Fritz Peterson

Fritz Fred Peterson (born Fred Ingels Peterson February 8, 1942) is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers from 1966 to 1976. Peterson was a southpaw starting pitcher who enjoyed his best success in 1970 with the Yankees when he went 20-11 and pitched in the All-Star game. He is widely known for trading families with a teammate in the early 1970s.

Baseball career

During the final game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, September 21, 2008, ESPN Sports announced that Fritz Peterson had the all-time lowest earned run average at Yankee Stadium, with a 2.52 ERA. Whitey Ford was second with a 2.55 ERA. The honor is permanent since Yankee Stadium has been demolished. Peterson was the starting pitcher for the Yankees in the last game played at the original Yankee Stadium, which was completely renovated after the final game of the 1973 season.

In 1969 and 1970, Peterson had the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in the American League. Peterson also led the league in fewest walks per 9 innings pitched 5 years in a row, 1968-1972. The last pitcher who did that 5 years in a row was Cy Young. In 1970 and 1975, he had the 10th-best won-lost percentages in the league.

Personal life

He is best remembered today for swapping families with fellow Yankee pitcher Mike Kekich, an arrangement the pair announced at spring training in March 1973. The Peterson and Kekich families had been friends since 1969. Peterson and the former Susanne Kekich are still married, but the relationship between Kekich and Marilyn Peterson did not last very long.^[1]

Peterson's pitching seemed to suffer in 1973 and 1974 after this "deal," and he was roundly booed in nearly every American League ballpark afterwards. In April 1974, the Yankees traded him to the Cleveland Indians.

After retirement

Peterson later did color commentary for the New York Raiders WHA professional hockey franchise during the 1972-73 season.^[2]

Later, Peterson and Susanne Kekich lived outside Chicago, where he worked as a blackjack dealer at a casino.

Peterson is also notable for his appearances in Jim Bouton's bestselling 1970 non-fiction book Ball Four, where he is generally portrayed as one of the few major leaguers and former Yankees who had a positive view of Bouton.

Fritz Peterson released his first book, Mickey Mantle Is Going to Heaven in July 2009. Sports author Maury Allen is quoted as saying, "Fritz's book is even better than Bouton's Ball Four."

References

1. ↑ "Kekich and Peterson made strangest trade in '73 - Washington Times". The Washington Times. March 7, 2005. Retrieved February 7, 2014. 
2. ↑ "Peterson To Air N.Y. Hockey Games". The Morning Record. Associated Press. September 29, 1972. 

External links

• Fritz Peterson at Baseball Almanac
• Fritz Peterson at Baseball Reference
• Details of the Peterson-Kekich trade
• "Kekich and Peterson made strangest trade in '73," 3/7/05