Twins Success Won't Stop Radke from Retiring

Twins SP Brad Radke, who finally worked his ERA under 5.00 with a succession of solid outings, is thrilled about the prospect of pitching in the World Series, now that his team is in the thick of the pennant race. But even if Minnesota wins the Fall Classic -- a very big IF -- the 33-year-old righty will regard it as nothing more than a crowning achievement. After this season, Radke will be history, having promised his family that he will retire to a fabulous mansion nearing completion in the pricey Los Angeles suburb of Bel Air, not far from Beverly Hills and one of the posh homes of Barry Bonds. There Radke will reside for about nine months out of the year, but will not entirely forsake his Northern Mississippi River haunts. Radke has a special attachment to his boat, the lush links and Minnesota-Wisconsin shoreviews near his sequestered Midwest home of the past several years. Though it is far too early to predict the Twins will make the playoffs, and foolish to think the rival White Sox won't eventually stumble out of a recent swoon, it is scary to think that the Twins recent three-game sweep of the Pale Hose in Chicago came with center fielder Tori Hunter and left fielder Shannon Stewart disabled and SP (San) Francisco Liriano watching from the sidelines.