Mike Kekich

Michael Dennis James Kekich (born April 2, 1945 in San Diego, California) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Texas Rangers and Seattle Mariners in parts of nine seasons spanning 1965–1977. In 1974, he played in Japan for the Nippon Ham Fighters.

Kekich was a left-handed pitcher who began his career as a starter but later moved to the bullpen as a reliever. He had a modestly successful career in the Major Leagues, but he is best remembered for trading families with fellow Yankees pitcher Fritz Peterson before the 1973 season.^[1] The trade worked out better for Peterson, who later married Kekich's wife Susanne, than it did for Kekich, who soon broke up with Peterson's wife Marilyn.^[2]

After his big league career ended, Kekich attempted a comeback in the Mexican League, but this proved unsuccessful. He is remarried and currently resides near Albuquerque, New Mexico.

References

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Baseball Almanac
• Baseball Gauge
• Retrosheet
• Venezuelan Professional Baseball League
• Details of the Peterson-Kekich trade