[IMPORTANT: Make this 4 times longer with much more detail]
Baseball Unusual Case in the History of Spring Training – Caso Insólito en la Historia del Spring Training by Juan Vené March 16, 2025 Coral Gables, Florida ( VIP-WIRE ) – During this time of Major League Baseball training, it’s only natural that numerous news stories emerge daily, such as player trades, injuries, the arrival of promising rookies, the retirement of jaded veterans, marriages, divorces, and many other issues. But what happened during the Yankees’ spring training on March 5, 1973, was unique and the most scandalous. That same year, another big story in the history of the Bronx team emerged: George Steinbrenner bought the club from CBS-TV for $10 million. Now, the other case has never happened before, nor has it ever happened in the 155 years of Major League Baseball, and possibly nothing like it will ever happen again. It was then that the pitchers, both left-handed, Fritz Peterson and Mike Kekich, traded wives, children (two from each couple), dogs, houses, furniture, cars, and even some old, battered suitcases. Peterson, then 31, and Kekich, 27, were important parts of manager Ralph Houk’s rotation. Mike Kekich (left) and Fritz Peterson (right), traded wives, children (two from each couple), dogs, houses, furniture, cars, and even some old suitcases. It Was a Special Announcement The Yankees were training in Fort Lauderdale, the beautiful coastal town 44 kilometers from Miami. That day, the Yankees weren’t playing, and the usual morning activities were just beginning—batters in front of pitching machines, infielders fielding ground balls, pitchers jogging 100 meters to walk back—when at 9:30 a.m. an announcement appeared in the press office: “An announcement for reporters will be broadcast at 12 noon, in the centerfield-leftfield area, near the stadium fences.” We were very surprised that this meeting wasn’t in the clubhouse or the press office, as was customary. We had never been called for something like this before. Later, we learned it was because it wasn’t a team activity, but something personal for two of the players. All of Them Together At the appointed time, there were the two couples with two children each, all under six years old; both husbands were in uniform; four dogs, two from each couple; and two pairs of suitcases. The four adults were smiling. The four children were surprised, fearful, and annoyed. Suddenly, Peterson, whose wife was named Marilyn, spoke: “Good morning, friends… We’ve called you here because of some information we need to give you. My dear friend Mike and I have decided to exchange wives, children, houses, dogs, cars, and suitcases. Susanne, who used to be Mike’s wife, is now mine. We’ll be married soon.” “But why?!” one of the reporters exclaimed, more than asked. The four smiled. And then Mike spoke: Crossed in Love “We fell in love. I adore Marilyn and she loves me, while Susanne is now madly in love with Fritz and he with her. We haven’t just exchanged wives and all that, we’ve exchanged lives.” They immediately emphasized that they were changing everything. Kekich’s two young daughters were going with Peterson, and Peterson’s two boys with Kekich. The Yankees’ general manager at the time, Lee MacPhail, commented: “I think we should call this Family Day.” New York Yankees pitchers Mike Kekich, left, and Fritz Peterson holding their children during the announcement. (Photo/Joe Migon) They Had Trained Before Committing It had all started a year earlier, in 1972, when they had once toyed with wife-swapping. Afterward, Marilyn slept with Kekich quite often, and Susanne with Peterson. They got used to it. And at the beginning of 1973, they decided to make it all public and well-known. They concluded that spring training was the best time for the announcement. Fritz was married to Susanne until his death, at age 81, on October 19, 2023, in Winona, Minnesota. But Mike and Marilyn didn’t get along, and within a few months they had separated. Kekich married twice more, but ended up living alone, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, at the age of 79. Thank you for life, which has given me so much, even a reader like you. jbeisbol5@aol.com @juanvene5 TREMENDO ESTACIONAMIENTO RESTAURANT CASTIZO Y VINOS EN PLENA AVENIDA 27 1673 SW 27th Ave. MIAMI FL, 33145 TEL: (305) 640-5658 USTED COME BIEN EN SU CASA Y AQUI (En Español) En la Historia del Spring Training, N unca