Happy Saturday!

Here’s a story with a bit of a twist.

Scott Radinsky pitched 11 seasons in the big leagues, survived cancer and followed it with two decades in coaching.

But it turns out, baseball is only part of Radinsky’s story.

In fact, it wasn’t even his first passion.

We’ll get to that.

First, let’s go back to where it all began.

Scott Radinsky was drafted by the Chicago White Sox out of high school in 1986.

Four years later, he made the jump to the majors—and quickly became a fan favorite in Chicago.

You might say he was a bit unconventional.

“Rad,” as his teammates called him, blasted music in the clubhouse, rode his bike to and from the stadium and never seemed overly impressed by baseball’s corporate structure.

In fact, he once told a reporter:

But in 1994, Radinsky was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. He underwent treatment and returned a year later, cancer-free.

The White Sox did not re-sign him after the 1995 season. He pitched six more seasons—including a stint with the Dodgers—before hanging up his cleats.

In all, Radinsky appeared in 557 games, recording 52 saves with a 3.44 ERA.

And here’s something worth bragging about: Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. called Radinsky the toughest lefty he ever faced.

How’s that for street cred?

Before the White Sox.

Before the big leagues.

Before baseball period.

There was punk rock.

Scott Radinsky has been performing since he was 14 years old.

More than 40 years as a lead singer—from Scared Straight to Ten Foot Pole to Pulley, which recently completed another European tour.

And for most of his major-league career, Radinsky did both—pitching out of the bullpen and fronting punk rock bands.

We caught up with Scott to talk baseball, punk rock and Ozzie Guillén—his brother-in-law, former teammate and one of baseball’s great showmen.

Q: How did you get into punk rock?

“I started jamming with a few guys in a garage. We were all learning instruments and playing cover songs. Punk rock was growing in L.A., and we were drawn to the energy.”

Q: What was it about the music?

“Fast, raw, real, energetic, rebellious.”

Q: Was it difficult to balance baseball and music?

“I had four to five months off, so the balancing was easy. I would always write music during the season, staying busy with it…. I always tried to keep the two separate.”

Q: How does performing onstage compare with coming out of the bullpen with the game on the line?

“I always viewed baseball as an intense confrontation with a batter, while standing onstage with a microphone is friendlier, if that makes any sense. The rush of the two is similar. Music has always been more relaxed and different in the way that it’s a creation rather than a standoff at 60 feet, 6 inches.”

Q: After all these years—and another Pulley tour—what keeps you performing?

The passion. We started out making music in the garage as kids because it was fun. After all these years, we still enjoy doing it—writing, playing and recording.”

Q: What does your family think of your music?

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. I don’t think they quite understand what it’s about, but they just know it’s always been a part of my life.”

Q: You have an interesting brother-in-law—Ozzie Guillén. What’s that relationship like? Do you two ever sit around and talk music?

“Interesting is putting it well… The relationship is great, and we have gotten along for years. When I first came up, he was one of the veteran players who made jokes with me and kept us relaxed… When we see each other now, there are over 35 years of history, so we never run out of things to talk about. Music, surprisingly, isn’t one of them.”

And more than 40 years later, the music plays on.

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Thanks for reading.

We’re always looking for the next story.

Have a former player you’ve always wondered about?

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We’ll find him.

Have a great weekend.

John Boxley
High N Tight