Womanica

Olympians: Jackie Mitchell

Episode Summary

Jackie Mitchell (1913-1987) was a baseball pitcher who despite being underestimated due to her age and gender, struck out two of the greatest players of all time.

Episode Notes

All month, we're talking about Olympians. Tune in to hear incredible stories of women who either were in the Olympics or likely should have been!

Every weekday, listeners explore the trials, tragedies, and triumphs of groundbreaking women throughout history who have dramatically shaped the world around us. In each 5 minute episode, we’ll dive into the story behind one woman listeners may or may not know -- but definitely should. These diverse women from across space and time are grouped into easily accessible and engaging monthly themes like Leading Ladies, Activists, STEMinists,  Local Legends, and many more. Encyclopedia Womannica is hosted by WMN co-founder and award-winning journalist Jenny Kaplan. The bite-sized episodes pack painstakingly researched content into fun, entertaining, and addictive daily adventures.

Encyclopedia Womannica was created by Liz Kaplan and Jenny Kaplan, executive produced by Jenny Kaplan, and produced by Liz Smith, Grace Lynch, Maddy Foley, Brittany Martinez, Edie Allard and Lindsey Kratochwill. Special thanks to Shira Atkins, Carmen Borca-Carrillo, Taylor Williamson, and Ale Tejeda.

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Episode Transcription

Hello, from Wonder Media Network I’m Jenny Kaplan and this is Encyclopedia Womannica. 

Today, we’re talking about a legendary baseball pitcher. Despite being underestimated due to her age and gender, she struck out two of the greatest players of all time. 

Let’s talk about Jackie Mitchell. 

Jackie Mitchell was born Virne Beatrice Mitchell on August 28, 1913. Jackie’s prowess on the baseball field started from an early age. Growing up in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jackie’s next door neighbor was the legendary pitcher, Charles Arthur “Dazzy” Vance. Dazzy, a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, was a Major League player for 20 years. He was the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts for seven consecutive seasons. 

Dazzy worked with Jackie to teach her how to throw a variety of pitches, including breaking balls and his signature “ball drop” - more commonly referred to as a “sinker”. Jackie had a unique sidearm delivery for her pitches. It allowed her to maximize both control and speed. 

By the time Jackie was 16, she was playing for a travelling women’s baseball team. While playing at a training camp, Jackie’s curveball caught the attention of Joe Engel, the owner of the Chattanooga minor league team: The Lookouts. Joe was known for pulling publicity stunts to try and pack stadiums. He thought that adding the first female pitcher in professional baseball to his roster would drive turn out. On March 25, 1931, Jackie officially signed with the Lookouts. 

Sports journalists immediately took note of Jackie. Her distinct pitching style garnered fast attention. There was talk that she could be the first woman to go on and pitch in the major league. Along with praise of her technique, came a pile of sexist coverage. One article read, “The curves won’t be all on the ball when pretty Jackie Mitchell takes the mound.” 

On April 2, 1931 The Lookouts had an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. The prospect of a 17-year old girl pitching to legendary Yankees like Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig, created massive buzz about the game. In front of a packed four-thousand person audience, The Lookout’s first pitcher gave up back to back base hits. The coach pulled him from the mound and put Jackie in his place. 

Her first match up was against Babe Ruth. At this point, Babe Ruth was towards the end of his career. Still, he remained dominant. He would go on to finish the season tied for the lead for most home runs. He tipped his hat to Jackie, and assumed the batting position. 

Jackie let rip her signature side-arm sinker. Ruth let it sail. It was called a ball. On the second pitch, Jackie didn’t miss the strike zone. Ruth gave it a full-bodied slugger’s swing. He missed. Badly. The third pitch? Same thing happened. Swing and a miss! 

Ruth grew agitated and demanded the umpire inspect the ball. With a 1-2 count, Jackie needed one more strike to send Ruth back to the dugout. The stadium watched in astonishment as her next pitch caught the outside corner of the strike zone. Strike Three! Ruth flung his bat to the ground and stormed off. 

Jackie’s performance on the mound wasn’t over. 

Next in the lineup was Lou Gehrig. Gehrig was in the prime of his career and would go on to tie Babe Ruth for most home runs that season. But he too was no match for Jackie. She sailed three balls over the plate. He swung and missed every single one. And just like that, 3-and-out! Gehrig left the field in a huff.

The crowd, understandably, went wild and gave Jackie a standing ovation. 

Despite her early success, Jackie walked the next two players and her coach called her back to the dugout. The Yankees went on to win the game 14-4, but the real victory was Jackie’s. The New York Times ran a headline the next morning that read, “Ruth and Gehrig Struck Out by Girl Pitcher.”  

Unfortunately, Jackie would not go on to pitch in Major League Baseball. The baseball commissioner at the time, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, voided Jackie’s contract. He claimed that baseball was too strenuous for women. 

Jackie’s baseball career wasn’t over. In this era of baseball, there were a variety of amateur teams that traveled around the country infusing games with circus or vaudeville acts. They were known as Barnstorming teams. 

In 1933, Jackie signed with the House of David, a barnstorming team known for wearing fake beards and riding donkeys during their games. With the House of David, Jackie had another opportunity to pitch against Major Leaguers, successfully beating the St. Louis Cardinals 8-to-6. Ultimately, the circus-like antics of barnstorming baseball wore on Jackie. She retired from baseball in 1937 at the age of 23. 

Jackie went to work at her father’s optical business back in Chattanooga. She declined to join the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League when it started up in 1943. 

In 1982, Jackie returned to the mound once more to throw the opening pitch of the season  for The Lookouts. Just five years later, in January of 1987, Jackie died. She was 73 years old. 

Jackie’s famed strike-outs of Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are still debated amongst baseball historians. At the time of the game, plenty of newspapers speculated that the whole event had been orchestrated. Afterall, the owner of the Lookouts was famous for pulling off crazy stunts. What could be a crazier stunt than a 17 year old girl striking out two of the greatest baseball players of all time? 

Journalists for the New York Times commented on how Ruth, “performed his role very ably”. They alleged he was pretending to be upset by the strikeout. Some historians speculate this narrative was created to protect their male egos. Others argue the skepticism is warranted. The odds that Jackie was skilled enough to beat these two greats, in such a high profile moment...may be a bit too good to be true. 

For those who believe the strike-outs were legitimate, there’s evidence to back that up. As a totally unknown pitcher, Jackie was a wildcard and that gave her the upper hand against Ruth and Gehrig. She was also a left-handed side-arm pitcher facing lefty-batters. A favorable matchup for Jackie. Most importantly, she was trained by the great Dazzy Vance. The element of surprise and her technical training could have all come together for this sensational upset. 

If Ruth and Gehrig were in on it, they never said as much. 

When Jackie was asked directly if Ruth and Gehrig were actually trying or if it was all a rouse she replied, “Why, hell, they were trying, damn right! Hell, better hitters than them couldn’t hit me. Why should they’ve been any different?” 

All month we’re talking about Olympians. 

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Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator.

Talk to you tomorrow!