Fritz Peterson – Baseball Player Biography, Career, Net Worth Information

Fritz Peterson carved out a solid decade-long career in Major League Baseball as a left-handed starting pitcher. He played from 1966 to 1976 for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, and Texas Rangers.

Peterson retired from professional baseball in 1976 after a shoulder injury cut short his final season with the Texas Rangers. He finished with 133 wins, 131 losses, and a 3.30 ERA across 355 games.

The Illinois native made his mark early with the Yankees, stepping in as their number two starter at just 24 years old. He eventually put together his best 20-win season in 1970.

Peterson’s control on the mound set him apart, and he led the American League in fewest walks per nine innings for five straight years, from 1968 to 1972.

Although Peterson’s stats show he was a dependable major league starter, his career took an unusual turn off the field thanks to a headline-grabbing story involving a teammate. His journey carried him from promising college athlete at Northern Illinois University to the heart of baseball’s most memorable moments in the 1970s.

Early Life and Education

Fred Ingels Peterson was born on February 8, 1942, in Chicago, Illinois. He spent his formative years there, building both his athletic skills and academic foundation.

His path from a Chicago suburb to Northern Illinois University shaped the base for his future baseball career.

Childhood in Chicago

Fritz Peterson grew up in Arlington Heights, a northwestern suburb of Chicago. The area had a strong community for young athletes in the 1950s.

Peterson showed talent in several sports as a kid, especially baseball and hockey. He had the kind of versatility you saw in a lot of athletes from that era.

Chicago’s rich sports culture influenced him a lot. Living near one of America’s great baseball cities meant he faced tough competition early on.

His family always supported his athletic pursuits. That foundation in Arlington Heights gave Peterson the stability to chase his dreams in pro sports.

High School and Family Background

Peterson attended high school in Arlington Heights, and he kept excelling in athletics. He played both baseball and hockey, standing out in both.

Oddly enough, Peterson wasn’t the star pitcher on his high school team. He served as the number two pitcher behind a teammate who later played Division I college football.

That experience taught Peterson about competition and perseverance. Being second-best pushed him to work harder and sharpen his skills.

His family background gave him the support he needed to keep growing. The Petersons encouraged his sports ambitions but made sure he stayed focused on school, too.

College Baseball at Northern Illinois University

Peterson took his baseball career to Northern Illinois University after high school. The university gave him a chance to develop as a left-handed pitcher.

At Northern Illinois, Peterson refined his pitching techniques. The college environment helped him mature both as an athlete and as a person.

His college performance caught the eyes of pro scouts. The baseball program at NIU gave Peterson the platform to show his abilities to MLB teams.

In 1962, the New York Yankees signed Peterson as an amateur free agent. This happened just before MLB started the amateur draft, so Peterson was part of the last group signed under the old system.

Major League Debut and Rise with the New York Yankees

Fritz Peterson’s journey from amateur prospect to Yankees starter started in 1963, when the team signed him as a free agent. He moved quickly through the minors and made his big league debut against Baltimore in 1966, instantly showing he could handle a starting role.

Signing with the Yankees

The New York Yankees picked up Fritz Peterson as an amateur free agent in 1963. Yankees scout Lou Maguolo spotted him and convinced the team to sign him.

Peterson began his pro career with the Harlan Yankees in the Appalachian League in 1963. He posted a 4-3 record and a 4.43 ERA in 12 games.

He took a big step forward in 1964 with the Shelby Yankees, going 10-7 with a 2.73 ERA and racking up 194 strikeouts in 155 innings. He led the team in strikeouts that year.

In 1965, Peterson dominated at Greensboro with an 11-1 record and a 1.50 ERA. The Yankees promoted him to the Columbus Confederate Yankees, where he kept up his strong pitching with a 2.18 ERA.

Pitching coach Cloyd Boyer helped Peterson develop his game during these years. Manager Johnny Keane praised Peterson’s control, pointing out he averaged three strikeouts for every walk in the minors.

Breakthrough Seasons and Early Achievements

Peterson made his MLB debut on April 15, 1966, against the Baltimore Orioles at Memorial Stadium. The 24-year-old lefty pitched a complete game victory, striking out three and walking none. The Yankees won 3-2, giving Peterson his first major league win.

