Allen Jones Gettel (September 17, 1917 – April 8, 2005), nicknamed "Two Gun", was an American

professional baseball Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world. Modern professional ...

pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...

who played for the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. Since , they have played at Progressive Fi ...

Chicago White Sox The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...

, Washington Senators, New York Giants, and

St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) Central division. Since the 2006 season, the Cardinals ha ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

. He also had a brief career as an actor in

Westerns The Western is a genre set in the American frontier and commonly associated with folk tales of the Western United States, particularly the Southwestern United States, as well as Northern Mexico and Western Canada. It is commonly referred ...

Early life

Gettel was born on September 17, 1917, in Norfolk, Virginia, to Edward and Sarah Gettel. He lived on his family farm in

Kempsville, Virginia Kempsville is a borough in the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, a historic section with origins in US colonial times located in the former Princess Anne County. In modern times, it is a community within the urbanized portion of the independent ...

. His father trained horses and he gained experience breaking them on the farm. Gettel graduated from

Kempsville High School Kempsville High School is a comprehensive public high school for students in grades 9–12 in the Virginia Beach City Public Schools system. In the western section of the city, the Kempsville High School covers approximately 12 sq. miles and d ...

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach is an independent city located on the southeastern coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. The population was 459,470 at the 2020 census. Although mostly suburban in character, it is the most populous city ...

Professional career

After he graduated from high school in 1936, Gettel signed as a

free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under contract at present but who is a ...

with the

, and he pitched in the minor leagues for Yankees'

farm team In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...

s. He made his professional debut with the

Norfolk Tars The Norfolk Tars were a minor league baseball team that existed on and off from 1906 to 1955. Based in Norfolk, Virginia, they played in the Virginia League from 1906 to 1918 and from 1921 to 1928, in the Eastern League from 1931 to 1932 and in the ...

of the Class B

Piedmont League The Piedmont League was a minor league baseball league that operated from 1920 through 1955. The league operated principally in the Piedmont plateau region in the eastern United States. Teams The following teams were members of the Piedmont ...

. In 1937, he pitched for the Butler Yankees of the Class D

Pennsylvania State Association The Pennsylvania State Association was a class D level league of minor league baseball that existed from 1934 until 1942. The league franchised were entirely based in Western Pennsylvania. History The Pennsylvania State Association was compos ...

, where he pitched to a 7–5

win–loss record In sports, a winning percentage is the fraction of games or matches a team or individual has won. The statistic is commonly used in standings or rankings to compare teams or individuals. It is defined as wins divided by the total number of matc ...

and a 3.99

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...

(ERA) in 24 games pitched, and the

Bassett Furnituremakers The Bassett Furnituremakers were a minor league baseball team based in Bassett, Virginia, USA that played from 1935 to 1940. Bassett was a member of the Bi-State League (1935–1940) and the Blue Ridge League (1950). Bassett was an affiliate of ...

of the Class D

Bi-State League The Bi-State League was an American baseball minor league formed in 1934 with teams in Virginia and North Carolina. The league held together for nine seasons, being represented by ten cities from North Carolina and eight from Virginia. Only the ...

, where he had 1–1 record and a 4.09 ERA in four appearances. Gettel pitched for the Snow Hill Billies of the Class D

Coastal Plain League The Coastal Plain League (CPL) is a wood-bat collegiate summer baseball league, featuring college players recruited from throughout the nation. The league takes its name from the Class D level Coastal League which operated in the area from 19 ...

in 1938, and had a 16–7 record. In 1939, he pitched for the

Augusta Tigers The Augusta Tigers was the primary moniker of the minor league baseball teams in Augusta, Georgia. Beginning in 1884, Augusta has hosted numerous teams in various leagues. History The Augusta Yankees were a South Atlantic League minor league ba ...

of the Class B

South Atlantic League The South Atlantic League, often informally called the Sally League, is a Minor League Baseball league with teams predominantly in states along the Atlantic coast of the United States from New York to Georgia. A Class A league for most of its ...

in 1939, and had a 14–8 record and a 3.46 ERA. He pitched for the

Newark Bears The Newark Bears were an American minor league professional baseball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They were a member of the Atlantic League of Professional Baseball and, later, the Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball. T ...

of the

Class AA Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League ...

