FORT MYERS, Fla. -- More than a decade before the closer became a way of life in Major League Baseball, Dick "The Monster" Radatz, who died at the age of 67 on Wednesday, paved the way for late-inning specialists.

Long before Bruce Sutter, Goose Gossage, Dennis Eckersley or Mariano Rivera, Radatz showed the way it was done and belied an old myth that relievers were nothing more than those not good enough to start.

Radatz indirectly settled into the role of bullpen stopper, thanks to Red Sox legend Johnny Pesky, who, on a whim, made the right-hander a reliever while managing him at Triple-A Seattle in 1961.

Pesky was one of many who had a heavy heart Thursday morning, just hours after learning that the man he managed in both the minor and Major Leagues had died after falling down a flight of steps at his residence in Easton, Mass.

"He was so virile and strong and well-spoken," said Pesky, still active as a special assignment instructor with the Red Sox. "Radatz was a great pitcher. I think he's one of the best pitchers who ever played the game. For a five- or six-year period, he was probably the best reliever in baseball."

In fact, Pesky had no problem recalling just how it was that he turned the aspiring starter into a fearsome reliever, one who produced 49 wins and 100 saves for the Sox in a glittering four-year period from 1962-65.

"When you come into an organization, everyone goes to Spring Training and you go over what you have," said Pesky, who managed the Red Sox in 1963-64. "In Radatz's case, he had been their starting pitcher [at Triple-A Seattle] the year before. We had all these big, strong guys. Radatz wanted to be a starter, but then after we got practicing and playing games, we hadn't pitched Radatz in about a week or so [because of injuries]. I asked one of our coaches, 'When will Radatz be ready to pitch?' He said, 'He'll be ready in a couple of days'.

"I said, 'Let's start him just to find out what could happen'. Sure enough, we started him against Toronto. The first three innings, he didn't give up a hit. He faced about nine hitters and struck out about seven."

That abbreviated demonstration of dominance was an eye-opener for Pesky.

"I talked to him about relieving and he said, 'Johnny, I don't want to do that.' But I had such good pitching, and I had five good starters, and I wanted to set up our staff. I convinced him. I said, 'I'll make a deal with you, Dick. If one of the five guys in front don't do well, I'll start you.' But I said, 'I want you to try this.'

"He agreed, and I brought him in for the middle of a game and things like that, late in the game, especially in a tough situation. And he did very well. He'd just come in and strike everybody out. He threw so hard. He agreed to do that. The season opens, we played five games, he's in four of them and he saves all four games. From that time on, he liked it."

And he was brilliant at it. So much so that Radatz was inducted into the Red Sox Hall of Fame in 1997.

Though Radatz threw his last pitch for the Red Sox in 1966, the Detroit native maintained residence in the Boston area and kept in close contact with the organization for decades after, whether it was sitting in the Legends suite at Fenway Park, signing autographs or participating in the team's fantasy camp.

"He was known as 'The Monster' and fans will always remember how he dominated on the mound," said Red Sox president/CEO Larry Lucchino. "But those who knew him best will also remember Dick Radatz as a kind, caring human being who never stopped giving to the people of New England with whom he shared a special bond. The thoughts and prayers of the entire Red Sox family are with the Radatz family at this difficult time."

After the retirement of Ted Williams and in the early years of Carl Yastrzemski's career, the Red Sox were a struggling team. During those transition years, which preceded the Impossible Dream season of 1967, Radatz was the team's drawing card.

The Fenway fans loved to watch Radatz come into a game and baffle one hitter after another, then raise his fists in triumph after his mission was complete.

Only arm injuries prevented Radatz from having sustained excellence. His career ended in 1969 after seven seasons. He was 52-43 with 122 saves. He pitched for the Indians, White Sox, Tigers and Expos after leaving Boston.

However, almost all of his greatness came in a Boston uniform. In his 286 appearances with the Red Sox, Radatz struck out 646 batters over 576 1/3 innings and posted a 2.66 ERA.

Pesky, who has been with the Sox organization for 53 years -- including the last 36 in succession -- witnessed most of it.

"He and Earl Wilson were very close. Wilson is pitching one game against the Yankees, a hot day in June, and Wilson is pitching a great game and is leading by one run," said Pesky. "He's got the bases loaded in the top of the ninth. Wilson had thrown a lot of pitches. I went out to see him with the bases loaded and nobody out. I said, 'How do you feel, big boy?' He said 'I'm all right, I am a little tired.' I said, 'Well the big guy is warming up.'

"So I bring in Radatz, and in those years, we had the guy stay on the mound until the other guy got there. So Radatz comes in and said to Wilson, 'Go on in, big boy, go crack a couple of cold ones and I'll be up in 10 minutes.' He strikes out [Roger] Maris, [Mickey] Mantle and Elston Howard, nine pitches. That was the best pitching I had ever seen."

Few pitchers handled baseball legend Mantle as well as Radatz, who struck out the Hall of Fame switch-hitter 44 times in 67 at-bats.

In fact, according to a press release put out by the Sox on Thursday, Mantle once said, "I guess I would have to say that Dick Radatz was the toughest pitcher I ever faced."

One of Radatz's most eye-opening performances came in the 1963 All-Star Game, when he struck out Willie Mays, Dick Groat, Duke Snider, Willie McCovey and Julian Javier in a two-inning span.

At the time, Yankees manager Ralph Houk said, "Radatz is the greatest reliever I've ever seen."

Radatz wanted the ball, and he wanted it often. Three-out save? That would be a half day in Radatz's mind.

"You talk about Radatz -- he finished a game in Baltimore and it went extra innings," said Pesky. "He pitched five innings there. We went to Detroit and went extra innings there, and he goes three more. He had eight innings within 30 hours. We won both games. I said, 'Don't even come to the ballpark,' but he did. He wanted the ball under any circumstances."

And in the unfortunate circumstance of Radatz's death, many members of the Red Sox family were saddened.

"I had seen him pitch during his active days and certainly he was the forerunner, so to speak, of the great closers," said Mike Port, vice president of baseball operations for the Sox. "Beyond that, I had the opportunity to meet him when I came to Boston, and the nickname 'Monster' and his demeanor sometimes on the mound really belied the type of guy that he was. Because he was, to me anyway, so friendly and so outgoing and just a very, very nice man. He was a member of the baseball family in so many respects. It's just a sad day."

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.