Baseball: A Special Gift from God
Why can't a women play baseball? Why should it be solely a man's game? On Thursday, April 2 1931, a 17-year-old young lady named Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell took the mound for the Class A Chattanooga Lookouts of the Southern Association against the famed New York Yankees. The Yankees were playing the hometown Lookouts in an exhibition game while making their way north following spring training. Mitchell would be the first lady player ever signed regularly by a men's professional baseball team. She was signed to a substantial contract; one Lookouts' President Joe Engel stated, "Was equal to and much more than many ballplayers' salaries I have on the field."
The Yankee lineup was loaded with future Hall of Famers, including Manager, Joe McCarthy; First Baseman, Lou Gehrig; Second Baseman,Tony Lazzeri; Shortstop/Third Baseman, Joe Sewell; Centerfielder, Earle Combs; Right Fielder, Babe Ruth; and Catcher Bill Dickey.
Before a sell-out crowd in the top half of the first inning, the Lookout's starting pitcher, Clyde Barfoot, gave up a double to Yankee leadoff batter, Combs. Shortstop Lyn Lary followed with a single driving in the first Yankee run. In an effort to limit additional runs from scoring, Lookouts manager, Bert Niehoff removed his starting pitcher and summoned left handed female hurler Jackie Mitchell into the game. Her team was behind 1-0 and the Yankees had a runner on base with no one out. The first two batters Jackie had to face would be Ruth and Gehrig. The year before Ruth had batted .359 with 49 home runs and 153 RBIs. Gehrig had hit .379 with 41 round trippers and 174 RBIs in 1930. These two legends had ranked number 1 and 2 in the American League in home runs and number 2 and 3 in batting average. The teenage lady faced a monumental challenge!
It was a challenge however Jackie Mitchell was prepared to face. Growing up, her father, Memphis, Tennessee optometrist Joe Mitchell, instructed her in the basics of the game. Future Hall of Fame pitcher, Charles "Dazzy" Vance was her next-door neighbor in a duplex apartment. "Dazzy," who had led the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive years (1922-1928), taught the young female protégé how to throw a drop ball, curve and fastball. With skills learned from Vance and her father, Jackie had played successfully for a women's team in Chattanooga, Tennessee and attracted the attention of Lookouts' owner Joe Engle. On March 28, 1931, Engle signed Mitchell to a contract. Jackie could pitch. Before signing with the Lookouts, she had attended former major league shortstop Kid Elberfeld's Baseball School. Attendees at the school had commented that Jackie was "one of the most puzzling south paws they had ever faced."
What happened on April 3, 1931 in Chattanooga became a part of baseball history. As Ruth approached the batter's box, he tipped his hat to the lady on the mound. He swung and missed Mitchell's first two pitches. Visibly upset, "The Great Bambino" demanded the umpire inspect the ball. The crowd roared, knowing full well there was nothing
unusual with the ball. The lady lefthander's next pitch was called a ball only to be followed by an offering nipping the outside corner of the plate. The umpire bellowed "STRIKE THREE!"
Jackie struck Babe Ruth out on four pitches. The Babe was embarrassed and became visibly upset. Kicking dirt, he threw his bat down in disgust. Lou Gehrig followed Ruth. "The Iron Horse," as Gehrig became known, swung and missed three straight pitches. Gehrig's behavior was a bit more gentlemanly. Jackie had struck out the two greatest hitters in baseball and accomplished it with only seven pitches. After walking Tony Lazzeri on five pitches, Jackie was removed from the game to the thundering approval of those attending the game. Although the Yankees would go to win 14-4, Mitchell had pitched superbly. Fans would note an important blow had been struck for gender equity by Mitchell, Engel and the Lookouts. The next day, Friday, April 3, 1931, The New York Times would carry the sports headline, "Ruth and Gehrig Struck Out by Girl Pitcher, Girl Pitcher Fans Ruth And Gehrig."
A few days after the exhibition game, Baseball Commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, voided Mitchell's contract with the Lookouts. The Commissioner stated life in baseball was too strenuous for a woman. Jackie's organized baseball career lasted one game. Although Jackie Mitchell had successfully challenged the gender barrier, the arrival of women in baseball would have to wait.