International League in 1940 and 1941; he had a 3–3 record and a 3.43 ERA in 1940 and a 12–9 record and a 2.98 ERA in 1941. Pitching for the Kansas City Blues of the Class AA

American Association American Association may refer to: Baseball * American Association (1882–1891), a major league active from 1882 to 1891 * American Association (1902–1997), a minor league active from 1902 to 1962 and 1969 to 1997 * American Association of Profe ...

in 1942, he had a 12–11 record and a 3.62 ERA. On January 22, 1943, the Yankees traded Gettel and

Ed Levy Edward Clarence Levy (''né'' Whitner; October 28, 1916 – October 27, 2008) was a left fielder/first baseman in Major League Baseball who played between and for the Philadelphia Phillies (1940) and New York Yankees (, 1944). Listed at 6' 5.5 ...

with $10,000 to the Philadelphia Phillies for

Nick Etten Nicholas Raymond Thomas Etten (September 19, 1913 – October 18, 1990) was a first baseman in major league baseball, who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1938–39), Philadelphia Phillies (1941–42, 1947) and New York Yankees (1943–46). ...

. However, Gettel indicated that he would stay on his family farm during the 1943 season, as farming was a

reserved occupation A reserved occupation (also known as essential services) is an occupation considered important enough to a country that those serving in such occupations are exempt or forbidden from military service. In a total war, such as the Second World War, w ...

, while Levy was reclassified as 1-A by the Selective Service System, making him eligible for the draft. The Phillies requested that the

Kenesaw Mountain Landis Kenesaw Mountain Landis (; November 20, 1866 – November 25, 1944) was an American jurist who served as a United States federal judge from 1905 to 1922 and the first Commissioner of Baseball from 1920 until his death. He is remembered for his ...

, the

Commissioner of Baseball The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive officer of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB) – a constellation of leagues and clubs known as "organized baseball". Under the direction of the Commiss ...

, void the trade. The dispute was settled on March 26, with Gettel and Levy returning to the Yankees, who sent Tom Padden and

Al Gerheauser Albert "Lefty" Gerheauser (June 24, 1917 – May 28, 1972) was a professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues for five seasons (1943-46 and 1948), for the Philadelphia Phillies, Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Browns. He play ...

to the Phillies to complete the trade. Gettel played for Norfolk in the 1943 and 1944 seasons; he had a 11–11 win–loss record and a 1.38 ERA in 1943 and a 17–7 record and a 1.81 ERA in 1944. Gettel made his major league debut with the Yankees in 1945. Gettel pitched for the Yankees in 1945 and 1946, and had a 15–15 win–loss record and a 3.84 ERA across both seasons. He allowed 11

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s in 1945, which was the fifth-most in the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

. The Yankees traded Gettel to the

with Hal Peck and Gene Bearden in exchange for

Sherm Lollar Sherm is a shortened version of the given name Sherman and may refer to: People *Sherm Chavoor (1919-1992), American swimming coach *Sherm Cohen (born 1965), American storyboard artist *Sherm Feller (1918–1994), American musician and sports an ...

and Ray Mack on December 6, 1946. In 1947, Gettel established himself in the Indians'

starting rotation R rabbit ears :Indicates a participant in the game who hears things perhaps too well for their own good. A player who becomes nervous or chokes when opposing players or fans yell at or razz them is said to have rabbit ears. Also, an umpire ...

, pitching to a 11–10 win–loss record and a 3.20 ERA. He began the 1948 season with a 0–1 record and a 17.61 ERA in five appearances. On June 2, 1948, Cleveland traded Gettel and

Pat Seerey James Patrick Seerey (March 17, 1923 – April 28, 1986) was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, Seerey played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for seven seasons in the American League with the Cleveland Indians and Chicago Whi ...

to the

for Bob Kennedy. He had a 8–10 win–loss record and a 4.01 ERA for Chicago after the trade. Gettel struggled with the White Sox in 1949, pitching to a 2–5 record and a 6.43 ERA. On July 12, 1949, the Washington Senators purchased Gettel from the White Sox for the

waiver A waiver is the voluntary relinquishment or surrender of some known right or privilege. Regulatory agencies of state departments or the federal government may issue waivers to exempt companies from certain regulations. For example, a United St ...

