Comments on: The Woman Who Struck Out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig

By: Dan O"Brien

Dan O"Brien — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:16:00 +0000

I haven’t found one contemporary source to indicate Landis voided the contract of Jackie Mitchell. To the contrary, several papers of the period ran stated Jackie Mitchell was still property of Chattanooga. She didn’t play in a regulation Southern Association game but was loaned out for exhibitions. If the Commissioner voided her contract and banned women from organized baseball, how did Joplin’s Western Association team sign Vada Corbus later that month? In 1952, when Harrsiburg of the Interstate League signed Mrs. Eleanor Engle to a contract, the head of minor league baseball nullified her contract. His assistant specifically stated, “No rule specifically prohibits signing of women but such contract would not be approved by this office.”
In later years Joe Engel, on more than one occasion, admitted the Mitchell exhibition against the Yankees was stunt which Ruth and Gehrig went along with (although Jackie Mitchell may have believed it was legit).

By: Vanessa Mitchell

Vanessa Mitchell — Sat, 18 Apr 2009 03:13:00 +0000

Wow I have the same last name as her and she was a very good player and its upsetting that they didnt let women play baseball. Me personally I think that that mens baseball teams today would be a whole lot better if there was women on the teams. Were strong so we can take it, but its watever. Women have the most power then men.:)

By: Orange

Orange — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:31:31 +0000

I don’t know GTT–these days, would a woman even be allowed to pitch against men, even in a minor league?

By: GTT

GTT — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:47:52 +0000

Baseball was “too strenuous for women”? It´s things like these that help me breathe deeply when I want to slap the world… We have come far.

By: JMB

JMB — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 20:12:09 +0000

My recaptcha is pitcher dislike. Those Hall-of-Famers are still complaining about her from the grave!

By: Dave

Dave — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 19:22:31 +0000

It’s spelled “Chattanooga.” Heard this story a few times in my life. More than a few red faces over that.

By: Joe F.

Joe F. — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 16:48:19 +0000

There is a very interesting picture book that tells about her.

Mighty Jackie : the strike-out queen by Marissa Moss ; illustrated by C.F. Payne.