Nada Tan Espectacular Coral Gables, Florida ( VIP-WIRE ) – En esta época de entrenamientos de las Grandes Ligas, es lógico que a diario surjan numerosas noticias, como cambios de peloteros, los lesionados, llegada de novatos prometedores, retiro de veteranos acabados, matrimonios, divorcios y de muchos otros aspectos. Pero lo ocurrido durante el spring training de los Yankees, el cinco de marzo de 1973, ha sido único y lo más escandaloso. Ese mismo año surgió otra noticia grande en la historia del equipo de El Bronx: Fue cuando George Steinbrenner le compró el club a la CBS-TV , por 10 millones de dólares. Ahora, el otro caso, nunca antes había ocurrido, ni ha ocurrido en los 155 años que van de pelota Mayor y, posiblemente, no haya nada parecido jamás. Fue cuando los pitchers, ambos zurdos, Fritz Peterson y Mike Kekich, cambiaron esposas, hijos (dos de cada pareja), perros, casas, muebles, automóviles y hasta unas maletas viejas y muy golpeadas, por cierto. Peterson, de 31 años entonces, y Kekich, de 27, eran parte importante de la rotación del mánager Ralph Houk. Mike Kekich y Fritz Peterson cambiaron esposas, hijos (dos de cada pareja), perros, casas, muebles, automóviles y hasta unas maletas viejas. Fue un Anuncio Especial Entrenaban los Yankees entonces en Fort Lauderdale, la preciosa población costeña, a 44 kilómetros de Miami. Aquel día, no jugaban los Yankees, y comenzaban las actividades matutinas de costumbre, como bateadores frente a máquinas de lanzar, infielders recogiendo roletazos, lanzadores trotando 100 metros para devolverse caminando, cuando a las 9:30 de la mañana apareció un anuncio en la oficina de prensa: “Se emitirá una información para los reporteros a las 12 del medio día, en el área centerfield-leftfield, cerca de las bardas del estadio”. Nos llamó mucho la atención que esa reunión no fuera en el clubhouse o en la oficina de prensa, como era costumbre. Nunca antes nos habían convocado para algo así. Más tarde supimos que fue porque no se trataba de una actividad del equipo, sino de algo particular de dos de los peloteros. Todos Ellos Juntos A la hora indicada, ahí estaban las dos parejas con dos hijos cada una, todos menores de seis años, los dos maridos uniformados; cuatro perros, dos de cada matrimonio y dos pares de maletas. Los cuatro adultos sonreían. Los cuatro niños estaban sorprendidos, temerosos, fastidiados. De pronto habló Peterson, cuya esposa era llamada Marilyn: “Buenos días amigos… Los hemos citado debido a una información que necesitamos darles. Mi querido amigo Mike y yo hemos decidido cambiar las esposas, los hijos, las casas, los perros, los automóviles y las maletas. Ahora Susanne, quien venía siendo la esposa de Mike, es la mía. Nos casaremos pronto”. “Pero, ¡¿por qué?!””, clamó, más que preguntó, uno de los reporteros. Los cuatro sonrieron. Y habló entonces Mike: Enamorados Cruzados “Nos enamoramos cruzados. Adoro a Marilyn y ella me ama, mientras que Susanne ahora está locamente enamorada de Fritz y él de ella. No hemos cambiado solo esposas y lo demás, hemos cambiado nuestras vidas”. En seguida recalcaron que lo cambiaban todo. Las dos niñas de pocos años de Kekich se iban con Peterson y los dos niños de Peterson con Kekich. El gerente-general de los Yankees en esa época, Lee MacPhail comentó: “Creo que debemos llamar esto El Día de la Familia “. Los dos niños de Fritz Peterson se fueron con Mike Kekich y las niñas de Kekich con Peterson. Lo Habían Entrenado Todo había comenzado un año antes, en 1972, cuando juguetearon una vez con intercambiar esposas ( wife-swapping ). Después, Marilyn dormía muy a menudo con Kekich y Susanne con Peterson. Se acostumbraron. Y al comenzar 1973, decidieron hacerlo todo completo, público y notorio. Y concluyeron, en que durante el spring training, era lo mejor para el anuncio. Fritz estuvo casado con Susanne hasta su muerte, a los 81 años, el 19 de octubre de 2023, en Winona, Minnesota. Pero Mike y Marilyn no congeniaron y en pocos meses ya se habían separado. Kekich se casó otras dos veces, pero ha terminado viviendo solo, en Albuquerque, New México, a los 79 años de edad.. G racias a la vida que me ha dado tanto, incluso un lector como tú. jbeisbol5@aol.com @juanvene5 Related Topics Feature Fritz Peterson George Steinbrenner Lee MacPhail Mike Kekich Ralph Houk Click to comment Leave a Reply Cancel reply Your email address will not be published. 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