1961 ToppsFritz Darrell Brickell
Infielder
Bats: Right , Throws: Right
Weight: 157 lb.
Born: March 19, 1935 in Wichita, KS
Traded by the New York Yankees to the Los Angeles Angels for Duke Maas on April 4, 1961.
ANGELS DEBUT:
Popped up to shortstop at Baltimore April 11, 1961.
Later purchased by the Washington Senators from the Los Angeles Angels on September 12, 1963.
ANGELS RECORD:
1961
In 21 games he batted .122 and committed 7 errors in the field.
Committed 1st putout, and error in Angels history.
baseball-reference:
Brickell stayed in the Yankees organization until April 4,
1961 when they traded him to the Los Angeles Angels for Duke Maas. Fritz became the first starting shortstop for the expansion Angels but was waylaid by injuries, appearing in only 21 games. He was dispatched to the Toronto Maple Leafs, where after he healed a bit, had probably his best season yet, hitting .307 in 108 games and fielding .985, while holding down the second base position.
I met Fritz around 1965 or 1966 in Wichita, Kansas, were he returned after he left pro-ball (I was about 12 or 13 at the time). He played semi-pro ball in Wichita's somewhat then-famous "Victory League" and "National Baseball Congress." He developed tongue and jaw cancer as a result of chewing tobacco, and died at age 31 or there abouts, leaving a wife and two sons. My father was his team and personal physician and made the original diagnosis. Mickey Mantle made a pre-game appearance at Wichita's Lawrence Stadium at a fund-raiser for Fritz, signing baseballs and putting on a home run derby.
ReplyDeleteI had the Yankee rookie card signed by him, but it got misplaced somewhere in my high school days.
Doug Kutilek
I am a relative of Fritz. I need to correct some of what you said. He left a son, Mark and a daughter Laura and wife Joann. My cousin. it was a very sad scenario.
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