Stranger Than Fiction: The Amazing Jackie Mitchell

Jackie Mitchell meets Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

In March of 1931, the New York Yankees baseball team had just finished spring training in Florida and was on their way back to New York. As was the custom, the team stopped in Chattanooga, Tennessee to play an exhibition game with the Chattanooga Lookouts, a Class AA minor League team.

The Lookouts were unique because they had a female on their roster. Her name was Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell.

Jackie was born 1914 and grew up living next door to a Minor League pitcher named Dazzy Vance who taught the young girl how to pitch. Jackie learned the skill well and when she was 16 she began playing for a woman’s team in Chattanooga. The following year she signed a contract to play for the Lookouts for the 1931 season.

On March 2, a capacity crowd of more than 4,000 spectators turned out to watch the Lookouts play the New York Yankees. Excitement hung in the air as the World champion Yankees stepped onto the field. The team featured two of the most famous baseball players of all time, home run king, Babe Ruth, and a man known as “the Iron Horse,” Lou Gehrig.

The starting pitcher for the Lookouts threw a pitch to the Yankee’s lead-off batter Earle Combs who clobbered a double. Next up was Lyn Lary who hit a single up the middle.

The Lookout coach decided to take out the starting pitcher and sent Jackie to the mound.

Ruth watched curiously as a young teenage girl prepared to face him. But Jackie showed no concern the power of the slugger.

Jackie wound up and threw a high pitch the umpire called a ball. The next three pitches went straight into the strike zone and the mighty Babe Ruth struck out.

The crowd gasped as the angry Babe Ruth stormed off the field. Next up was the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig. He was more of a gentleman than Babe and never lost his temper in front of the fans.

Lou stepped up to home plate and Jackie let loose her first pitch.

“Strike!” cried the umpire. The crowd gasped. Could the teenage girl strike Gehrig, too? Some wondered.

Jackie then hurled two more pitches across the plate striking out the mighty Gehrig. The stunned batter stepped back and smiled then tipped his hat at the young hurler.

News of Jackie’s strikeouts spread across the nation and she became a celebrity.

In the years to come she played 5 seasons for the House of David and retired at the young age of 23 to work for her father, an eye doctor.

She died in 1987 and will forever be remembered as “the Girl Who Struck out Babe Ruth.”

Michael Williams is the author of a book entitled “Stranger than Fiction: The Lincoln Curse.” The book is a collection of 50 strange and unusual but true stories. The stories will leave the reader convinced that perhaps Mark Twain was right when he said “truth is stranger than fiction.”

The book is 187 pages in a softbound edition with numerous photos. The book can be purchased from amazon.com for $19.95 plus shipping and handling or you can save shipping cost and save $2 on the purchase price by ordering a signed copy directly from the author. Send $17.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

Williams has recently written a second book entitled “Great Kids in History.” The book is a collection of 22 stories of amazing kids that have accomplished amazing feats. It is available on amazon.com or on Kindle Direct. You can order a signed copy for your child by sending $8.95 to P.O. Box 6421 Sevierville, TN. 37864.

Both books are available in print or as an e-book. For more information visit the website www.strangerthanfictionnews.com.