“Not many young pitchers have his control. That’s his strength, that and his fastball,” manager Johnny Keane said after Peterson’s debut.

Peterson’s rookie season ended with a 12-11 record and a 3.31 ERA in 32 starts. He tied Mel Stottlemyre for the team lead in wins with 12.

His best season came in 1970 when he went 20-11 with a 2.90 ERA. That year, he made the American League All-Star team. Peterson entered the All-Star game in the ninth with runners on but got replaced quickly.

Throughout his Yankees career, Peterson showed off his excellent control. He led the American League in fewest walks per nine innings for five straight years from 1968-1972. Only Cy Young had done that before.

Role as a Starting Pitcher

Peterson grabbed the Yankees’ number two starter spot at age 24 in 1966. He stayed in the Yankees rotation for nine seasons, from 1966 to 1974.

His best stretch came between 1969 and 1972. Only three American League lefties—Mike Cuellar, Mickey Lolich, and Dave McNally—won more games than Peterson during those years.

Peterson’s career stats with the Yankees:

• Record: 109-106
• ERA: 3.10
• Strikeouts: 893
• Games Started: 9th on Yankees all-time list
• Innings Pitched: 10th on Yankees all-time list

The Yankees teams Peterson played for struggled to make the playoffs. “Mediocre at best,” Peterson later said about those post-Mantle-Maris Yankees. “Pathetic at worst.”

Peterson never pitched in a postseason game with the Yankees. Despite his solid numbers, the team didn’t win a pennant during his nine years in New York.

In April 1974, the Yankees traded Peterson, along with Steve Kline, Fred Beene, and Tom Buskey, to Cleveland for Chris Chambliss, Dick Tidrow, and Cecil Upshaw.

Career Performance and Pitching Highlights

Fritz Peterson put together an 11-season career with a 133-131 record and a 3.30 ERA in 355 games from 1966 to 1976. His best years came with the Yankees, where he earned All-Star honors in 1970 and delivered steady innings as a workhorse starter.

Statistical Achievements and Milestones

Peterson stacked up some impressive numbers in his time in the majors. He finished with 1,015 strikeouts over 2,218.1 innings and maintained great control throughout his career.

His most productive stretch ran from 1968-1972 with the Yankees. In that five-year span, Peterson posted a 2.86 ERA and struck out 631 batters in 1,268.2 innings.

He completed 90 games in his career, which was a big number for his era. Peterson also threw 20 shutouts, showing he could dominate a lineup.

His WAR (Wins Above Replacement) came out to 19.5 career wins. In 1969, his peak season, he posted 4.7 WAR and a 2.55 ERA.

Wins, Losses, and ERA Records

Peterson finished with 133 wins and 131 losses, right around a .504 winning percentage. His 3.30 career ERA put him among the solid starters of his time.

His best single season came in 1970, when he went 20-11 with a 2.90 ERA. That was his only 20-win season and cemented his place among the Yankees’ top pitchers.

His lowest ERA came in 1969, at 2.55 over 272 innings. He followed that up with his 20-win season, giving him back-to-back standout years.

After the trade to Cleveland in 1974, Peterson’s ERA jumped to 4.38. He bounced back a bit in 1975 with a 14-8 record.

Innings Pitched and Complete Games

Peterson worked as a true innings-eater for his teams. He threw over 250 innings in three seasons, maxing out at 274 innings in 1971.

He finished 90 complete games, with 16 in both 1969 and 1971. That kind of workload reflected the era’s expectations for starting pitchers.

Across his career, Peterson averaged 220 innings per season. His durability made him a key piece for Yankees manager Ralph Houk.

Peterson’s WHIP (Walks plus Hits per Inning Pitched) sat at 1.191. In 1969, he posted his best WHIP at 0.996, a sign of his dominant control that year.

All-Star Season and Recognitions

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Final MLB Season with the Texas Rangers

On May 28, 1976, the Cleveland Indians traded Peterson to the Texas Rangers for Stan Perzanowski and some cash. That move kicked off the last stretch of his professional baseball career.

Peterson didn’t spend much time with the Rangers, but the team gave him a final shot in the majors. The Rangers, still adjusting to their Texas home after leaving Washington in 1972, offered him a fresh setting to wrap things up.

