1973 Profile: Fritz Peterson

"He's a control artist with a lifetime ratio of three strikeouts to every walk. A consistent winner, Peterson had his finest season in 1970 when he achieved his 20th victory on the final night. He took the news on his knees under the manager's desk in the clubhouse because he couldn't bear to watch reliever Lindy McDaniel get the final two outs.
Fritz is an inspired dreamer who once imagined himself playing on the same line with hockey superstar Bobby Hull, only to have the puck freeze to his stick. A one-time semi-pro hockey player, he did color work on the broadcast of New York Raider games last winter.
Born February 8, 1942 in Chicago, Fritz received his bachelor's and master's degrees from Northern Illinois University.
He was selected to the American League All-Star team in 1970."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1973 Edition

"Once a crewcut, nervous youngster from the midwest, Fritz Peterson enters his eighth season with the New York Yankees as a mod, poised veteran who has combined his superb control with the cunning that comes from experience.
Fans attending Fritz-pitched games can be sure of few walks, little time between pitches, and under-two-hour games. These have become Peterson trademarks. So has the ability to win consistently. Last year Fritz topped the Yankee staff with 17 wins despite waiting until May 21 for number one.
Off the field, Fritz is a lively spirit. He will go to no end of trouble to devise a practical joke, particularly on his fellow pitchers. More seriously, this past winter Fritz surfaced in a new career as an announcer of the New York Raiders hockey games over WMCA. Fritz might well have been a professional hockey player himself had he not elected baseball. He has coupled his knowledge of the game with an engaging style to become an instant success in a new field.
But his single overriding ambition is to pitch the Yankees to a world championship."

-The New York Yankees Official 1973 Yearbook

"Peterson goes into the 1973 season listed among the top 20 All-Time Yankee pitchers in the following categories: games - 14th with 254, innings pitched - 11th with 1,664, wins - 13th with 101, strikeouts - 11th with 829, shutouts - 12th with 18, complete games - 20th with 76, and ERA - 9th with 3.00.
The crafty lefthander throws five of six different pitches and controls them all as is attested by his fantastic ratio of strikeouts to walks - 3 to 1 (2 to 1 is considered very good). Fritz is a good fielding pitcher who has one of the best pick-off moves in the big leagues. He's caught 14 runners off base during his career, with a high of four in 1968.
Fritz suffered a poor start in 1972, losing his first six games, being the victim of a shutout twice. He bounced back, however, and was 17-9 for the remainder of the season.
Always a hockey enthusiast, Fritz moved his permanent home to the Metropolitan area this past off-season to coincide with his new off-season occupation as color announcer for the newly formed New York Raiders hockey team. He received excellent notices, but baseball still comes first."

-1973 New York Yankees Press/TV/Radio Guide