Women played in Major League Baseball? Who knew? Pitching for the Chattanooga Lookouts Class AA, Jackie Mitchell was one of the first female pitchers in professional baseball. The very first was Lizzie Arlington in 1898.
In an exhibition game against the New York Yankees on April 2, 1931, Jackie struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig. Just days later, Jackie was banned from both Minor and Major League Baseball by Baseball Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis because he deemed it "too strenuous" for a woman to play the game! Ha! We’re pretty sure that was not the real reason she was banned!!! What do you think?