1971 Profile: Ron Swoboda

"Returning to the city of his greatest heroics, colorful Ron Swoboda came to the Yankees on June 25 in a trade with Montreal. Best known for a powerful bat that made him the all-time New York Met home run and RBI king through 1970, Rocky's singular outstanding achievement was his catch in the fourth game of the 1969 World Series, rated as one of the greatest in Series history. There are no neutral fans where Ron Swoboda is concerned, and the Yankees are happy to have his bat in the lineup."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

1971 Profile: Stan Bahnsen

"The youngest of the Yankees' Big Three, 26-year-old Stan Bahnsen still has a lot to prove. As a 17-game winner with a 2.06 ERA in 1968, Stan was named the AL's Rookie of the Year. But the following season the 6-2, 188-pound right-hander won only nine games. In 1970 Stan made strides toward returning to his rookie form. He compiled a 14-11 record and a 3.32 earned run average.
Ralph Houk is confident that Stan is ready to be a consistent winner from now on. His overhand fastball is considered to be one of the best in the AL, and Carl Yastrzemski says the Iowa-born pitcher is the hardest thrower in the league."

-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971

"Stan's comeback last season was one of the major reasons for the Yankees' improvement. A hard thrower, he was handicapped by the lowering of the mound in 1969. His strikeouts have declined each season in the majors. His improved control and added knowledge are credited for his success last year.
The Rookie of the Year in 1968, Stan is a popular banquet speaker. His father is a brakeman for the Union Pacific Railroad. Born December 15, 1944 in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Stan was scared by New York at first, but now lives across the river in Fort Lee, New Jersey.
'I love this city,' he says. Stan is married to a former airline stewardess."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition

"After a Rookie of the Year season in 1968, Stan suffered the sophomore jinx in '69. But last year he made a strong comeback, winning 14 games, losing 11, pitching 233 innings and ending with a 3.32 ERA.
At the start of the 1970 season, Ralph Houk predicted that Bahnsen's comeback would be a key factor in the Yankees' surge to the first division. It was more than a coincidence that both forecasts proved accurate. Stan's improvement was a big factor; he filled the number three spot in the pitching rotation and finished among the league leaders in earned run average.
At season's end, Manager Ralph Houk summed up Bahnsen's rebound: 'Stan is ready to become a consistent winner.'
Stan lives in Fort Lee, New Jersey with his lovely ex-airline stewardess wife, Connie, and is still doing Army Reserve duty."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

"Bahnsen bounced back from a 'sophomore jinx' year of 9-16 in 1969 to a 14-11 mark during the 1970 campaign and was the Yanks' third starter behind Stottlemyre and Peterson. He was the American League Rookie of the Year in 1968.
The hard-throwing right-hander learned to control his curve ball and also came up with a pretty good changeup late in the year, which he hopes to improve on this season. Stan had the 15th lowest ERA in the AL last year with a 3.32 mark, but had some tough luck gaining winning decisions as seven of his eleven losses came when he was the victim of a shutout or one-run decision.
He has hurled two no-hitters in Organized Baseball- July 17, 1966 with Toledo and the other a seven-inning perfect game on July 9, 1967 while with Syracuse. He attended the University of Nebraska for two years before signing with the Yankees.
Stan is one of the best bunters on the club as he has led the team in sacrifice hits the past two seasons."

-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

1971 Profile: Fritz Peterson

"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

1971 Profile: Roy White

"One of the reasons the Yankees have been moving up in the standings the last three years is that Roy White has been steadily improving, too. In 1968 Roy hit .267, and in the following year he raised his average to .290. Last year the 27-year-old switch-hitter batted .296. Only a mid-season slump kept the lightweight (5-11, 160 pounds) outfielder from reaching the .300 mark. Roy led the Yankees in runs scored (109), in hits (180), in RBI's (94) and in walks (96). He tied for the lead in stolen bases, with 23, and in sacrifice flies, with seven, and was one off the pace in home runs, with 22."

-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971

"The most complete player the Yankees own. He led the team in runs scored, runs batted in, hits, doubles and stolen bases. White became the first Yankee since 1961 to score as many as 100 runs. With surprising power for a man his size, he hit homers from both sides of the plate in a game against Oakland last season. He missed a chance to bat .300 for the first time when he went hitless in the final game against Boston. An All-Star selection in each of the last two seasons, Roy constantly changes his stances and his bats to suit his mood.
'Joe Cunningham was called the man with a thousand stances,' he says. 'As a switch-hitter, I must have 2,000. I change bats all the time, even during a game.'
Born December 27, 1943 in Los Angeles, White overcame a mild case of polio at the age of six. He's a heavy reader, mostly autobiographies and science fiction, and an articulate speaker.
Roy is married, with one daughter."

