GaryMrMets
06-16-2002, 01:19 PM
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/min/news/min_news.jsp?ymd=20020613&content_id=51918&vkey=news_min&fext=.jsp
06/13/2002 02:38 am ET
Father's Day: Radke's new life
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Brad Radke has been with the club since 1995 and is widely considered the ace of the rotation. He is also the proud father of two boys; six-year-old Kasey, and two-year-old Ryan. In celebration of Father's Day, the 29-year-old Radke spoke with MLB.com about life as a father and how baseball plays a role in the lives of his children.
MLB.com: What changed the most when you became a father?
Brad Radke: You give most of your time to your kids now. Before, you could do anything you wanted. Now, there's more of an emphasis on your kids, to help them grow, learn and hopefully when they grow up to be an adult, they're good human beings. It's a different lifestyle, but it's a great lifestyle. I'm not putting it down. It's time consuming, and it's just you're there for the kids. We're the parents. I'm a Dad. I have to teach them about anything I know and help them grow up. That's the biggest thing.
MLB.com: How has baseball played a role?
Radke: It's kind of nice that I'm playing now and my kids get to watch me play. Instead of maybe playing and having kids after baseball. It's nice to have a family while I'm playing. They can learn the game and maybe one day, they'll take in baseball, start playing it a lot and make it to the Major Leagues like the old man.
MLB.com: Would you want your boys to be a ballplayer or professional athlete?
Radke: They can pretty much do whatever they want. I'm not going to push anything on them. Maybe one day, they won't want to play baseball and want to do something else. That's fine. I'm not the kind of person where 'I'm playing baseball so the kids have to play baseball.' If they want to play, they can play. The best I can do is tell them that it's a fun game and they will have a blast just playing the game of baseball in high school, in college, or the minor leagues, and then hopefully in the Major Leagues.
MLB.com: I know they are still pretty young still, but are your sons playing any sports right now?
Radke: They play a lot of baseball. My younger boy can't do much, he's only two. But, he picks up a ball and wants to play catch. He's got his own glove. My six-year-old played soccer for a couple of years. He took golf lessons last winter. He played tee ball up here last year, and now he's playing a machine-pitch (game) up here.
MLB.com: Can you compare the childhood you had with the upbringing your children have now?
Radke: In some ways, it's different. For the most part, it's pretty much the same. As far as I can remember, I started playing tee ball when I was five or six years old just like Kasey is. I always wanted to go outside and throw things, throw rocks in the water and just do the baseball thing or anything outside.
Mark Sheldon covers the Twins for MLB.com and can be reached at marksheldon@twinsbaseball.com. This article was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/13/LfKJ8Ix3.jpg
Brad Radke says being a father is a different lifestlye -- but a great one. (Mike King/AP)
06/13/2002 02:38 am ET
Father's Day: Radke's new life
By Mark Sheldon / MLB.com
Minnesota Twins starting pitcher Brad Radke has been with the club since 1995 and is widely considered the ace of the rotation. He is also the proud father of two boys; six-year-old Kasey, and two-year-old Ryan. In celebration of Father's Day, the 29-year-old Radke spoke with MLB.com about life as a father and how baseball plays a role in the lives of his children.
MLB.com: What changed the most when you became a father?
Brad Radke: You give most of your time to your kids now. Before, you could do anything you wanted. Now, there's more of an emphasis on your kids, to help them grow, learn and hopefully when they grow up to be an adult, they're good human beings. It's a different lifestyle, but it's a great lifestyle. I'm not putting it down. It's time consuming, and it's just you're there for the kids. We're the parents. I'm a Dad. I have to teach them about anything I know and help them grow up. That's the biggest thing.
MLB.com: How has baseball played a role?
Radke: It's kind of nice that I'm playing now and my kids get to watch me play. Instead of maybe playing and having kids after baseball. It's nice to have a family while I'm playing. They can learn the game and maybe one day, they'll take in baseball, start playing it a lot and make it to the Major Leagues like the old man.
MLB.com: Would you want your boys to be a ballplayer or professional athlete?
Radke: They can pretty much do whatever they want. I'm not going to push anything on them. Maybe one day, they won't want to play baseball and want to do something else. That's fine. I'm not the kind of person where 'I'm playing baseball so the kids have to play baseball.' If they want to play, they can play. The best I can do is tell them that it's a fun game and they will have a blast just playing the game of baseball in high school, in college, or the minor leagues, and then hopefully in the Major Leagues.
MLB.com: I know they are still pretty young still, but are your sons playing any sports right now?
Radke: They play a lot of baseball. My younger boy can't do much, he's only two. But, he picks up a ball and wants to play catch. He's got his own glove. My six-year-old played soccer for a couple of years. He took golf lessons last winter. He played tee ball up here last year, and now he's playing a machine-pitch (game) up here.
MLB.com: Can you compare the childhood you had with the upbringing your children have now?
Radke: In some ways, it's different. For the most part, it's pretty much the same. As far as I can remember, I started playing tee ball when I was five or six years old just like Kasey is. I always wanted to go outside and throw things, throw rocks in the water and just do the baseball thing or anything outside.
Mark Sheldon covers the Twins for MLB.com and can be reached at marksheldon@twinsbaseball.com. This article was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.
http://newyork.mets.mlb.com/images/2002/06/13/LfKJ8Ix3.jpg
Brad Radke says being a father is a different lifestlye -- but a great one. (Mike King/AP)