| Chris Getz | |
|---|---|
 Getz with the Kansas City Royals | |
| Chicago White Sox | |
| General manager /second baseman | |
| Born: (1983-08-30)August 30, 1983 (age 42) Southfield, Michigan, U.S. | |
Batted: Left Threw: Right | |
| MLB debut | |
| August 12, 2008, for the Chicago White Sox | |
| Last MLB appearance | |
| May 10, 2014, for the Toronto Blue Jays | |
| MLB statistics | |
| Batting average | .250 |
| Home runs | 3 |
| Runs batted in | 111 |
Stats atBaseball Reference  | |
| Teams | |
| |
Christopher Ryan Getz (born August 30, 1983) is an American professionalbaseball executive and former player. Asecond baseman, Getz played inMajor League Baseball for theChicago White Sox,Kansas City Royals andToronto Blue Jays from 2008 to 2014. Getz currently serves as the vice president andgeneral manager for the White Sox.
Getz was born in theDetroit suburb ofSouthfield, Michigan, and was raised inGrosse Pointe, Michigan by Art and Betsy Getz. He attendedGrosse Pointe South High School ('South'), where he was a three-time All-Michigan selection inbaseball and holds the South career records forbatting average (.465),doubles,stolen bases,walks, andsaves. Getz was a member of South's State Championship baseball team during his junior year. He shared the title of "Michigan's Mr. Baseball" in 2002 and also lettered infootball andgolf. Getz was drafted in the sixth round (180th overall) of the2002 MLB draft by the Chicago White Sox,[1] but opted to play baseball atWake Forest University where his father had attended college.[2]
Getz transferred to theUniversity of Michigan to play baseball after just one season. He holds the single seasonBig Ten records forat bats,hits, and was an All Big Ten Selection in2004 and2005. Getz also was a player in theCape Cod Baseball League (CCBL), a premiercollegiate summer baseball league for major league prospects. In 2003 and 2004, Getz played for the CCBL's Chatham A's, now known as theChatham Anglers, and was named a league all-star in 2004.[3][4][5][6][7]
Getz was again selected by the White Sox in the fourth round (125th overall) of the2005 MLB draft.[8] In 2005, he played six games for theGreat Falls White Sox, the Sox rookie league affiliate, batting .333 with 4 RBI.[9] He was later promoted to the Single-AKannapolis Intimidators, where he played in 55 games and batted .307 with a home run and 28 RBI.[9] In2006, Getz played in 130 games for the Double-ABirmingham Barons, and hit .256 with two home runs and 36 RBI.[9] Limited by injury, Getz played in just 72 games for Birmingham during the2007 season, batting .299 with three home runs and 29 RBI.[9]
In 2008, Getz was named to theAll-Star Futures Game,[10] then was called up to the White Sox on August 10,2008.[11] He made his major league debut against theKansas City Royals on August 12, where he recorded his first hit andRBI off RoyalspitcherJosh Newman in his one and onlyat-bat during the eighth inning.[12] The next day, he had his first Major League start, replacingAlexei Ramírez at second base. He went 1-for-3 with asingle.[13]
With Ramirez moving over to shortstop for the2009 season, White Sox managerOzzie Guillén announced Getz had won the starting role at second base out of spring training.[14] In 2009, Getz ranked tied for first among AL rookies in multi-hit games (28) and 92.6 stolen base percentage (25-for-27) led the league. After the season, he was named2009 Topps All-Star Rookie Roster.[15]
Getz was traded to theKansas City Royals on November 6, 2009, along withJosh Fields forMark Teahen.[16] His career with the Royals was riddled with injuries. He played only 72 games during the 2010 season due first to a strained oblique muscle, and then later due to a concussion after being hit in the head with a baseball.[17] In those games, Getz batted .255 with 18 RBI and 15 stolen bases.[18] He fared somewhat better in 2011, appearing in 118 games and posting a .255 batting average, 26 RBI and 21 stolen bases.[18] During the 2012 season, Getz made three separate trips to the disabled list, first in May with a bruised ribcage, then in June with a lateral strain of the left leg, and finally in August with a broken left thumb. The last injury required surgery, ending his season.[17] Despite the injury history, the Royals signed Getz to a one-year contract on November 30, 2012. The base contract for 2013 was for $1.05 million, with additional performance bonuses totalling $150,000.[17] Getz was optioned to the Triple-AOmaha Storm Chasers in June 2013 after starting the season batting .214 with a home run and 12 RBI.Jarrod Dyson was called down up to replace him.[19] Getz was later recalled on July 18.[20] The Royals did not tender him a contract for 2014 and he became a free agent on December 2, 2013.[21]
On January 16, 2014, Getz signed a minor-league contract with theToronto Blue Jays.[22] He was sent to minor league camp on March 24.[23] Getz started the season with the Triple-ABuffalo Bisons. He was brought up to Toronto on April 29,[24] and designated for assignment on May 11.[25] Getz cleared waivers and was assigned to Triple-A Buffalo on May 13.[26] On May 16, Getz announced his retirement from baseball.[27] He had batted .160 in 10 games played for the Blue Jays.[18]
In 2014, Getz was hired by the Kansas City Royals as their assistant to player development. He worked with them until 2016 when he went to the Chicago White Sox as their director of player development from 2017 to 2020. There, he worked with many talented prospects likeLuis Robert Jr.,Yoán Moncada,Eloy Jiménez,Michael Kopech,Lucas Giolito, andDylan Cease. The White Sox farm system was ranked as the best in the MLB in 2017. In 2021, White Sox promoted him as assistant General Manager to then-GMRick Hahn. Following Hahn's firing on August 22, 2023, Getz was promoted as the White Sox new Senior Vice President and GM on August 31.[28][29]
His wife, Nicole "Nicky" Getz, was a contestant onThe Amazing Race 23, where she was teamed up withDavid DeJesus's wife, Kim.[30]
· Baseball Almanac
