Former New York Yankees left-hander Fritz Peterson has died, the team announced Friday. He was 82 years old.
Peterson played nine seasons for the Yankees from 1966 to 1974, notching a 20-win season in 1970 when he was also named to the American League All-Star team. He also played for Cleveland and the Texas Rangers during his career. In all, Peterson compiled a 3.30 ERA and a 133-131 record, pitching more than 2,200 innings.
Control was Peterson’s best trait as a pitcher. He had a career walk rate of 1.7 per nine innings and averaged the lowest walks per nine in the AL over a five-season span from 1968 to 1972.
However, Peterson is perhaps best known for more infamous reasons. During 1973 spring training, he and teammate Mike Kekich revealed that they had swapped families and homes. Kekich’s wife and two daughters moved in with Peterson, while Peterson’s wife and two sons lived with Kekich.
“It wasn’t a wife swap. It was a life change,” Kekich said in an interview, by The New York Times. “We’re not saying we’re right and everyone else who thinks we’re wrong is wrong. It’s just how we feel.”
Peterson and Susanne Kekich married in 1974 and remained together until her death. However, Mike Kekich and Marilyn Peterson ended their relationship shortly after the deal became public. Kekich was traded to Cleveland at the end of that season.
In 2010, actors Ben Affleck and Matt Damon intended to turn the story of wife swapping into a feature film. Director Jay Roach (Meet the parents) was hired for the project. From 2015the film was still in progress, although Kekich threatened to sue if it went ahead. However, since schedules prevented Affleck and Damon from starring in the film, it appears to have fallen through.
“The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Fritz Peterson, who was a formidable pitcher and an affable presence during his nine years in pinstripes,” the team said in a statement.
“A well-known and beloved prankster among his teammates and coaches, Peterson had an outgoing personality and curious nature that brought joy to the clubhouse regularly and belied his prowess on the mound – most notably his impeccable control, which was among the best in the Majors. “
