Jahn: Mitchell dazzled on mound decades before Mo'ne

photo Lou Gehrig, teen pitcher Jackie Mitchell, Lookouts President Joe Engel and Babe Ruth talk in this file photo.

(First of two parts)

Mo'ne Davis, a 13-year-old eighth-grader, recently made national headlines - and the cover of Sports Illustrated - for her outstanding performance pitching in the 2014 Little League World Series.

Eighty-three years ago, another female pitcher created nationwide controversy when she signed a contract to play baseball with the Chattanooga Lookouts. Jackie Mitchell, 18, was the second woman in history signed to play professional baseball. If that wasn't enough, on her first trip to the mound, she struck out two of the greatest ball players of all time, Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig.

Jackie was already known locally for her athletic ability, especially on the diamond. In 1930 she traveled throughout the area with the all-girls Engelettes, often playing against men. During one such outing against a semi-pro team from Copperhill, Jackie struck out nine men in seven innings.

The news that Lookouts President Joe Engel had signed Mitchell to a contract sparked a media frenzy. The media frenzy grew to a firestorm when it was learned that Mitchell's rookie outing would take place against Babe Ruth and the New York Yankees. The Lookouts were scheduled to face the three-time World Series champions in an exhibition game at Engel Stadium on April 1.

The Yankees' new manager, Joe McCarthy, was out to re-energize the team.

"He hates to lose even an exhibition game," one reporter wrote.

Ruth was also on the rebound after losing his home run king status in 1930.

Lookouts' catcher Eddie Kenna worked with Mitchell at her home in Highland Park to help her get her pitching arm in shape.

Kenna, who was considered by some to be "the best in the minors," told reporters he was impressed with Mitchell's skills. "She's twice as good as I had imagined. Of course, she isn't ready for the Southern League, but her signing with the Lookouts certainly isn't a joke as some people think."

Another reporter described Jackie's ability this way: "She uses an odd, sidearmed delivery, and puts both speed and curve on the ball. Her greatest asset, however, is control. She can place the ball where she pleases, and her knack at guessing the weakness of a batter is uncanny."

The game scheduled for April 1 was postponed after a heavy downpour. On April 2, the Lookouts and the Yankees took the field at 2:30 p.m. before reporters, film cameras and 4,000 excited fans.

Was it six or seven pitches? While news reports vary, the day after the game Mitchell herself puts the number at seven -- a ball and three strikes for Ruth and three strikes for Lou Gehrig, who followed Babe in the lineup. Ruth swung at the first two strikes, but the third left him standing. Gehrig swung and missed all three.

While Gehrig was gracious about it, newsreel footage shows Ruth was not. An April 4 New York Times story describes Ruth's behavior: "... he flung his bat away in high disdain and trudged to the bench, registering disgust with his shoulders and chin."

Engel placed Mitchell on the Junior Lookouts, a farm team for the club, with intentions of giving her another tryout with the Lookouts in 1932. Engel was also fielding requests to buy Mitchell's contract from other teams and offers for her from Hollywood and vaudeville.

Joe Engel was a master promoter. Was this a publicity stunt by the man Time magazine later called the "Barnum of Baseball"? Certainly. And it worked. The story made headlines around the country then, and it continues to resurface today.

Janna Jahn is the founder of the Engel Foundation. For more, visit Chattahistorical assoc.org or call LaVonne Jolley 423-886-2090.

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