When talking about the legends of baseball, you can’t say much without mentioning Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. They sit at the top thrones in the halls of baseball royalty.

But how many of you have heard about Jackie Mitchell — the pitcher who struck out both of baseball’s top titans in a single game? This fact alone should make Mitchell’s name famous. Add to it that the pitcher was only 17 years old when it happened.

And she happened to be a girl.

The Early Days: A Pitcher Is Born

Virne Beatrice “Jackie” Mitchell entered this world on August 29, 1913, in the bustling town of Chattanooga, Tennessee. From the get-go, it was clear she wasn’t destined for a life of needlepoint and tea parties. Her father, perhaps sensing her potential, introduced her to the grand old game of baseball. But it was her neighbor, none other than future Hall of Famer Dazzy Vance, who taught her the art of the “drop ball,” a pitch that would later leave even the mightiest swinging at air. 

Joining the Ranks: The Chattanooga Lookouts

At 17, while most of us were fumbling through adolescence, Jackie was sharpening her pitching skills with the Engelettes, a local women’s team. Her talent didn’t go unnoticed. Enter Joe Engel, the P.T. Barnum of baseball and owner of the Chattanooga Lookouts. Known for his flair for the dramatic—this is the man who once traded a shortstop for a turkey—Engel saw in Jackie not just a pitcher but a headline. On March 25, 1931, he signed her to the Lookouts, making her one of the first female pitchers in professional baseball. 

The Fateful Day: Facing the Yankees

April 2, 1931, was destined to go down as a big day in Jackie’s life — and in the history of professional baseball. The New York Yankees, with their roster of demigods, rolled into Chattanooga for an exhibition game. The stands were packed, the popcorn was stale, and the anticipation was thicker than molasses. After the Lookouts’ starting pitcher gave up a double and a single—perhaps distracted by the enormity of facing the Yankees—Engel decided it was time for his secret weapon. Jackie Mitchell took the mound. 

Seven Pitches to Glory: Mitchell vs. Ruth and Gehrig

First up, the Sultan of Swat himself, Babe Ruth. Legend has it that Jackie, with the nonchalance only a teenager can muster, delivered a sinker that Ruth watched sail by for a ball. The next two pitches? Ruth swung so hard he nearly unscrewed himself from the ground. Strike one. Strike two. The fourth pitch? A called third strike. Ruth, ever the showman, reportedly threw down his bat in disgust and had a few choice words for the umpire. 

Next, Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse. He fared no better, succumbing to three straight strikes. The crowd erupted. A girl—a teenager—had just struck out two of baseball’s greatest. 

The Aftermath: Fame, Skepticism, and Legacy

News of Mitchell’s feat spread faster than gossip at a church picnic. Some hailed it as a triumph; others cried hoax. Was it a publicity stunt orchestrated by Engel? Did Ruth and Gehrig intentionally whiff to give the crowd a story? The truth remains as elusive as a knuckleball. 

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After the game, Babe Ruth said, “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 everyday.” A few days later, baseball commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis apparently agreed with Babe and voided Mitchell’s contract, declaring that baseball was “too strenuous” for women. Undeterred, Jackie continued to play, joining the House of David, a team renowned for their long hair, beards, and barnstorming ways.

She retired in 1937, having grown discouraged that she was treated more as a sideshow attraction than as a serious player. Once, for example, she was asked to pitch while seated on a donkey. When the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was formed in 1943, she declined an offer to come out of retirement to play. She did, however, throw the ceremonial first pitch for the Chattanooga Lookout’s opening day in 1982.

Jackie Mitchell died on January 7, 1987, at the age of 73. A musical about her life, Unbelievable, debuted in 2017.

Conclusion: The Girl Who Struck Out the Babe

Jackie Mitchell’s story is a testament to challenging norms and shattering ceilings. What counts is that in a time when women and children were told to know their place, Jackie decided her place was on the pitcher’s mound, staring down legends, and making them blink first.

Learn more about the legendary Jackie Mitchell at the National Women’s History Museum.

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