement

Remember that time
You shut out the 'Stros? Me too.
That was awesome, Brad.

As one of the resident "old timers" here that has lived and died with the fortunes of the Twins since 1961, let me just say...

There have been more talented Twins than Brad Radke. There have been more successful Twins than Brad Radke.

Nobody who's worn that uniform worked harder, smarter, or with more dedication than Brad Radke.

And, nobody carried himself with more class.

Thank you, Brad. We all wish you all the best... you've certainly earned it.

JC

I've got a lump in my throat... that was bootiful John Wayne.

I'm going to miss seeing Bradke on the mound. It's always exciting to see a Santana game but it was comforting to get to watch a pitcher that has been around almost as long as I've been watching the Twins.

Thanks Brad.

Just to be safe, learn to cast your line with your left hand... we don't want the right one to come flying off.

JohnWayne, that was beautiful.
in the words of a certain Mr. Gardy, "i'm going to cry now"
and a big THANKYOUOHSOVERYMUCHFROMTHEBOTTOMESTOFMYHEART!!!! to our loveable Mr. Bradke

I like Mr. Radke as much as the next guy, but I think it's a little over the top to compare him to Jesus and Ghandi. I think it suffices to say he was pretty good pitcher, worked hard, and seems like a nice guy. Given the sorry state of pro sports, that's enough.

Strib has Gardy saying some of the very same things as Mr. Wayne and Mr. Crikket: http://www.startribune.com/10103/rich_media/886638.html

No one would have blamed you, Brad, if you had stepped away at the beginning of the season. But you gave the Twins everything including -- literally -- your right arm. Thank you for that, and for 12 wonderful seasons.

How many retiring major leaguers can say they spent their entire career with one team these days? We love you, Brad.

I loved his grit-your-teeth-and-get-through-it attitude. It was so encouraging. I'm going to miss him very much. Thanks for twelve great years, Brad.

I remember discussing the 2001 ALDS with a friend; the A's had a terrific team that year, and they'd just doubled up the Twins at the Dome to go ahead two games to one. My friend said the Twins were finished. I told him, "Maybe, but Oakland's got Hudson going, and they shelled him in game one ... and if it goes five, the Twins have got Brad Radke." On the strength of that, he conceded. On the strength of that, the Twins won the series. Twins fans world-wide are going to miss you, Radke.

Natale allegro e nuovo anno felice i miei amici!

I will save my favourite Brad memory for a separate addio thread. He deserves another one.
But it makes me sad - the only thing constant is change and sometimes it sucks!

molto amore
Wonder Woman

Bradke, you were a prime example of heart in the face of adversity, and you are an admirable human being to boot.

We'll miss you. Much love.

I will miss you Fish-glue you where the glue that held the team together for so many years. I shed a tear today when I heard you say the "R" word but then you said no tears and that this was a happy time I don't really believe you. But I am happy for you. Go play with your kids and hug your wife, you deserve it.
Merry/happy winter/holiday(s).
And thank you bat-girl for being here.

Oh and White is a twin.
http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20061219&content_id=1764632&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

Really it is "more likely" that White will be a Twin nothing official yet, sorry about that.

Happy trails, B-Rad. We'll miss you.

Happy holidays to BG and all the Batlings.

~WC

I'm too far away to do anything - can someone in Minneapolis please head down to the Twins' offices and beg them to NOT sign Sidney "DUI" Ponson? Pleeeeeeeeease??? Man, he's round as Batista and as much trouble as The Boone - that's the last thing we need.

Just heard on WGN Radio (Internet broadcast) that former Twin Randy Bush is joining the Cubs' front office; can't remember what position he'll hold, but they did acknowledge that he was a Twin.

I saw this on another blog. Please forgive me for cheating on Batgirl. I was drunk. Anyway, it's nice to know that others do see the class in which the Twins run their organization. This article came from ESPN, I think.

