Gus Getz

Gustave Getz
(Gee-Gee)

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 5' 11", Weight 165 lb.

• Debut August 15, 1909
• Final Game July 10, 1918
• Born August 3, 1889 in Pittsburgh, PA USA
• Died May 28, 1969 in Red Bank, NJ USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Gustave "Gus" Getz played seven seasons in the majors with five teams. He first came to the Bigs in 1909 when he was 19 years old. In the year when he got the most plate appearances, 498, he was the regular third baseman for the 1915 Brooklyn Robins. He was a year older than teammate Casey Stengel. During his brief time with the 1917 Reds, he played in the famous Fred Toney-Hippo Vaughn "double no-hitter", getting a walk.

Getz was born in Pittsburgh, PA, and ended up his major league career with the 1918 Pittsburgh Pirates. However, before that, he played one year for the McKeesport Tubers at age 18, then most of a second year with them before coming to the majors with the 1909 Boston Doves. He stayed with them in 1910 before going back to the minors in 1912-13 and most of 1914. He was on the 1913 Newark Indians, a top team which had a record of 95-57.

He came back to the majors for part of 1914, and spent 1914-16 with the Brooklyn Robins. He was back at Newark in 1917, but came to the 1917 Reds for a few games. He had a few games in the majors in 1918 with a couple teams, and then spent 1919 with the Toledo Mud Hens. His last appearance as a player in the minors was with the 1927 Scranton Miners, for whom he was player-manager. He also managed them the following season.

For many decades Gus was the only major leaguer with the last name Getz, until Chris Getz came to the majors in 2008, 99 years after Gus broke in.

"Gus Getz. of this city, who is a member of the Brooklyn Nationals, spent the Winter in the Imperial Valley, play­ing base ball with many members of the Superbas." - from Sporting Life's Newark correspondent, November 27, 1915

Related Sites

• Gus Getz at the SABR Bio Project