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition

"In 1970, Roy put together his greatest season yet. He tied for the American League lead in games played (162); topped the club in runs (109), becoming the first Yankee since 1961 to score over 100; led the club in hits with 180; led in doubles (31); was second in homers and triples; and led the club with 94 RBI's and 95 walks. Roy was tops in stolen bases with 24 and tied Horace Clarke for the lead in sacrifice flies (7).
Roy had an amazing streak in the first half of June when he had eight hits in ten trips to the plate against Kansas City and was 14 for 21 against Chicago. In a game against Oakland, Roy hit homers from both sides of the plate, each time with two on. He got five hits in a game against Kansas City, one hit sparking a five-run 12th inning in which the Yankees won.
White, now 27, started with the Yankee organization in 1962 as an infielder. In 1968 Ralph Houk decided that if Roy was to make it, he would be a left fielder. Roy set out to make himself the best defensive left fielder in Yankee history. He has committed only six errors in the last three years and has made the last two All-Star teams.
Roy is a good example of how to succeed in baseball by really trying. A man with a lively bat but no defensive position when he started, he showed how well three years of hard work and determination can pay off.
Roy lives in West Patterson, New Jersey, is married and has a three-year-old daughter."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

"White showed continued improvement last year as he made the American League All-Star team for the second straight season, and many believe he has not yet reached his top potential.
He ranked 13th in hitting (.296) and 10th in RBIs (94) and was the Yanks' biggest all-around offensive threat as he led the club in runs (109), hits (180), doubles (31), RBIs, walks (95), stolen bases (24) and was just one behind Bobby Murcer for the club lead in homers- Bobby had 23, Roy had 22. His 162 games led the American League and tied a Yankee record- Bobby Richardson played in 162 in 1962. Roy set personal highs for himself last year in the following categories: games played, at-bats (609), runs scored, hits, doubles, home runs, RBIs, walks, stolen bases and batting average.
Roy tied a major league record last year when he hit homers right-handed and left-handed in the same game. He also switch-hit triples in one game, another major league record.
He was originally signed as an infielder and played there all through his minor league career. He was switched to the outfield in 1966 and won the James P. Dawson Award as the outstanding rookie in the Yankee spring training camp that same year.
Roy has spent the last two off-seasons as a 'time salesman' for CBS radio."

-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

1971 Profile: Horace Clarke

"Unlike most leadoff men, Horace Clarke is an aggressive hitter. He doesn't like to wait out the pitcher. Clarke drew only 35 walks in 1970. But unlike his performance in 1969, when he hit .285, the switch-hitting veteran struggled to hit .251 last season. Horace is a fairly good second baseman, although some criticize his double-play pivot, but his best asset is his speed on the basepaths. He stole 23 bases last year and scored 81 runs.
The 30-year-old native of the Virgin Islands broke in with New York in 1965 as a utility infielder. He took command of the second base job in 1967 when he hit .272. The 5-9, 170-pounder is not a power hitter; he has only 20 major league home runs. But the first two were grand slams, which established a major league record."

-Brenda Zanger and Dick Kaplan, Major League Baseball 1971

"Steady and consistent best describe Clarke's performances at second base and at the plate. The 30-year-old switch-hitter from the Virgin Islands, who has worked the keystone sack since the retirement of Bobby Richardson in 1967, had a less than satisfying year with a .251 mark but he was a constant offensive threat. Horace gets on base often and seldom settles for that; he stole 23 in 30 attempts. He's sixteenth on the all-time stolen base list for the Yankees and, if he has an average season (about 30 stolen bases) as he has in past years, he'll go into the top ten for the all-time Yankee leaders in that department.
Clarke led the major leagues in putouts and assists. Durable - he played in 158 games - his 686 at-bats led the league for the second consecutive year. The record is three straight years, shared by Bobby Richardson. Although Horace's year didn't match his fine 1969 performance when he hit .285, the '69 season was proof of how well he bounces back. That year he gained 55 points in his batting average, led the club in hits with 183, tied Bobby Murcer for most runs at 82 - and led the league's second basemen in putouts, assists and double plays. The record shows that a less than average year for Clarke is always followed by a better than average year. With the Yankees in contention, Horace's rebound couldn't be better timed."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