A view into Twins' intimate culture
posted: Wednesday, December 20, 2006 | Feedback | Print Entry

Brad Radke's retirement press conference didn't turn into the tear-jerker that he seemed to fear. The understated pitcher got a chance to thank friends and family, but he never broke down, and promised that he will never consider a comeback. In the annals of retirement speeches, nothing that was said was particularly memorable.

But if you want to understand some of the reasons why the Twins have been successful over the last decade, in spite of their modest payroll, in spite of once being a theoretical target for contraction, take some time to watch a videotape of Radke's press conference. Listen to how the organization shares, particularly when general manager Terry Ryan takes the microphone (about six minutes into the event).

Using notes that he apparently jotted down, Ryan tells the story of Radke's career. He mentions the draft, and all the players taken ahead of the pitcher. He mentions the area scout who followed Radke. He mentions the team's minor-league director, Jim Rantz. He mentions Radke's managers, his pitching coaches, his catchers. He talks about Radke's wife, Heather, and his children.

If you didn't know better, if you didn't know that Radke was an All-Star who won 148 games and averaged more than 200 innings a year and made more than $60 million in salary during his career, you'd think you were watching a company picnic. The press conference for a Major League Baseball team somehow had all the intimacy of a farewell picnic for a 40-year employee at the local hardware store.

This kind of culture means something. You can't put a number on it, you can't quantify it, you can't always recreate it. But it means something.

For almost two decades, Pat Gillick ran the Toronto Blue Jays in this manner. In my first year of covering the Padres, in 1993, they traded for right fielder Derek Bell, and early in the season, a Blue Jays scout or executive arrived -- I can't recall who it was -- at Jack Murphy Stadium. He was delivering, in person, Derek Bell's championship ring, from the 1992 World Series.

The Blue Jays could have FedEx-ed Derek's ring. They could have waited until the Padres had flown East, before taking him the ring in Cincinnati or Chicago. They could have waited until Bell's agent got on the phone and asked about the whereabouts of the ring (and some teams probably would have waited that long). But the Jays absorbed the cost of the travel for the ring bearer because they thought it was the right thing to do. Joe McIlvaine, the Padres' general manager, was so touched by the gesture at the time that he asked that a pregame ceremony be arranged for the ring presentation.

Not surprisingly, Joe now works for Terry Ryan, who thinks the same way. Ryan siimply could have simply lauded Radke and gone about his daily work of running the baseball operations, calling agents and rival GMs.

But through his glasses, through his slight smile, he took his time and recounted the names of those folks who had shared in Radke's career, who did their jobs and contributed to something that lasted, and was good.

He was doing the work of running the Twins.

BBR: As an FYI, you shouldn't post more than a short exerpt of articles from other sites. To paste an entire article, blog post, etc. is copyright infringement.

My bad. I didn't even think about that. I just copied and pasted off of what somebody else had posted on a different blog. Thank you for the heads up, though.

Oh, and BBR, you need a new name. Jeff's about 56 by now, isn't he? I don't know how much of a real contribution he'd make. He did seem a swell guy, though.

And I have to agree with Kurtis about JohnWayne's post. I'm a huge Brad Radke fan, but he's just a man - not the Son of God. (No mere human can hold up to that kind of comparison.) Radke's not perfect; he's just a really good guy who played baseball very well for 12 seasons. And as for him asking "nothing in return", just remember that, as gritty and as determined as Brad was, he was very well paid. You don't retire to an 18,000-square foot house after having asked for "nothing in return".

Go gently, Black Knight. :(

Hey, Santana Claus believes in BG! :) ::Notes tattoo on El Presidente's arm.::

Batgirl, wherever you are, I had to get my shovels out for the first time this year (for a wet snow that will be gone by tomorrow, oh well, it was fun to shovel).

After thinking for a couple of weeks that Christmas sucks, I got a bunch of nice presents at work. Merry Christmas everyone.

I'm working hard on my iPod. Damn, I love the song by TI: What You Know About That. Way better than Hey Ya. That's saying something.

