Larry Fritz

Larry Fritz

Lawrence Joseph Fritz (February 14, 1949 – July 22, 2010) was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Philadelphia Phillies during the 1975 season. Listed at 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m), 225 lb., Fritz batted and threw left-handed. A native of East Chicago, Indiana, he attended Arizona State University.

Fritz was drafted in 1969 by the New York Mets, playing in their minor league system for the Marion Mets (1969, 1971-'72), Visalia Mets (1970, 1972), Memphis Blues (1972) and Tidewater Tides (1972-'73), before joining the Phillies organization in 1974.

Fritz began 1974 with Double-A Reading Phillies, for whom he hit eight home runs with 19 runs batted in in 15 games. During the midseason, he gained a promotion to Triple-A Toledo Mudhens, where he batted three homers and drove in seven runs in 16 games.

In 1975, Fritz was purchased by Philadelphia from Toledo after Phillies shortstop Larry Bowa broke his hand in a game against the San Francisco Giants on May 27.

Fritz made his lone Major League appearance on May 30, 1975 at Veterans Stadium against the Houston Astros. With the Phillies trailing 5 to 0, and with two-outs and Mike Anderson on first in the bottom of the ninth-inning, Fritz pinch-hit for Larry Christenson. Facing Astros pitcher Doug Konieczny, Fritz flew out to left-field to end the game.

On June 6, 1975, Mud Hens first baseman Andy Kosco broke his wrist. The Phillies returned Fritz to Toledo and in his place recalled outfielder Mike Rogodzinski from Reading.

In a seven-year minors career, Fritz was a .273 hitter with 117 home runs and 235 RBI in 635 games, including a .356 on-base percentage and a .498 of slugging.

Following his baseball career, Fritz went on to play softball for numerous Indiana teams. He also served in the Indiana National Guard, Company C 113th Engineer Battalion, and worked as a truck driver until his retirement in 2004 from Metro Intermodal due to a disability.

Fritz died in Munster, Indiana, at the age of 61.