Charlie “Pretzels” Getzien
On Wednesday, October 1, 1884, the Detroit Wolverines’ Charlie “Pretzels” Getzien threw a six-inning no-no against the Philadelphia Phillies at Detroit’s Recreation Park. The Wolverines were leading 1-0 when Milt Scott and Getzien hit back-to-back singles in the seventh inning before the rain started to fall.
“It did not rain very hard nor very long, but [umpire Sterwart] Decker decided that the grounds were too wet, it was already too dark and he called the game,” noted the Detroit Free Press.
And how did the German-born Getzien earn the nickname “Pretzels”? Sporting Life explains the right-hander’s “pretzel curve.”
“In delivering his ‘pretzels,’ ‘Gets’ faces third base with one foot in either corner of the lower end of the box,” the paper said. “Bending the left knee slightly, he draws his right arm well luck. Then, straightening up quickly, he slides the left foot forward with a characteristic little skip, and, bringing his arm around with a swift overhand swing, drives the ball at a lively pace.”
The other rain-shortened no-no was tossed by the Boston Red Sox’s Devern Hansack on Sunday, October 1, 2006. He no-hit the Orioles for five innings while the Red Sox built a 9-0 lead, but umpires called the game at Fenway Park after the fifth due to rain. Hansack’s no-no was one of his three career starts in the majors, as he appeared in just nine major league games between 2006-2008 while compiling a 2-2 record with a 3.70 ERA.