price of $10,000. He had a 0–2 record and a 5.45 ERA for Washington. The Senators sold Gettel to the Oakland Oaks of the Pacific Coast League (PCL) in August 1949 to compensate the Oaks for their earlier purchase of

Lloyd Hittle Lloyd Eldon "Red" Hittle (February 21, 1924 – March 3, 2012) was an American professional baseball player. The left-handed pitcher appeared in 47 games in Major League Baseball for the – 50 Washington Senators.All-Star. After the 1950 season, the Oaks traded Gettel,

Ray Noble Raymond Stanley Noble (17 December 1903 – 2 April 1978) was an English jazz and big band musician, who was a bandleader, composer and arranger, as well as a radio host, television and film comedian and actor; he also performed in the United ...

, and Artie Wilson to the New York Giants for Bill Ayers, Bert Haas, Joe Lafata, Wes Bailey, and $125,000. He had a 1–2 record and a 4.87 ERA in 29 relief appearances and one game started, before the Giants sold Gettel to Oakland on July 27, 1951. In 1953, he had a 24–14 record and a 3.20 ERA, setting a franchise record for wins. He also led the PCL in innings pitched for three consecutive seasons. On August 20, 1955, the

purchased Gettel from Oakland. He had a 1–0 record and a 9.00 ERA in eight appearances for St. Louis. Gettel played for the

San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) West division. Founded in 1969, the club has won two NL penn ...

of the PCL in 1956. He tried out for the

Hollywood Stars The Hollywood Stars were a Minor League Baseball team that played in the Pacific Coast League during the early- and mid-20th century. They were the arch-rivals of the other Los Angeles-based PCL team, the Los Angeles Angels. Hollywood Stars (192 ...

of the PCL in 1957, but did not make the team. He pitched in five games for the

Asheville Tourists The Asheville Tourists are a Minor League Baseball team of the South Atlantic League and the High-A affiliate of the Houston Astros. They are located in Asheville, North Carolina. Asheville teams have played under the Tourists moniker in differe ...

of the South Atlantic League in 1959. Gettel retired from baseball with a 38–45 record and a 4.28 ERA in the major leagues.

Acting career

While Gettel played for Oakland, he became involved in acting in

after having a

screen test A screen test is a method of determining the suitability of an actor or actress for performing on film or in a particular role. The performer is generally given a scene, or selected lines and actions, and instructed to perform in front of a came ...

with Paramount Pictures in 1953, which resulted in him receiving the nickname "Two Gun". He embraced the nickname, wearing cowboy outfits with two revolvers to the stadium. On "Al Gettel Day" in 1953, he rode from

left field In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering system ...

home plate A baseball field, also called a ball field or baseball diamond, is the field upon which the game of baseball is played. The term can also be used as a metonym for a baseball park. The term sandlot is sometimes used, although this usually refers ...

on a horse while wearing full

Western wear Western wear is a category of men's and women's clothing which derives its unique style from the clothes worn in the 19th century Wild West. It ranges from accurate historical reproductions of American frontier clothing, to the stylized garment ...

. Gettel signed a contract with Gene Autry to develop films, and had a small role in the 1957 film ''

The Tin Star ''The Tin Star'' is a 1957 American Western film based on a short story, directed in VistaVision by Anthony Mann and starring Henry Fonda and Anthony Perkins, in one of Perkins' first roles. The film became one of the few low-budget westerns t ...

''.

Later life

Gettel and his wife had three children. After his retirement from baseball, he continued to farm and became a construction equipment operator in

. In 2001, Gettel and other players from the 1951 New York Giants admitted to stealing signs in their run to the postseason, with Gettel saying that "every hitter knew what was coming", and that it "made a big difference" for the Giants. Gettel died in Norfolk on April 8, 2005.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Gettel, Al 1917 births 2005 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Norfolk, Virginia New York Yankees players Cleveland Indians players Chicago White Sox players Washington Senators (1901–1960) players New York Giants (NL) players St. Louis Cardinals players Williston Oilers players