The 1970s were a wild time. The culture change that came with it was something that baseball tried desperately to keep away from. Some clubs mandated haircuts while the A’s did the opposite by having mustache contests when there was open revolt against their original no facial hair policy. Then there was what happened to the Yankees at the start of spring training in 1973.
Friday, July 24 at 6:45p – Jesus Luzardo v Cam Schlittler (R)
Citizen’s Bank Park – Philadelphia, PA
Saturday, July 25 at 6:06 – TBD v Ryan Weathers (L)
Sunday, July 26 at 7:20p – Cristopher Sanchez v Will Warren (R)
Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich were teammates with the Yankees beginning in 1969. Peterson was a work horse, regularly throwing 250 innings with an ERA in the mid 2s and low 3s, while Kekich was more of a utility pitcher getting starts here and there and also used in long relief. They were friends and living in the same area in NJ, so were their wives. That friendship all changed in the summer of 1972 when after a party and some spirituous beverages, they decided their relationships needed something else and they went home with the other’s spouses.
Well, everyone agreed that the party went very well! So well, in fact, that the two couples started going on double dates, just not in the way you’d think. Marilyn Peterson started seeing Mike Kekich and Susanne Kekich started seeing Fritz Peterson. Things got even more personal from there. Everyone apparently, was very happy with the switch.
By the start of the 1973 season, things kicked up a notch. These were not just swinging young baseball couples who were experimenting with free love, these were families with children. Well, how does that work? In an event that a therapist would kill to analyze (and bill for), the two ball players completely switched lives. Kekich went to live with Peterson’s family including his kids and even his dog while Peterson did the same with Kekich’s family. Everything was mutual and they announced it to the world.
The Yankees and baseball were livid. New owner George Steinbrenner didn’t say anything but after headlines like “Yankee Panky” hit the newspapers, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn condemned the whole thing. Another person who took it badly was Mike Kekich. His performance cratered as did his love for Marilyn Peterson. They wanted to go back on the whole swap. Turns out, Fritz and Susanne didn’t feel the same way. As teammates that would see each other every day, that was a problem.
The Yankees traded Kekich to Cleveland shortly after the start of the season in an attempt to fix everything. Unfortunately for them, Peterson’s numbers sank too. He was no longer the workhorse and his ERA was hovering around 4. The Yankees decided to trade him to Cleveland too. I know what you’re thinking, how could Cleveland trade for the same mess? Well, they didn’t. Kekich was so bad that he played 1974 in Japan. It was certainly a rough time for Mike Kekich.
In the end, things never really got any better for Kekich though he did eventually remarry. Fritz Peterson and Susanne Kekich though were married and together until he passed away in 2023. They lived a long and happy life together and always described what happened as nothing dirty and really just a love story like any other.
Source: Big Hair and Plastic Grass
Photo:
Philly front office 
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