Michael Ray Radcliff

Service will be streamed through Shawnee Community's facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/shawneecommunity

Michael Ray Radcliff, 66, of Overland Park, KS, passed away February 3, 2023, at St. Luke’s South Hospital with family at his side.

Mike was born September 22, 1956, in Independence, MO, the eldest of four sons to Vernon Ray and Caroline Jean (LaBerge) Radcliff. His parents preceded him in death.

Mike grew up in Raytown, MO, and graduated from Raytown South High School in 1974. He attended Arizona State University for a year before transferring to the University of Missouri in Columbia. Mike received his bachelor’s degree in Journalism from MU in 1979.

Following graduation, Mike was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Sherry Lee Fisher, on September 15, 1979, and they were blessed with two children, Erin and Brett.

Mike began his 40-year career as an area baseball scout with the Major League Scouting Bureau in 1982. He joined the Minnesota Twins as an area scout in 1987, was promoted to Midwest Supervisor in 1988 and Director of Scouting in 1993. He was named Vice President of Player Personnel for the Twins in 2007. Mike became one of baseball’s longest tenured and most revered talent evaluators, with a character, work ethic, kindness and sense of humor that set the tone for being beloved and re-spected. Only following a three-and-a-half-year battle with pancreatic cancer, did Mike consider retiring from baseball in December of 2022.

Mike was named by his peers in Major League Baseball in 2011 as Scout of the Year in the Midwest. In 2014 he was inducted into the Professional Scouts Hall of Fame in St. Paul, MN and in 2021, he was elected to the Killebrew Root Beer Professional Scouts Hall of Fame in Ft. Myers, FL. In addition, Mike was the 2016 recipient of the Professional Baseball Scouts Foundation George Genovese Lifetime Achievement Award in Scouting and the 2021 Herb Carneal Lifetime Achievement Award, voted on by the Minnesota Twins Diamond Awards Committee.

Mike was a member of Shawnee Community Christian Church in Shawnee, KS.

Mike leaves his wife of 43 years, Sherry; children, Erin Kuchenrither (Kevin) and Brett Radcliff; grandsons, Reece and Jaxon Kuchenrither; brothers, Mitch Radcliff (Teresa), David Radcliff and Dan Radcliff (Deanna); nephews, Seth Radcliff (Sarah) and Nolan Radcliff and his son Aiden; and niece, Rachel Radcliff. He also leaves Sherry’s family, including her parents, Jim and Marie Fisher; brother, Jim Fisher (Tanya); nephew, Matt Fisher (Megan) and their daughter Charley; niece, Tara Barber (Brandon) and their daughter Adelene. Mike also leaves friends and colleagues too many to count and he will be greatly missed by all.

Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by a service celebrating Mike’s life at 3:00 pm, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at Lee’s Summit Christian Church, 800 NE Tudor Road, Lee’s Summit, MO.

Mike was passionate about the game of baseball. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests any donations be made to the Minnesota Twins Community Fund (online at: https://twinscommunityfund.givingfuel.com/donation) or the Kansas City MLB Urban Youth Academy (online at: https://www.mlb.com/royals/forms/royals-charities-donation). These memorials will be used to promote and support youth baseball and soft-ball programs in honor of Mike’s passion for the game.

Visitation will begin at 1:00 pm, followed by a service celebrating Mike’s life at 3:00 pm, on Wednesday, February 15, 2023, at Lee’s Summit Christian Church, 800 NE Tudor Road, Lee’s Summit, MO.