By Nancy CovertPrairie Gazette of the Lakewood Historical Society
Summer 2015, Pages 7 and 9
Summer 2015, Pages 7 and 9
A 1960 Graduate of Clover Park High School, “CAP” was born
on Aug. 15, 1942 to Charles J. and Thelma Peterson of Lake City. Between 1960
and 1969 he played Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, the Washington
Senators and the Cleveland Indians.
Famed for his batting prowess, he was
signed as an amateur free agent by the SF Giants immediately after graduation
for a reported $90,000—said to be the highest bonus ever paid a Tacoma-area
player. He was brought onto the Giants team in 1962 after a stalwart rookie
season with the double-A El Paso Suns as an outfielder. He never played a
regular season and was traded to the Senators in 1967-68 and the Indians in
1969. He finished his major league career on Sept. 29, 1969, with 19 runs and a
.230 batting average.
Overall, he appeared in 536 MLB games with 269 hits in
1,170 at bats.
After his MLB career he continued to play with the triple-A
teams at Cheney Stadium—the Tacoma Giants and Tacoma Twins—until 1972.
Cap finally pursued a degree and graduated from Pacific
Lutheran University. He joined the
family construction business and was president of Peterson Building, co-founded
by his father, and was a member of the Tacoma Elks Lodge, Lakewood Rotary Club,
Lakewood Chamber of Commerce and the Lutheran Church.
He died May 16, 1980 at the age of 37 following a long
illness. He is buried at Mountain View Memorial Park on Steilacoom Blvd.
In a column published on May 20, 1980, Tacoma News Tribune
Sports writer Earl Luebker, wrote:
“Charles A. (Cap) Peterson was more than just a former
baseball player – he was something special as a person. Beset by kidney disease,
a probable which would have most people feeling nothing sorry for themselves,
Peterson never complained.
“While he was not in a baseball uniform at the time of his
death,” Luebker, “He was a big leaguer through and through.”
Stan Naccarato, general manager of the Tacoma Tigers, and
the man who brought Peterson to the Tacoma Twins in 1972, said “I’ve known Cap
since he was in high school at Clover Park. I worked some games as umpire when
he was in high school. He never gave you any static. He might question you with
his eye, but never would yip. He was a fine person and he touched all those who
he met.”
The Lakewood Rotary Club honored the memory of Charles “Cap”
Peterson, by raising $230,000 for the Cap Peterson Renal Dialysis Center. Among
the many events that made this financially successful was the appearance of
noted economist and academician Milton Friedman at a sold-out lecture.
The baseball fields at Fort Steilacoom Park were named in
his honor. Even though countless kids, learning the elements of baseball, never
knew Cap, they are following in his footsteps in the love of the game.
In August (2015), the Lakewood History Museum plans to have a
display of Cap’s career from items collected by Society member and employee of
the Seattle Mariners, Leo Liebert.
Big thanks to Brian Kamems, Northwest Room curator at Tacoma
Public Library for his assistance with this article.
#
Note by blogger posted 6/19/2018. This article has four points which need clarification/correction:
-- "After his MLB career he continued to play with the triple-A teams at Cheney Stadium—the Tacoma Giants and Tacoma Twins—until 1972." His Major League career began Sept. 12, 1962, with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was with the SF Giants during the 1962-1966 seasons. He played for the triple-A Tacoma Giants in the 1963 season. His final season of professional baseball with with the triple-A Tacoma Twins in 1972.
-- "After his MLB career he continued to play with the triple-A teams at Cheney Stadium—the Tacoma Giants and Tacoma Twins—until 1972." His Major League career began Sept. 12, 1962, with the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball. He was with the SF Giants during the 1962-1966 seasons. He played for the triple-A Tacoma Giants in the 1963 season. His final season of professional baseball with with the triple-A Tacoma Twins in 1972.
-- Text says “Cap finally pursued a degree” and graduated
from PLU. He began pursuing his degree while still playing professional
baseball. After his pro baseball career ended, he continued his studies, earned
his degree and graduated.
-- The renal dialysis center at Tacoma’s St. Joseph Medical
Center for which the Lakewood Rotary Club raised funds is not named for “Cap”
Peterson. While the fund-raising was done to honor Cap, the center is named for
Dr. John A. Kennedy, Cap’s renal doctor. Rotarians wanted the center named for
Cap, but Cap preferred it be named for Dr. Kennedy.
--The baseball fields (plural) at Lakewood’s Ft. Steilacoom
Park are not named for Cap. They are named for his father, Charles Joseph “Charlie”
Peterson.
Click on each image below to see a larger, easier to see version.
Click on each image below to see a larger, easier to see version.