He only got into a few games for Texas. The Rangers mostly used him out of the bullpen instead of in the starting rotation.

That switch showed both that his effectiveness was fading and that the team needed him in a different spot.

Retirement in 1976

Peterson called it a career after the 1976 season. Over 11 seasons and 355 games, he finished with 133 wins and 131 losses.

He pitched for three teams, but he really shined during his Yankees days.

His stats at retirement showed he was a steady, reliable pitcher during his best years, especially in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s.

The lefty lived through the thrill of pitching for winning Yankees teams and the challenge of bouncing to new clubs as his career wound down.

Legacy at Yankee Stadium

Fritz Peterson really made his mark as one of the most consistent pitchers during his nine years with the Yankees from 1966 to 1974.

He had incredible control and durability at the old Yankee Stadium, racking up records that stuck around for decades.

Historic Performances in Yankee Stadium

Peterson’s best season at Yankee Stadium came in 1970, when he won 20 games. That year, he finally got an All-Star nod.

His pinpoint control made him tough to beat in the big outfield of the original stadium.

Peterson was a rock at home. He started 109 games at Yankee Stadium as a Yankee.

He almost never gave up free passes, which made a huge difference in that ballpark.

His debut didn’t happen in New York, but it didn’t take long for him to become a reliable starter at home.

Between 1969 and 1972, he stood out as one of the top left-handed pitchers in the league.

His last couple of seasons in New York got overshadowed by the wild family swap story with Mike Kekich in 1973.

Even with all the drama, Peterson kept pitching well at Yankee Stadium until the Yankees traded him to Cleveland in 1974.

Records Held by Fritz Peterson

Peterson owns the lowest earned run average for any pitcher at the original Yankee Stadium, with a 2.52 ERA. That number says a lot about how good he was in that ballpark.

He led the American League in fewest walks per nine innings for five straight years from 1968 to 1972. Not many pitchers have matched that since Cy Young’s era.

Peterson sits at ninth on the Yankees’ all-time games started list. He’s also tenth in innings pitched for the franchise.

Those spots show just how much the Yankees leaned on him in the late ‘60s and ‘70s.

Among lefties, Peterson posted the lowest walks-per-innings-pitched ratio since the 1920s.

His 109-106 record and 3.10 ERA over nine Yankees seasons really cement his place in stadium history.

Personal Life and Notable Stories

Fritz Peterson’s life off the field ended up even more talked about than his pitching, mostly because of the unusual family swap with teammate Mike Kekich in 1973.

After baseball, Peterson ran into money troubles and health problems while trying his hand at writing and coaching.

Famous Relationship with Mike Kekich

In 1973, Peterson and Yankees teammate Mike Kekich shocked everyone with a decision nobody saw coming.

The two pitchers and their families spent a lot of time together during the offseason.

Eventually, they announced they’d fallen for each other’s wives. They swapped families—kids, dogs, and all.

The media went wild. The story actually got more attention than big baseball news like the designated hitter or Steinbrenner buying the Yankees.

Peterson ended up marrying Kekich’s ex-wife and stayed with her for the rest of his life.

Kekich and Peterson’s former wife didn’t last as a couple.

Both guys took a beating from the media and the public.

That controversy followed them for years, often overshadowing what they did on the mound.

Family and Post-Baseball Life

After leaving baseball in 1976, Peterson struggled with money. He took various jobs, including selling boats in Chicago.

Later in life, Peterson faced some tough health battles. He fought prostate cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

From 1984 to 1986, he coached at Trinity Seminary & Bible College. In 1993, he took over as head coach at Rock Valley College for a season, but the team only managed a 3-22 record.

Peterson passed away on October 19, 2023, at 81 in Winona, Minnesota. Lung cancer was the cause.

Authorship: Mickey Mantle Is Going to Heaven

After his baseball career ended, Peterson jumped into writing. His most notable book, Mickey Mantle is Going to Heaven, came out in July 2009.

He also wrote The Art Of De-Conditioning: Eating Your Way To Heaven. Another title he tackled was When The Yankees Were On The Fritz: Revisiting The Horace Clarke Era.

You might spot Peterson in Jim Bouton’s famous baseball book Ball Four. His writing usually pulled from his baseball days and personal beliefs, and honestly, you can feel how much that meant to him.