Scott David Radinsky (born March 3, 1968) is an American
left-handed
In human biology, handedness is an individual's preferential use of one hand, known as the dominant hand, due to it being stronger, faster or more dextrous. The other hand, comparatively often the weaker, less dextrous or simply less subjecti ...
former
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed because of fatigue (medical), fatigue, ineffectiveness, injury, or ejection (sports), ejection, or for other strategic ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
, who had an 11-year career from – and –. Radinsky is also the lead singer of the
punk rock band
Pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
, former lead singer of the bands
Scared Straight and
Ten Foot Pole
Ten Foot Pole (formerly Scared Straight) is an American punk rock band.
History
Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 under the name Scared Straight.
Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a ...
and co-owner of the skate park which houses the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
Radinsky finished his playing career with a 42–25 record, a 3.44
ERA
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Comp ...
, and 358
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It usually means that the batter is out. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters, and is deno ...
s in innings pitched. Radinsky also only gave up 33
home run
In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...
s throughout his career, an average of 1 every 14.5 innings. He won the 1995
Tony Conigliaro Award
The Tony Conigliaro Award is a national recognition instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honor the memory of Tony Conigliaro. It is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best "overcomes an obstacle and adversity throu ...
.
Early and personal life
Radinsky was born in
Glendale, California
Glendale is a city in the San Fernando Valley and Verdugo Mountains regions of Los Angeles County, California, Los Angeles County, California, United States. At the 2020 United States Census, 2020 U.S. Census the population was 196,543, up from ...
, later lived in
Simi Valley, California
Simi Valley (; Chumash: ''Shimiyi'') is a city in the valley of the same name in the southeast region of Ventura County, California, United States. Simi Valley is from Downtown Los Angeles, making it part of the Greater Los Angeles Area. The ...
, and is Jewish.
[Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz]
''The Big Book of Jewish Baseball''
/ref> His parents were Marshall L. Radinsky (from West Virginia
West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the Bur ...
) and Barbara (Kornetsky) Radinsky (from Boston
Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...
).["Scott Radinsky" , Society for American Baseball Research]
/ref>
He graduated from Simi Valley High School
Simi Valley High School (SVHS) is a public high school in Simi Valley, California. The school is part of the Simi Valley Unified School District and is located on the east side of the city.
History
Simi Valley High School was established in 1920 ...
, for whom he played baseball, in Simi Valley, in 1986.[Peter S. Horvitz, Joachim Horvitz]
''The Big Book of Jewish Baseball''
/ref>["Scott Radinsky" , Society for American Baseball Research]
/ref> In his senior year in high school, he was 14-1 with an ERA of 0.72, and had 180 strikeouts in 100.1 innings.
Baseball career
Radinsky was originally drafted by the Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and p ...
at the age of 18 in the third round in 1986
The year 1986 was designated as the International Year of Peace by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** Aruba gains increased autonomy from the Netherlands by separating from the Netherlands Antilles.
**Spain and Portugal ente ...
out of Simi Valley High School.
Minor leagues
Radinsky pitched in the minor leagues from 1986–1989, and parts of later years. In 1989, he had 31 saves, a 1.75 ERA, and averaged 5.7 hits allowed and 12.1 strikeouts per 9 innings pitched as he was voted a Midwest League
The Midwest League is a Minor League Baseball league established in 1947 and based in the Midwestern United States. A Class A league for most of its history, the league was promoted to High-A as part of Major League Baseball's 2021 reorganizat ...
All Star.
Chicago White Sox
He made his major league debut for the White Sox on April 9, 1990, retiring the one batter he faced ( Greg Brock of the Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are an American professional baseball team based in Milwaukee. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division. The Brewers are named for t ...
) on a pop up to short. He was the first pitcher in six years—since Dwight Gooden
Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), nicknamed "Dr. K" and "Doc", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden pitched from 1984 to 1994 and from 1996 to 2000 for the N ...
—to go straight from Single A to the Major Leagues. He picked up the win with innings of relief the following day. He was unconventional; he blasted punk music in the clubhouse, rode his bicycle to and from Comiskey Park
Comiskey Park was a baseball park in Chicago, Illinois, located in the
Armour Square neighborhood on the near-southwest side of the city. The stadium served as the home of the Chicago White Sox of the American League from 1910 through 1990. Buil ...
, was a fan favorite, and was known as his teammates as "Rad." He told a sportswriter: " I love the five minutes I'm actually in the game. Those five minutes are why I come to the ballpark and put up with the writers, the dress code, the team meetings, the authority of the dugout, the major corporation that is baseball."
