Former New York Yankees pitcher Fritz Peterson, who famously swapped wives and families with a teammate, has died at the age of 82.
The 1970 All-Star and teammate Mike Kekich flipped their lives away from the ball park upside down when they traded romantic partners.
The story was so wild that Hollywood duo Ben Affleck and Matt Damon wanted to make it into a blockbuster movie.
The switch happened in 1973, almost 12 months after Peterson and his wife Marilyn attended a party with Kekich and his wife, Susanne.
‘We did that and we had so much fun together, Susanne and I and Mike and Marilyn, that we decided, “Hey, this is fun, let’s do it again”,’ he told the Palm Beach Post in 2013.
‘We did it the next night. We went out to the Steak and Ale in Fort Lee. Mike and Marilyn left early and Susanne and I stayed and had a few drinks and ate.
Former Yankees pitcher Fritz Peterson, who swapped wives with a teammate, has died at 82
Peterson with Marilyn Peterson (left) and Susanne Kekich (right) in 1972
‘It was just really fun being able to talk to somebody. All of us felt the same way. We went on from there and eventually he fell in love with my wife and I fell in love with his.’
When they announced the news to the American media at spring training, Peterson, then 31, told press: ‘Don’t make anything sordid out of this.’
Mr Kekich, then 27, added: ‘Don’t say this was wife-swapping, because it wasn’t. We didn’t swap wives, we swapped lives.’
It appears that it was not unhappy marriages that inspired the swap. As Kekich later admitted, ‘by American standards, I had a good marriage. But I wanted a great marriage. I was idealistic, I guess.’
According to various versions of events, Peterson became drawn to the bubbly Susanne, a former cheerleader, as the quieter Kekich became close with Marilyn, who is said to have echoed his personality.
But while the new arrangement proved successful for Mr Peterson and Mrs Kekich – who went on to have four children and remained together until his death – Mr Kekich and Mrs Peterson’s romance fizzled out after just a couple of months.
In an interview years afterwards, Mr Kekich recalled: ‘Marilyn and I thought we were perfectly suited, just like Fritz and Susanne. Marilyn was all for the swap in the beginning, but then she backed off.
‘All four of us had agreed in the beginning that if anyone wasn’t happy, the thing would be called off. But when Marilyn and I decided to call it off, the other couple already had gone off with each other.’
Peterson, who once battled prostate cancer, helped the Yankees to 109 wins during his time in The Bronx.
He was later traded to the Cleveland Guardians after nine seasons in New York. He last pitched for the Texas Rangers in the 1976 season.
A statement from the Yankees read: ‘The Yankees are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Fritz Peterson, who was a formidable pitcher and affable presence throughout his nine years in pinstripes.
‘Along with longtime teammate Mel Stottlemyre, Peterson was part of a devastating one-two combination at the top of the Yankees’ rotation.
‘A known prankster and well-liked among his teammates and coaches, Peterson had an outgoing personality and inquisitive nature that brought lightheartedness to the clubhouse on a regular basis and belied his prowess on the mound – most notably his impeccable control, which was among the best in the Majors.
‘Peterson will be greatly missed by the Yankees, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Susanne, and the entire Peterson family.’
More to follow.
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