Brad Radke: my best memory of him is being on some local pre-game show with a t-shirt that said (I can only paraphrase, I have no memory, unfortunately) "I'm the man."

Hell, he was Mr. Opening Day for quite a long time.

Merry Christmas and God bless everyone.

Am I alone in my feelings about our dearly beloved Reb? I thought if we could bring him and Kevin Tapani to shore up our rotation, '07 will be our year.

I always liked Jeff Reboulet. The guy was an uber-utility fielder. In his five years with the Twins, he played every infield and outfield position, including one game as a catcher in 1995. I always thought of him as a one-man bench. Plus, with his .240 lifetime BA, he reminded me alot of myself at the plate.

From the StarTribune, 12/22/06:

"Tired of Christmas music? KSTP (1500 AM) will air a replay of each Twins World Series game from 1987 and 1991 in chronological order beginning at noon Sunday. Those games were originally heard on WCCO"

Here, here, Twayn. Plus the guy had a mustache. You can't beat that.

Thank you, JohnWayne, for doing for me what the Strib couldn't do today with their Bradke 'obit,' which I happened to read first. I'm still tearing up, and now won't be able to sleep. And I don't mind the Jesus- and Ghandi-comparisons, as, to many of us, he was more than a man.

My pleasure mycokes.

Obviously, I utilized hyperbole. To anyone who thought I was seriously putting him on par with the Son of God, I mean no disrespect, and you're just taking me a bit too literally.

Happy everything to everyone. I love this site forever. Thanks to BG and her team for their dedication.

And, of course, to Brad Radke, who embodies the things that truly make this game beautiful. You will be missed, Brad. But you have given your heart to the game and no one can ask for more. Now go fish and hold your children and do things right-handed again.

Happy Holidays, everyone!

Happy Holidays to batlings near and far...

And I like when, while out doing last minute shopping on 12/24, I have to wait in my car listening to the radio until I hear Dan Gladden hit a grand slam...

Merry Merry, all!

Hello. trpp2 [url=http://www.trahnu3.com] trpp3[/url] Thanks

Congratulations to the StarTribune's Sportsperson of the Year for 2006:

The Minnesota Twins Organization!!!

http://www.startribune.com/509/story/896357.html

Heraldguy,

I was SUPER PSYCHED about that, too! That was, like, the best Christmas present I could have asked for...well, aside from TwinsFest tickets (which I DID end up getting).

See you in 2007, batlings.

Affectionately,
TwinsPrincess

Hey! You have probably seen this if you have frequented the Twins website, but I thought I'd post the link here. I thought this was funny, especially the part about Red Dog admiring LNP's green speedo.

http://minnesota.twins.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jspymd=20061220&content_id=1765223&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp&c_id=min

Now that Zito's a Giant, the Twins have the best looking starter-closer combo in the Majors. El Presidente and his VP have been a close second to the deadly combo of Zito and Street, but now there is no question.

Santana/Nathan combo was the deadliest combo even before Zito moving imo.

I totally agree, Nora. Zito hasn't been NEARLY as effective as Santana for some time (and what the Giants are paying him is flat out obscene) and Street has no clear advantage over Nathan.

I do have to agree with Erin that, while they were a duo, Zito & Street were dominant in terms of pure sexiness, with El Presidente and the Veep breathing down their necks. But now our resident pair can enjoy unchallenged supremecy not only in pitching (which was, of course, true all along), but pure studliness. MA HA HA HA HA!! The empire expands!

SG at 'Replacement Level Yankees Blog' took the CHONE projections and ran them through Diamond Mind baseball's simulator to project the season with the current rosters. He's got the Twins winning the Central, and predicts they'll have MLB's best pitching. Also tied for baseball's second-best record.

Your mileage may vary.

luis rivas is back in the al central:

http://mlb.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20070102&content_id=1771893&vkey=hotstove2006&fext=.jsp

Luis Rivas, back from the dead. Wow. Life just keeps getting weirder.