Fritz Peterson assembled a 20-win season in 1970. (Walter Kelleher/NY Daily News by means of Getty Images)
Previous New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson passed away, the group revealed on Friday. He was 82 years of ages.
Peterson pitched 9 seasons for the Yankees from 1966 through 1974, notching a 20-win season in 1970, when he was likewise called to the American League All-Star group. He likewise pitched for Cleveland and the Texas Rangers throughout his profession. Entirely, Peterson put together a 3.30 ERA and 133– 131 record, tossing over 2,200 innings.
Control was Peterson’s finest quality as a pitcher. He had a profession walk rate of 1.7 per 9 innings and balanced the most affordable strolls per 9 in the AL for a five-season stretch from 1968 through 1972.
Peterson is maybe best understood for more notorious factors. Throughout spring training of 1973, he and colleague Mike Kekich exposed that they had actually traded households and homes. Kekich’s partner and 2 children relocated with Peterson, while Peterson’s other half and 2 kids coped with Kekich.
“It wasn’t a better half swap. It was a life swap,” Kekich stated in an interview, by means of The New York Times“We’re not stating we’re ideal and everybody else who believes we’re incorrect are incorrect. It’s simply the method we felt.”
Peterson and Susanne Kekich went on to get wed in 1974, and remained together till his death. Mike Kekich and Marilyn Peterson ended their relationship quickly after the trade ended up being public. Kekich was traded to Cleveland later on that season.
In 2010, stars Ben Affleck and Matt Damon meant to establish the better half swap story into a function movie. Director Jay Roach (Fulfill the Parentswas worked with for the task with David Mandel (Veep Seinfeldset to compose the movie script.
Since 2015, the movie was still in the works, though Kekich threatened to take legal action against if it moved forward. When schedules avoided Affleck and Damon from being able to star in the movie, it appears to have actually fallen through.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to find out of the death of Fritz Peterson, who was a powerful pitcher and affable existence throughout his 9 years in pinstripes,” the group stated in a declaration.
“A recognized prankster and favored amongst his colleagues and coaches, Peterson had an outbound character and analytical nature that brought lightheartedness to the clubhouse regularly and belied his expertise on the mound– most significantly his flawless control, which was amongst the very best in the Majors.”