In 1990, he posted a record of 6–1 with four saves in his rookie season.
From that point through 1993, he was a fixture in a White Sox bullpen
In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if t ...
that also included hardthrowing Bobby Thigpen
Robert Thomas "Bobby" Thigpen (born July 17, 1963) is a former relief pitcher in Major League Baseball. He is noted for setting the major league record of 57 saves during the season, which has since been broken by former Los Angeles Angels of An ...
and Roberto Hernández.
In 1991, Radinsky enjoyed his finest year with the White Sox, going 5–5 with 8 saves and a 2.02 ERA. He was 10th in the league with 67 appearances.[Scott Radinsky Stats , Baseball-Reference.com]
/ref> He held batters to a .116 batting average with runners in scoring position
In the sport of baseball, a baserunner is said to be in scoring position when they are on second or third base. The distinction between being on first base and second or third base is that a runner on first can usually only score if the batter h ...
.
In 1992, he was seventh in the AL, pitching in 68 games, and had a 2.73 ERA and a career-high 15 saves. In 1993, he was second in the league, pitching in 73 games, and won a career-high eight games while saving four.[
During the 1993–94 off-season, he was diagnosed with ]Hodgkin's Disease
Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is a type of lymphoma, in which cancer originates from a specific type of white blood cell called lymphocytes, where multinucleated Reed–Sternberg cells (RS cells) are present in the patient's lymph nodes. The condition wa ...
, a type of lymphoma
Lymphoma is a group of blood and lymph tumors that develop from lymphocytes (a type of white blood cell). In current usage the name usually refers to just the cancerous versions rather than all such tumours. Signs and symptoms may include enlar ...
. The treatment for the disease forced Radinsky to miss the entire 1994 baseball season.[ He remembered:
]Oh, it sucks to have a doctor tell you that you have cancer, but in the same breath, he told me that with aggressive treatment they can treat this particular disease. Thank God I didn't have Internet back then, so I couldn't get all wrapped up in it. I didn't have access to see how bad it could be. They told me I had to go through six months of this and five weeks of that, and that's all I really looked at: the end.
He underwent surgery at Sarasota Memorial Hospital
Sarasota Memorial Hospital (SMH) is an 839-bed health care facility located in Sarasota, Florida. The hospital was founded in 1925, and is a level II trauma center.
History
Early years
Local residents started to raise funds for the hospital in ...
, and months of radiation therapy
Radiation therapy or radiotherapy, often abbreviated RT, RTx, or XRT, is a therapy using ionizing radiation, generally provided as part of cancer treatment to control or kill malignant cells and normally delivered by a linear accelerator. Radia ...
and chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemotherap ...
. During spring training in 1994 his White Sox teammates wore a patch of Radinsky's # 31 on their jersey.
In his 1995 return to the White Sox, his ERA ballooned to 5.45, prompting the White Sox to release him after the season. In December 1995 Radinsky was honored with the Tony Conigliaro Award
The Tony Conigliaro Award is a national recognition instituted in 1990 by the Boston Red Sox to honor the memory of Tony Conigliaro. It is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best "overcomes an obstacle and adversity throu ...
.
Los Angeles Dodgers
His release from the Sox paved the way for his return home to Southern California
Southern California (commonly shortened to SoCal) is a geographic and Cultural area, cultural region that generally comprises the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. It includes the Los Angeles metropolitan area, the second most po ...
to play for the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, with whom he signed as a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in January 1996. He enjoyed three excellent years (1996–98) in Los Angeles, with his ERA never exceeding 2.89. Out of the bullpen, he worked as a set-up pitcher for Todd Worrell
Todd Roland Worrell (born September 28, 1959) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher. He played all or part of eleven seasons for the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers of Major League Baseball, serving as those team ...
and Jeff Shaw
Jeffrey Lee Shaw (born July 7, 1966) is an American former professional baseball relief pitcher, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Cleveland Indians and Chicago White Sox of the American League (AL), and the Montreal Expos, Cinci ...
, the Dodgers' closers. Radinsky's home-town status, excellent on-the-field performance, blue collar
A blue-collar worker is a working class person who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled labor. The type of work may involving manufacturing, warehousing, mining, excavation, electricity generation and powe ...
attitude, and at times fiery personality made him an instant fan favorite in Los Angeles. For the 1996 season, he was 5-1 with a 2.41 ERA.
In 1997, he pitched in a career-high 75 games,[ 7th in the NL, and was 5-1 with a 2.89 ERA.] However, after the 1998 season, in which he was 6-6 with 13 saves and a 2.63 ERA, the Dodgers and Radinsky decided to cut ties.
