The other pitcher in a more normal swap

The Yankees’ Tom Buskey in 1973

Tom Buskey, then a promising young pitcher in New York, finds himself as part of a seven-player trade 50 years ago today as the most conservative New York Yankees finally rid themselves of Fritz Peterson, another once promising pitcher from the mid-1960s.

The trade comes a year after Peterson becomes embroiled in controversy as he and then Yankee teammate Mike Kekich swap families – wives, kids, family dogs, you name it.

Really, true story there.

The Yankees send Buskey to Cleveland, along with Peterson and fellow pitchers Fred Beene and Steve Kline, for first baseman Chris Chambliss, and pitchers Dick Tidrow and Cecil Upshaw.

Buskey enjoys three productive seasons in Cleveland and ends up pitching eight seasons in the majors with the Yankees, Cleveland and Toronto.

As for the Yankees’ half of the trade from 50 years ago today, Chambliss and Tidrow become mainstays on the Yankees’ back-to-back World Series championship teams in 1977 and ’78.