Daniel John Radison (born August 24, 1950) is an American coach and instructor in professional baseball. A former minor league catcher, he has also been a Major League Baseball (MLB) coach for the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs and Washington Nationals. Radison batted and threw right-handed as a player, and was listed at 6 feet 2 inches (1.88 m) tall and weighing 180 pounds (82 kg).[1]
Radison played shortstop and catcher for his high school squad in Columbia, Illinois. One of Radison's teammates was Jim Kremmel, who later pitched in the majors with the Chicago Cubs. In 1970, he played collegiate summer baseball for the Harwich Mariners of the Cape Cod Baseball League (CCBL) and was named a league all-star.[2][3][4] He returned to the CCBL to play for the Orleans Cardinals the following season.[5][6] After high school, Radison attended Southern Illinois University, where he earned all-tournament honors in the 1971 College World Series.
Radison played for three seasons (1972–74) in the Cardinal farm system before becoming an assistant coach at the U.S. college level from 1977 to 1983 with Broward Community College, the University of Georgia and Old Dominion University.[7] In 1984, he returned to professional baseball as a manager in the farm system of the New York Mets, spending two years with them before rejoining the Cardinals as a minor league pilot in 1986. He has also been a manager in the New York Yankees system, piloting the Albany-Colonie Yankees (1990–92) and Norwich Navigators (2000), the Yanks' Double-A Eastern League affiliates.
In between, Radison coached in MLB working under Jim Riggleman — like Radison, a veteran of the Cardinal system — with the Padres (1993–94) and Cubs (1995–99).[8] From 2000 to 2009, he was a minor league manager and roving coach for the Yankees and Cardinals. His career minor league managing record is 622–552 (.530), with two championships.[9] On November 20, 2009, he was appointed first-base coach of the Washington Nationals by newly named permanent manager Jim Riggleman.[10]
In 2012, Radison joined the Houston Astros as a special assistant in the player development department. Radison was named interim first base coach for the Astros on August 19, 2012,[11] and was named the Astros' assistant hitting coach in 2013.[12] From 2015 to 2016, Radison was the hitting coach for the Corpus Christi Hooks, the Astros' Double-A affiliate.[13]
References
[edit]- ^ Montague, John, ed., New York Mets 1985 Organization Book. St. Petersburg, FL: Baseball Library, 1985
- ^ Billy Crowell (July 25, 2020). "A Reminiscence". capecodtimes.com. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
- ^ "Attractions Coming Up". The Cape Codder. Orleans, MA. July 16, 1970. p. 23.
- ^ Judy Walden Scarafile (July 25, 2008). "When women were persona non grata at Yankee Stadium". wickedlocal.com. Retrieved August 16, 2019.
- ^ "Orleans Cardinal Roster". The Cape Codder. Orleans, MA. May 27, 1971. p. 23.
- ^ Barillari, David (July 15, 1971). "Orleans Edges into First Place". The Cape Cod Chronicle. Chatham, MA. p. 20.
- ^ Montague, John, ed., New York Mets 1985 Organization Book. St. Petersburg, FL: Baseball Library, 1985
- ^ "Dan Radison". Retrosheet.
- ^ "Dan Radison". baseball-reference.com.
- ^ "Nationals Name 2010 Coaching Staff" (Press release). Washington Nationals. November 20, 2009. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved January 17, 2016.
- ^ Brian McTaggart (August 19, 2012). "Astros tab DeFrancesco as interim manager". MLB.com. Archived from the original on August 22, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
- ^ "Managers and Coaches: Dan Radison #51". MLB.com. Archived from the original on February 16, 2012. Retrieved April 16, 2013.
- ^ "2015 Hooks Field Staff". Minor League Baseball. Retrieved January 17, 2016.