Fritz Brickell

Fritz Darrell Brickell (March 19, 1935 – October 15, 1965) was an American professional baseball player who played in parts of three seasons for the New York Yankees (1958–59) and Los Angeles Angels of Major League Baseball. He was the son of former Major League outfielder Fred Brickell.

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. Tom Greenwade, the local scout for the Yankees, signed Brickell in 1953.

After spending 1960 in Triple-A, Brickell was traded to the expansion 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 in the field, turning a double play 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). He started his last game on May 8, and spent most of 1961 with the Toronto Maple Leafs of the International League. All told, In 41 MLB games, Brickell collected 16 hits, including two for extra bases. He played in the minors through 1962.

Brickell retired to Wichita, Kansas, where he was working in the sporting goods industry. In 1964, he played for a local semi-pro baseball team before being diagnosed with cancer. On August 29, 1965, "Fritz Brickell Night" was held in Wichita to help raise money for Brickell's medical expenses. Dick Sanders, who managed the semi-pro team, had Mickey Mantle flown in to help raise money for the cause at Lawrence Stadium. Mantle hit four home runs for those in attendance before the National Baseball Congress Tournament. There were 2,500–3,000 envelopes of various donations for Brickell's health. After the game, Mantle continued to Dallas, Texas so he could visit his wife out of surgery.

Brickell died on October 15, 1965 in Wichita.