New York Yankees: When a Girl Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

By David Hill |

Oct 1, 2015; Philadelphia, PA, USA; A baseball on the pitchers mound before the first pitch between the Philadelphia Phillies and the New York Mets at Citizens Bank Park. The Phillies won 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig are two of the truly legendary players to play the game. But back on this date in 1931, both New York Yankees stars were struck out by a 17 year old girl.

When one thinks of the first Golden Era of New York Yankees baseball, the two names that come to mind are Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Ruth was the power hitting outfielder who was larger than life, while the stoic Gehrig, the Iron Horse, was the Yankees counterpart at first. Together, the duo terrified opposing pitchers for over a decade en route to Hall of Fame careers and their place amongst the game’s true immortals.

However, one pitcher that was not afraid to face them was a 17 year old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts, Jackie Mitchell. Mitchell was taught how to pitch by future Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance himself, who taught her his infamous drop pitch. Mitchell, who was signed by the Lookouts as a possible publicity stunt after a tryout, was brought in during the first inning, with Ruth as the first batter she faced.

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This proved to be a mismatch – for Mitchell. After a ball and two swinging strikes, she got Ruth on a called third strike, which Ruth vehemently protested. After he was dragged away from the umpire, Mitchell then struck out Gehrig on three pitches before walking Tony Lazzeri. Yes, two of the greatest players in baseball history were struck out by a teenage girl.

Naturally, this did not sit well with the players or Major League Baseball. Ruth himself, despite his strikeout against Mitchell, stated that women did not have a future in the game.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen if they begin to let women in baseball. Of course, they will never make good. Why? Because they are too delicate. It would kill them to play ball every day.”

A few days after this feat, Mitchell’s career with the Lookouts ended as Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis voided her contract under the guise that baseball was “too stressful” for Mitchell. In all likelihood, Landis did not want to deal with the embarrassment that was a teenage girl striking out two of the biggest stars in the game.

Mitchell would then pitch for the touring baseball team the House of David before retiring a couple of years later, after her career had devolved into a series of publicity stunts, such as teams requesting her to pitch from a donkey, amongst other indignities.

Her impact, and Landis’ inane ruling, were felt decades later. In 1952, Major League Baseball formally banned the signing of women to contracts to play, a ban that lasted until 1992. Sadly, she was not able to see that ban come to an end, having passed away in 1987 at the age of 74.

Next: The Legend of Sidd Finch

Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth may be two of the greatest players in baseball history, but on this date in 1931, a 17 year old girl who threw nothing but breaking pitches made the New York Yankees legends look like mere mortals.

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