Mike Kekich And Fritz Peterson: The Story Behind "The Trade"

Controversy is stirring about the upcoming Ben Affleck and Matt Damon film, "The Trade," which aims to recount the 1970's "wife swap" scandal, involving former Yankees Mike Kekich and Fritz Peterson.

The scandal, which began in 1972 but wasn't leaked to the media until 1973, eventually led to the two swaping wives permanently. The idea started from a joke the two long-time friends and pitchers made over dinner.

Details from The Clarion Ledger:

Peterson traded his wife, Marilyn, his two kids and a poodle for Susan Kekich, the two Kekich children and a Bedlington terrier.

"We didn't trade wives; we traded lives," Kekich said.

Said Yankees executive Dan Topping after the trade was announced during spring training of 1973, "We may have to call off Family Day this season."

"The Trade," which is being rewritten by Ben and Casey Affleck, will be based on the events and aftermath of the scandal, according to the New York Post.

According to USA Today, Kekich, who now lives in New Mexico and has a new family, is not very happy about the film, and is trying to get it blocked. Damon and Affleck are well-known Red Sox fans, and the Post also questions their ability to tackle the scandal in an unbiased manner.

Comments

[BMVB]

01:29 PM on 03/02/2011

I wonder if I can get Tom Brady to make that trade with me. www.sportbloggers.com

[UncleLiberal]

04:19 PM on 02/27/2011

"The scandal, which began in 1972 but wasn't leaked to the media until 1973, eventually led to the two swaping wives permanently. The idea started from a joke the two long-time friends and pitchers made over dinner."

*swapping

[parlimentMike]

02:26 PM on 02/27/2011

After this project, the next one will be about how two Red Sox fans created excellent careers based on the acting talents of one of them.

[Larkhill]

12:07 AM on 02/28/2011

Hey, Damon's pretty good, too...

[Spartan112]

10:09 AM on 02/28/2011

Say what you want about Affleck, but he's a heck of a director.

[parlimentMike]

02:04 PM on 02/27/2011

Next a story about two mega-careers emerging from the coalition of a good actor and a stiff.

[Spartan112]

10:09 AM on 02/28/2011

yawn...

[PDXM1ke]

11:07 AM on 02/28/2011

Gigli

[Gigity]

09:02 AM on 02/27/2011

I could never trade my dog.

[VTL]

03:17 PM on 02/26/2011

"questions their ability to tackle the scandal in an unbiased manner"

Oh, please.

[sbmulqueen]

10:58 PM on 02/27/2011

You obviously don't understand the Yankee/Red Sox rivalry.

[BacSi]

09:03 AM on 02/26/2011

Wives I can understand.

But how does anyone give up his dog?

[SirCoolBreeze]

05:31 AM on 02/26/2011

" It wasn't terribly interestin­g even when it happened. Both Peterson and Kekich were second-rat­ers, so there was no "star-powe­r" driving the story. It was just a two-week "news of the weird" sort of thing. Certainly not enough to drive an entire movie. " -- jockmama posted AM
Not so about Peterson, actually. Read:
During the final game at Yankee Stadium on Sunday, September 21, 2008, ESPN Sports announced that the pitcher who had the all-time lowest earned run average at Yankee Stadium was Fritz Peterson, with a 2.52 ERA. Whitey Ford was second with a 2.55 ERA. That honor is permanent since Yankee Stadium has been demolished. And:
In 1969 and 1970, Peterson had the best strikeout-to-walk ratios in the American League. Peterson also led the league in fewest walks per 9 innings pitched 5 years in a row, 1968-1972. The last pitcher that did that 5 years in a row was Cy Young.
Just some facts...

[JKDM]

12:24 AM on 02/27/2011

Very key... great post.

[jockmama]

02:50 AM on 02/26/2011

It wasn't terribly interesting even when it happened. Both Peterson and Kekich were second-raters, so there was no "star-power" driving the story. It was just a two-week "news of the weird" sort of thing. Certainly not enough to drive an entire movie.

[Spartan112]

04:33 PM on 02/26/2011

Two guys swap families and that's not terribly interesting? Your pinstripes are showing.

[ReasonIsMyReligion]

01:19 AM on 02/26/2011

Swaping?

[SirCoolBreeze]

05:32 AM on 02/26/2011

"Vanna, I'd like to buy a consonant, please"

[tippisheadrun]

11:11 PM on 02/27/2011

ROTFL. Very clever.

[SamEllison]

08:53 PM on 02/25/2011

We had a lot of fun with that in the 70s but they're over.

Red Sox fans huh, why don't they make a movie about the "Frozen Splinter"?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/12/20/national/main533849.shtml

[deanleto]

07:56 PM on 02/25/2011

i think it would be way more interesting from the wives' perspective

[Gigity]

09:03 AM on 02/27/2011

I'd rather see it from the dog's perspective.

[crackerjackpony]

12:23 AM on 03/02/2011

Same here...how bizarre. =/ I'm interested in this mainly *because* of the dogs (a Bedlington Terrier e-mail list linked me here.)

[devilirius]

05:22 PM on 02/25/2011

Sounds like an unhappy ending. "BrokeYank Mountain."

[Dr Confuso]

04:20 PM on 02/25/2011

I'm sure that as card carrying members of Red Sox Nation, the lads will treat the story with all the sensitivity it deserves....it being a Yankee story and all.

[Comfortably Numb]

03:54 PM on 02/25/2011

"... questions their ability to tackle the scandal in an unbiased manner"

Whats the appropriate way to cover a wife-swap?

[Jazmo]

04:54 PM on 02/25/2011

Yeah, that's probably the bigger issue than the Red Sox allegiance.

[J-Bro]

05:55 PM on 02/25/2011

Ask Gingrich