The Yankee lineup was loaded with future Hall of Famers, including Manager, Joe McCarthy; First Baseman, Lou Gehrig; Second Baseman,Tony Lazzeri; Shortstop/Third Baseman, Joe Sewell; Centerfielder, Earle Combs; Right Fielder, Babe Ruth; and Catcher Bill Dickey.
Before a sell-out crowd in the top half of the first inning, the Lookout's starting pitcher, Clyde Barfoot, gave up a double to Yankee leadoff batter, Combs. Shortstop Lyn Lary followed with a single driving in the first Yankee run. In an effort to limit additional runs from scoring, Lookouts manager, Bert Niehoff removed his starting pitcher and summoned left handed female hurler Jackie Mitchell into the game. Her team was behind 1-0 and the Yankees had a runner on base with no one out. The first two batters Jackie had to face would be Ruth and Gehrig. The year before Ruth had batted .359 with 49 home runs and 153 RBIs. Gehrig had hit .379 with 41 round trippers and 174 RBIs in 1930. These two legends had ranked number 1 and 2 in the American League in home runs and number 2 and 3 in batting average. The teenage lady faced a monumental challenge!
It was a challenge however Jackie Mitchell was prepared to face. Growing up, her father, Memphis, Tennessee optometrist Joe Mitchell, instructed her in the basics of the game. Future Hall of Fame pitcher, Charles "Dazzy" Vance was her next-door neighbor in a duplex apartment. "Dazzy," who had led the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive years (1922-1928), taught the young female protégé how to throw a drop ball, curve and fastball. With skills learned from Vance and her father, Jackie had played successfully for a women's team in Chattanooga, Tennessee and attracted the attention of Lookouts' owner Joe Engle. On March 28, 1931, Engle signed Mitchell to a contract. Jackie could pitch. Before signing with the Lookouts, she had attended former major league shortstop Kid Elberfeld's Baseball School. Attendees at the school had commented that Jackie was "one of the most puzzling south paws they had ever faced."
What happened on April 3, 1931 in Chattanooga became a part of baseball history. As Ruth approached the batter's box, he tipped his hat to the lady on the mound. He swung and missed Mitchell's first two pitches. Visibly upset, "The Great Bambino" demanded the umpire inspect the ball. The crowd roared, knowing full well there was nothing
unusual with the ball. The lady lefthander's next pitch was called a ball only to be followed by an offering nipping the outside corner of the plate. The umpire bellowed "STRIKE THREE!"
Jackie struck Babe Ruth out on four pitches. The Babe was embarrassed and became visibly upset. Kicking dirt, he threw his bat down in disgust. Lou Gehrig followed Ruth. "The Iron Horse," as Gehrig became known, swung and missed three straight pitches. Gehrig's behavior was a bit more gentlemanly. Jackie had struck out the two greatest hitters in baseball and accomplished it with only seven pitches. After walking Tony Lazzeri on five pitches, Jackie was removed from the game to the thundering approval of those attending the game. Although the Yankees would go to win 14-4, Mitchell had pitched superbly. Fans would note an important blow had been struck for gender equity by Mitchell, Engel and the Lookouts. The next day, Friday, April 3, 1931, The New York Times would carry the sports headline, "Ruth and Gehrig Struck Out by Girl Pitcher, Girl Pitcher Fans Ruth And Gehrig."
A few days after the exhibition game, Baseball Commissioner, Judge Kenesaw Mountain Landis, voided Mitchell's contract with the Lookouts. The Commissioner stated life in baseball was too strenuous for a woman. Jackie's organized baseball career lasted one game. Although Jackie Mitchell had successfully challenged the gender barrier, the arrival of women in baseball would have to wait.
Product Details:
Scripture becomes evident in baseball, if we only look. As a special gift from God, many examples are herein detailed. If we can find God’s Word in baseball, we can find it elsewhere also
Scripture becomes evident in baseball, if we only look. As a special gift from God, many examples are herein detailed. If we can find God’s Word in baseball, we can find it elsewhere also
- Paperback: 326 pages
- Publisher: WestBowPress (October 14, 2014)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1490852964
- ISBN-13: 978-1490852966
- Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
- Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars
- Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,679,903 in Books
