81 Yankees At Athletics, May 7, 1970, Fritz Peterson's Summer Of Success

29 April 2024

Album art features Fritz Petersen

There are pitchers who have storied careers, workhorses who can support a team’s offence for many years, and pitchers who shine brightly and burn out in a single season.

Fritz Peterson was a workhorse. He had a winning record in seven of his eleven years in the Majors and posted a career 133-131 record. His time and productivity with the New York Yankees puts him currently in ninth-place in the all-time games started, and tent on innings pitched.

However, it was the year 1970 that truly illuminated his career. With a career-best winning percentage of .645, he reached the psychological milestone of 20 wins on the last day of the season. This was also the year he received his only call up to the All-Star Game, a testament to his exceptional performance. Yet, despite these achievements, he never had the opportunity to play in a post-season game.

As the Yankees visit the Athletics, Peterson holds a 2-2 record and he's looking to establish himself in the rotation. Frank Messer and Bob Gamere share play-by-play and color duties in today's classic game.

You can find the boxscore here.

This game was played on May 7, 1970.