"Hoss is one of the steadiest ballplayers around and has now been the Yanks' regular second baseman for the past four years. He is a fine offensive threat, as he makes contact with the bat' and is one of the best baserunners in the game.
Clarke stole over 20 bases for the fourth straight year in 1970 and now ranks 16th among all-time Yankee base stealers; a similar season in that department in '71 will place him among the top ten. Defensively he has led American League second basemen in putouts, assists and total chances each of the past three seasons.
Originally signed as a shortstop, he played all infield positions for the Yanks, including 63 games at short in 1966, before taking over the keystone sack in 1967 with the retirement of Bobby Richardson. In 1970, Clarke broke up three no-hitters in the ninth inning, against Joe Niekro, Sonny Siebert and Jim Rooker."

-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

1971 Profile: Mike Kekich

"As he had the year before, Mike got off to a slow start but came on very strong late in the season. He was hobbled by a pulled hamstring muscle that put him on the disabled list for a month after his first 1970 start. Although his 6-3 record was good, Mike showed so much class in his last five starts - he won four of them - that the big hope is that he will pick up where he left off and join the starting brigade.
Kekich was acquired from the Dodgers in 1968 in exchange for popular Andy Kosco. The trade was a vote of confidence in the 26-year-old pitcher's untapped potential. The 'mod lefthander' from Bellflower, California says, 'I've always loved fun and I hope I always will, but I take my pitching as seriously as anyone.' Mike is an individualist with flair, and it's never more evident than when he has that hopping fastball cutting the corners."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

"Kekich enjoyed his finest season in the major leagues last year despite a rough first half due to injury. In his first start of the year, on April 12, he pulled his left hamstring muscle running to first base and was on the disabled list from April 13 to May 5.
He was in and out through July; however, he came on strong late in the season when he won four straight starts. Mike showed real consistency for the first time as a Yankee and took his place among the five regular Yankee starters along with Stottlemyre, Peterson, Bahnsen and Kline. He has always had a live arm with a hopping fastball and a good change of pace.
Mike hurled a 1-hitter against the Mets while with the Dodgers in 1968, shutting them out 2-0 while striking out 11. He has twice gone into the seventh inning without allowing a hit, against both the Mets and the Phillies in 1968. While with St. Petersburg in 1964, he struck out 11 consecutive batters.
Mike has many hobbies, including motorcycle riding."

-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide

1971 Profile: Ron Blomberg

"It may be next year before he's ready, but the Yankees are content to wait. Ron is a fine natural hitter, with good power, plenty of speed and a strong arm. He has everything but experience.
The very first choice in the 1967 free agent draft, the Yanks took him out of Atlanta, Georgia, where he was born, August 23, 1948. He began his career as a first baseman, now he's an outfielder. Ron batted .273 at Syracuse last year after a .284 at Manchester in 1969.
He has one all-consuming hobby: food. Ron once ate 28 hamburgers in a single sitting while in high school.
'They had a deal where they gave you a hamburger for a 1956 penny,' he said. 'I collected 28 pennies.'"

-Joe Gergen, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1971 Edition

"The 22-year-old slugger, who has progressed steadily towards Yankee Stadium since he was the Yankees' first draft choice and first selection in the country in 1967, was slowed up a lot last year by military service. But while he was playing Instructional League ball in Clearwater, Florida last October, he requested permission for a few days off to get married. When he came back, Ronnie hit five home runs in five days as well as a couple of bases-loaded doubles. (Many Happy Anniversaries!)
It's generally conceded that Blomberg (he pronounces it 'Bloom-berg') has the potential for super stardom. Originally a first baseman, Ronnie was converted to the outfield to make better use of his speed."

-The New York Yankees Official 1971 Yearbook

"Blomberg moved up to AAA last year and hit a respectable .273 at Syracuse despite much Army Reserve duty, which had him in and out of the lineup. He was sent to the Florida Instructional League last fall for more playing time, then left the club to be married and when he came back hit three homers in two games, and raised his average from .250 to .304 by the end of the Instructional League season.
Ron is a big, strong powerful hitting lad with a good arm and speed. He was signed as a first baseman but was switched to the outfield in order to utilize his running ability.
Yankee players still talk about the shot he hit over the right field roof of Tiger Stadium during batting practice late in the 1969 season. He had been recalled from Manchester in September and hit .500 in six official at-bats against major league pitching.
Blomberg is considered one of the top prospects in the Yankee organization and not too far away from regular duty at Yankee Stadium."

-1971 New York Yankees Press-TV-Radio Guide