 In 1888 , Getzein compiled an 18 – 22 record and a 3 @.@ 05 ERA . He started 46 games and completed 45 of them with 404 innings pitched . However , Getzein lost his role at the team 's leading pitcher , as Pete Conway compiled a 30 – 14 record and a 2 @.@ 25 ERA for the 1888 Wolverines . After Getzein gave up 10 runs in an August 1888 game against Washington , the Detroit Free Press dubbed him the " Pulverized Pretzel . " The newspaper reported : " The <unk> were defeated again to @-@ day ... simply because Getzein could not keep the ball away from the Senatorial bat . When he pitched high they hit it . When he delivered his famous drop , he was knocked out of the lot , and his in and out curves were as big as balloons to Ted Sullivan 's men . " As the 1888 season progressed , relations between Getzein and the Detroit manager became strained . After a game in which Getzein gave up 21 hits against Boston , The Sporting Life reported on speculation that Getzein may have intentionally thrown the game : 