St. Louis Cardinals
He went on to play for the St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...
, with whom he signed as a free agent in November 1998. He was in 43 games in 1999, with a 4.88 ERA.
Cleveland Indians
He then pitched for the Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive F ...
, with whom he signed as a free agent
In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...
in January 2001. He injured his pitching elbow in his first game with the Indians, requiring Tommy John surgery
Ulnar collateral ligament reconstruction, colloquially known as Tommy John surgery (TJS), is a surgical graft procedure where the ulnar collateral ligament in the medial elbow is replaced with either a tendon from elsewhere in the patient's bo ...
.[ After rehabilitating the elbow, he then returned to make two major league appearances in 2001 before retiring.] He played his final major league game for the Indians on October 5, 2001, and retired in early 2002, at 34 years of age.
Coaching career
Radinsky rejoined the Cleveland Indians organization in 2005 as a pitching coach for the South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...
's Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a Minor League Baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland, that plays in the Midwest League as the High-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians.
The Captains joined the Class A Midwest League following t ...
. He held the same post in 2006 with the Double-A Akron Aeros
The Akron RubberDucks are a Minor League Baseball team based in Akron, Ohio. The team, which plays in the Eastern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They play in Canal Park, located in downtown Akron, which seats 7,630 ...
. In 2007, he was promoted by the Indians to serve as the pitching coach for the Buffalo Bisons
The Buffalo Bisons (known colloquially as the Herd) are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League and the Triple-A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays. Located in Buffalo, New York, the team plays their home games at Sahlen Fiel ...
. in 2009 he was the coach of the Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...
for the third straight season.[
On November 16, 2009, Radinsky was named as bullpen coach for the Indians major league club for the 2010 season.
On October 14, 2011, it was announced that Radinsky would be promoted to pitching coach for the Indians for the 2012 season, to replace ]Tim Belcher
Timothy Wayne Belcher (born October 19, 1961) is an American former professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987 to 2000 for seven different teams. He was named ''The Sporting News'' Rookie Pitcher of the Year ...
who stepped down at season's end to spend more time with his family. On August 9, 2012, the Indians fired Radinsky and replaced him with Ruben Niebla
Ruben O. Niebla (born December 19, 1971), is an American former professional baseball pitcher and current pitching coach for the San Diego Padres of Major League Baseball (MLB). He formerly served as the assistant pitching coach for the Cleveland ...
, from their Triple-A affiliate, the Columbus Clippers
The Columbus Clippers are a Minor League Baseball team of the International League (IL) and the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A affiliate of the Cleveland Guardians. They are located in Columbus, Ohio, and are named for speedy Merchant ship, mercha ...
, on an interim basis.
On January 23, 2013, Radinsky was hired as the Pitching Coach for the Ogden Raptors
The Ogden Raptors are an independent baseball team of the Pioneer League, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball (MLB) but is an MLB Partner League. They are located in Ogden, Utah and play their home games at Lindquist Field.
Pitche ...
, a Rookie Level affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Established in 1883 in the city of Brooklyn ...
, playing in the Pioneer League. He was promoted to pitching coach for the AA Chattanooga Lookouts
The Chattanooga Lookouts are a Minor League Baseball team of the Southern League and the Double-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. They are located in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and are named for nearby Lookout Mountain. The team plays its home g ...
in 2014, and again in 2015 to pitching coach for the AAA Oklahoma City Dodgers
The Oklahoma City Dodgers are a Minor League Baseball team of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) and the Triple-A affiliate of the Los Angeles Dodgers. They are located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and play their home games at Chickasaw Bricktown Bal ...
.
He became the bullpen coach for the Los Angeles Angels in 2016. A position he held through the 2018 season.
Music career
Besides baseball, Radinsky's other passion is punk rock. A fixture in the 1980s "Nardcore
Since the mid-1970s, California has had thriving regional punk rock movements. It primarily consists of bands from the Los Angeles, Orange County, Ventura County, San Diego, San Fernando Valley, San Francisco, Fresno, Bakersfield, Alameda Cou ...
" (Oxnard, California hardcore) scene, he sang for Scared Straight, which recorded an LP ("You Drink, You Drive, You Die") and several compilation cuts for Mystic Records
Mystic Records is an American record label and music production company specializing in hardcore punk, crossover thrash, underground music, vintage and cult records. It is owned and operated by Doug Moody. The label was first established in Hollywo ...
. The band later changed their name to Ten Foot Pole
Ten Foot Pole (formerly Scared Straight) is an American punk rock band.
History
Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 under the name Scared Straight.
Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a ...
and after recording two albums, in 1995 parted ways with Radinsky, due to his time-consuming baseball career.
Since 1994, Radinsky has been the lead vocalist for the punk rock band Pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
, which has toured three continents and opened for bands such as Green Day
Green Day is an American rock band formed in the East Bay of California in 1987 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, together with bassist and backing vocalist Mike Dirnt. For most of the band's career, they have been a powe ...
. In 2017, he was featured in ''Baseball Punx
''Baseball Punx'' is a short American documentary about the intersection of baseball and punk rock directed by Jak Kerley.
Outline
''Baseball Punx'' was shot over a two-year period, primarily by Jak Kerley with a very small crew. The film begin ...
'', a documentary exploring the intersection between baseball and punk rock. Describing his life mixing both baseball and punk, he noted: "I don't think some of the guys n Pulleyrealized that I was on an eight-month tour laying and coaching baseballevery day from February until October, and then I'd come home and a couple of weeks later we'd go out on a three-week European tour playing a gig every single day."
Discography
;with Scared Straight
*''Nardcore'' Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984)
*''Party Animal - We got Power II'' Compilation LP (Mystic Records, 1984)
*''Mystic Super Seven Sampler No. 1'' Compilation 7" (Mystic Records, 1985)
*''Born to be Wild" 7'' (Mystic Records, 1985)
*''You Drink, You Drive, You Die'' LP (Mystic Records, 1988)
;with Ten Foot Pole
Ten Foot Pole (formerly Scared Straight) is an American punk rock band.
History
Ten Foot Pole was founded in 1983 under the name Scared Straight.
Scared Straight was a punk band from Simi Valley, California. The band was formed in 1983 by a ...
*'' Swill'' (Ten Foot Records, 1993)
*'' Rev'' (Epitaph Records, 1994)
*''Ten Foot Pole & Satanic Surfers'' Split EP (Bad Taste Records, 1995)
;with Pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
*''Esteem Driven Engine'' (Epitaph Records, 1996)
*''60 Cycle Hum'' (Epitaph Records, 1997)
*'' @#!*'' (Epitaph Records, 1999)
*''Together Again for the First Time
''Together Again for the First Time'' is a 2001 album by the punk rock band Pulley. It was the band's first album to be released after Scott Radinsky
Scott David Radinsky (born March 3, 1968) is an American left-handed former relief pitcher in ...
'' (Epitaph Records, 2001)
*''Matters
Matter is the substance of which objects are made.
Matter or Matters may also refer to:
* Matter (philosophy), a concept in philosophy
Entertainment and media
* ''Matters'' (album), a 2004 album by Pulley
* ''Matter'' (novel), a 2008 novel by ...
'' (Epitaph Records, 2004)
*'' The Slackers/Pulley Split'' (Do Tell Records, 2004)
*''Beyond Warped: Live Music Series'' (Immergent Records, 2005)
*''Time-Insensitive Material'' (Whens Lunch Records, 2009)
*'' The Long And The Short Of It'' (Whens Lunch Records, 2011)
*No Change in the Weather (Cyber Tracks, 2016)
*The Golden Life (Sbäm Records, 2022)
Skateboard park
Radinsky was the owner of Skatelab in Simi Valley, California from its opening in 1997 until its closure in January 2019. The skatepark also housed a very comprehensive skateboarding museum displaying pieces from all eras of skateboarding, including many rare and collectible skateboards, and the Skateboarding Hall of Fame.
See also
* List of select Jewish baseball players
References
External links
Jewish Major League career leaders
"Punk With A Nasty Delivery: Dodgers reliever Scott Radinsky throws smoke and sings music that burns," 7/28/97
* ttp://www.baseballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=6919 "Prospectus Q&A; Scott Radinsky" 11/11/07br>Baseball Almanac
{{DEFAULTSORT:Radinsky, Scott
1968 births
Living people
Akron Aeros players
American expatriate baseball players in Canada
American punk rock singers
Baseball players from California
Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players
Calgary Cannons players
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Indians coaches
Cleveland Indians players
Gulf Coast White Sox players
Jewish American baseball coaches
Jewish American baseball players
Jewish Major League Baseball players
Los Angeles Angels coaches
Los Angeles Dodgers players
Major League Baseball bullpen coaches
Major League Baseball pitchers
Minor league baseball coaches
Peninsula White Sox players
People from Simi Valley, California
San Bernardino Stampede players
South Bend White Sox players
Sportspeople from Glendale, California
Sportspeople from Ventura County, California
Musicians from Ventura County, California
St. Louis Cardinals players
21st-century American Jews