"It was the last game of the 1970 season and Fred 'Fritz' Peterson was going for his 20th win in, of all places, Fenway Park - no place for a lefthander to be optimistic. But, with relief help, Fritz survived Boston's sluggers, and that left-field wall, to finally make it to the 20-win plateau. His record for the season was 20-11; his ERA 2.90.
Fritz has been a Yankee since 1966 when he won 12 games as a rookie on a last-place club. Since then he's had his ups and downs, but in 1969 showed great improvement as he won 17 games.
Fritz has excellent control. In 260 innings last year he gave up only 42 walks. He throws a curve ball, a slider, a fastball and a screwball, which he added to his repertoire last year. At 29, he should be reaching his prime."
-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major Baseball 1971
"Fritz achieved the status of a 20-game winner last season in a curious position, kneeling under the manager's desk in the clubhouse with his hands covering his ears while Lindy McDaniel got the final two outs.
'I couldn't bear to watch,' he says.
He's an inspired dreamer who has engaged vicariously in just about every Snoopyesque adventure except fighting the Red Baron. There's nothing overpowering about his stuff but his control is remarkable. Born in Chicago, February 8, 1942, Fritz holds a bachelor's and a master's degree from Northern Illinois. He teaches there during the winter.
'I teach billiards,' he says.
That 20th victory was his first ever in Fenway Park, the haunted house of left-handers. He not only kept the game ball as a souvenir, but also his uniform. Inappropriately numbered 19, he has a thoroughly engaging personality.
Fritz is married, with two sons."
-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition
"In his fifth year with the Yankees, at age 28, Peterson had his best season yet. A 20-game winner with a 2.91 ERA, Fritz was downright stingy with walks. In 260 innings he walked only 40 men, which is less than two a game. He struck out 127 to lead the club in that department. Pete was named to the All-Star team in 1970 - his proudest major league accomplishment until he reached the magic 20.
Fritz helps himself on the mound; he's an excellent fielder and a fine competitor. He became a tough out at the plate in 1970.
Literate and articulate, he lives in DeKalb, Illinois, where he's a physical education instructor at Northern Illinois University in the off-season. He does is a little broadcasting and is a hockey fan, having once played in a semi-pro league."
-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook
"The crafty southpaw firmly established himself as one of the top left-handers in the game last year. He enjoyed his first 20-game season with a 20-11 record and had the fourth lowest ERA in the American League with a 2.91 mark. He made the All-Star team for the first time in his career during the '70 campaign.
Fritz has now been among the top 15 in ERA ratings for the past three years, ranking 15th in 1968, fifth in 1969 and fourth last year. He has a variety of pitches and can control them all. His lifetime ratio of 195 walks as against 590 strikeouts is outstanding. One walk against two strikeouts is considered excellent: Fritz has a ratio of one to three.
Among his 20 wins last year were two 3-hitters and four 5-hitters. Fritz had an eight-game winning streak from April 28 through June 12 and won his last three starts of the year to reach the magic twenty win circle. He became the first Yankee left-hander to accomplish this feat since Whitey Ford was 24-7 in 1963.
Fritz helped himself win a couple of games with his bat as he rapped two homers. He also helps himself with his fielding agility on the mound. He has one of the best pick-off moves in the major leagues and has picked off 13 runners in his major league career, with a high of four in 1968.
A graduate of Northern Illinois University, where he also received his Master's degree, Fritz teaches there during the off-season. He is a hockey enthusiast and once played on a semi-pro club."
-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide
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