Jake Gettman

Jacob John Gettman

• Bats Both, Throws Left
• Height 5' 11", Weight 185 lb.

• Debut August 20, 1897
• Final Game May 19, 1899
• Born October 25, 1875 in Frank, Russia
• Died October 4, 1956 in Denver, CO USA

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Biographical Information

Jake Gettman was the first Russian-born player in the major leagues. As a rookie, he tied the major league record for the most consecutive hits (10), a record which was later tied but not broken until 1952. At age 21, he was the third youngest player on the 1897 Washington Senators, a bit older than 18-year-old Roger Bresnahan and 16-year-old Joe Stanley.

He was born in the village of Frank, Russia, which has an interesting history. The name "Gettman" is a German rather than a Russian name, and Frank was originally settled in the 1700's by German immigrants at the invitation of Catherine the Great. A hundred years later, when the political climate in Russia was not favorable for German immigrants, many of the residents of Frank came to the United States. Source: Village of Frank.

Various newspaper articles from the late 1940s and early 1950s refer to major leaguer Johnny Hopp as the nephew of Jake Gettman, but no definitive proof has yet been found of the connection.