(SPORTS BASEBALL) Report on Jackie Mitchells famous exhibit

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(SPORTS--BASEBALL.) Report on Jackie Mitchell's famous exhibition game against the Yankees: "Girl Pitcher Fans Babe!", in the New York Daily News. 72 pages, 15¼ x 11 inches; disbound, toning and minor wear. New York, 3 April 1931

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Any historical discussion of women in baseball is likely to include Virne Beatrice "Jackie" Mitchell, the 17-year-old who was signed by her hometown Chattanooga Lookouts to a promotional contract for an exhibition game against the New York Yankees. She faced three Hall of Fame batters, striking out Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig and walking Tony Lazzeri before exiting the game. She later toured with a men's barnstorming team for several years.

This issue of the Daily News gave her performance a full banner headline on the back page, along with a photo of Mitchell with her family. The accompanying story on pages 61 and 70 includes a good photo of Mitchell in uniform, but also some blood-curdling sexist commentary; they suggested her pitching motion was developed from "long practice with a broom."