Rain on April 1, 1931, postponed an exhibition game in Chattanooga, Tennessee between the barnstorming New York Yankees and the minor league team Chattanooga Lookouts. After the Lookouts’ starting pitcher, Clyde Barfoot, gave up a couple of hits in the first inning, manager Joe Engel, brought in newly signed seventeen-year-old Jackie Mitchell to face the heart of the Yankees’ lineup, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.
Following in the footsteps of Lizzie Arlington in 1898, Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell Gilbert became the second woman to play professional organized baseball. Born on August 29, 1913, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Jackie learned to pitch from her neighbor, Charles Arthur “Dazzy” Vance, the Hall of Famer who was the only pitcher to lead the National League in strikeouts seven consecutive seasons.
Dazzy was known for his fastball but he possessed an impressive breaking ball which he taught Jackie. The curveball caught the attention of Joe Engel.
Minor league promotional antics are well known throughout history and Engel was no exception. He once put on ostrich races to bring attention to his team. Signing Jackie Mitchell may have been a promotional stunt or maybe she could really pitch.
Photo: Library of Congress
In front of 4,000 fans, Jackie took the mound as Ruth took some practice swings. Four pitches later, Ruth stroke out looking, after swinging and missing the first two strikes. Gehrig fared no better after failing to connect on three pitches. A walk to her next batter and she was taken out of the game. Although the Lookouts lost 4 to 14, the buzz about her performance had the stands electrified.
Was this all an April Fool’s Day prank or a legendary story?
Although her contract was voided shortly after the game by baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis, she continued to play. Notably with the House of David, a barnstorming men’s team who sported long hair and beards, and of which she would sometimes wear a fake beard for publicity.
Ruth and Gehrig never admitted to purposely missing pitches. And 56 years later, Jackie Mitchell said, “Why, they were trying. Better hitters than them couldn’t hit me. Why should they’ve been any different?”
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