She was the best

On this day in 1931, a teenage girl made history in a way that no one saw coming. Jackie Mitchell, the 17-year-old pitcher for the Chattanooga Lookouts, took the mound and did the unthinkable: she struck out baseball legends Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition game. This feat, which sounds like something out of a Hollywood movie, is very real and showcases the incredible talent Mitchell possessed.
From a young age, Mitchell's potential was evident. Living next door to future Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Dazzy Vance, she learned to pitch using his special "drop ball" technique. Her skills quickly advanced, and by 17, she was playing for a women's team, attending a baseball school in Atlanta, and catching the eye of the Chattanooga Lookouts. In 1931, she signed one of the first professional baseball contracts given to a woman.— in New York, NY, United States.
Mitchell's moment of fame came swiftly that season, but her triumph was short-lived. Despite her impressive performance against Ruth and Gehrig, the baseball commissioner soon voided her contract, deeming the sport "too strenuous" for women. Undeterred, Mitchell continued to play professionally with traveling teams until her retirement in 1937.
Jackie Mitchell's story is a testament to breaking barriers and challenging norms. Her legacy reminds us that talent knows no gender, even if the world isn't always ready to accept it.
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