Fritz Darrell Brickell (March 19, 1935 – October 15, 1965) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

professional baseball player who played in parts of three seasons for the New York Yankees (1958–59) and Los Angeles Angels (1961) of Major League Baseball. He was the son of former Major League outfielder

Fred Brickell George Frederick Brickell (November 9, 1906 – April 8, 1961) was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies. Brickell started hi ...

. Brickell was born and raised in Wichita, Kansas. He attended East High School in Wichita, where he appears in its yearbook on both the football and basketball teams, but not on the baseball team, then graduated in 1953. An

infielder An infielder is a baseball player stationed at one of four defensive "infield" positions on the baseball field. Standard arrangement of positions In a game of baseball, two teams of nine players take turns playing offensive and defensive roles. ...

, Brickell stood tall and weighed ; he batted and threw right-handed. His eight years in the Yankee

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(1953–60) were interrupted by two trials with the Bombers. After a two-game stint as a defensive replacement at the start of the season, Brickell received a more extended audition with the Yanks in the middle of , getting into 18

games A game is a structured form of play, usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or games) or art (such ...

, including nine starts at shortstop, in June and July. His ten

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included his only MLB home run, a two-run shot off former Yankee Tom Morgan, then with the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. After spending 1960 in Triple-A, Brickell was traded to the

expansion Expansion may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * ''L'Expansion'', a French monthly business magazine * ''Expansion'' (album), by American jazz pianist Dave Burrell, released in 2004 * ''Expansions'' (McCoy Tyner album), 1970 * ''Expansio ...

Angels on the eve of the season. He was the first starting shortstop in Angels' franchise history: on April 11, 1961, at Memorial Stadium, he went one-for-four at bat and handled nine

chances Chances may refer to: * ''Chances'' (TV series), an Australian soap opera * ''Chances'' (Philippine TV series), a prime-time soap opera * '' Chances: The Women of Magdalene'', a 2006 documentary film * ''Chances'' (novel), a 1981 novel by Jac ...

in the field, turning a

double play In baseball and softball, a double play (denoted as DP in baseball statistics) is the act of making two outs during the same continuous play. Double plays can occur any time there is at least one baserunner and fewer than two outs. In Major Leag ...

but committing two errors, as the Angels shocked the Baltimore Orioles, 7–2. But Brickell struggled on both offense and defense, batting only .122 in 49 at bats and making seven errors in 71 total chances (for a .901

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

). He started his last game on May 8, and spent most of 1961 with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the

International League The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major League Baseball ...

. All told, In 41 MLB games, Brickell collected 16 hits, including two for extra bases. He played in the minors through 1962. Brickell died from cancer of the jaw at the age of 30.Cancer victim
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* 1935 births 1965 deaths Baseball players from Wichita, Kansas Binghamton Triplets players Birmingham Barons players Deaths from cancer in Kansas Denver Bears players Joplin Miners players Los Angeles Angels players Louisville Colonels (minor league) players Major League Baseball shortstops New York Yankees players Richmond Virginians (minor league) players St. Joseph Saints players Toronto Maple Leafs (International League) players {{US-baseball-shortstop-stub

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