Dale Mitchell (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Loren Dale Mitchell was an American
left fielder
in Major League Baseball
. From 1946 through 1956, Mitchell played for the Cleveland Indians
(1946–1956) and Brooklyn Dodgers
(1956). He batted and threw left-handed.
, Mitchell was a standout at the University of Oklahoma
from 1942 to 1946, with a career batting average of .467 and a senior season average of .507. Both marks are still Sooner records.
Mainly a line drive hitter to all parts of the field, Mitchell hit .432 in 11 games for the Indians in his rookie season in 1946. He became a regular in 1947 and hit .300 or better six of the next seven seasons.
In 1948, Mitchell hit for a career-high .336 average, had 204 hits
, led the league in singles
(162), and led the Indians to victory in the 1948 World Series
. He finished third in the 1948 American League
batting race behind Ted Williams
(.369) and Lou Boudreau
(.355).
In 1949, Mitchell led the AL in hits (203), singles (161) and triples
(23), struck out only 11 times in 640 at-bats
, and made his first appearance in the All-Star Game
. He received his second All-Star nod in 1952, and in 1954 led the Indians to an AL record 111 wins in a 154 game season and the American League pennant.
Mitchell posted a career .312 batting average
, 41 home run
s and 403 RBIs
in eleven seasons in major league baseball. For the period between 1943 and 1960, only Williams and Stan Musial hit for higher averages. A good contact hitter as well, he struck out
only 119 times in 3,984 at-bats and received 346 walks
, for an outstanding 2.91 walk-to-strikeout ratio
, the eighth best ratio in major league history.
Mitchell played for the Cleveland Indians in all but 19 of the 1127 regular-season games in which he appeared. Near the end of the 1956 season, the Brooklyn Dodgers purchased Mitchell's contract from Cleveland.
Mitchell is perhaps best remembered, however unfairly, for making the final out in Don Larsen
’s perfect game
during the 1956 World Series
for the New York Yankees
against Mitchell's new team, the Dodgers. Mitchell, pinch-hitting for Brooklyn pitcher
Sal Maglie
, took a called third strike to end the only perfect game in Series history. Mitchell, who is tied for seventh place as one of the all-time toughest hitters to strike out (34-1 ratio), always maintained that the third strike he took was really a ball.
In his final at-bat as a big leaguer, he grounded out pinch-hitting in Game Seven of the Series, which the Yankees won.
Dale Mitchell died in Tulsa, Oklahoma
, in 1987 at the age of 65. The L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park
at the University of Oklahoma is named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left fielder
Left fielder
In baseball, a left fielder is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
. From 1946 through 1956, Mitchell played for the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
(1946–1956) and Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
(1956). He batted and threw left-handed.
Career
A native of Colony, OklahomaColony, Oklahoma
Colony is a town in Washita County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 147 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Colony is located at in Seger Township , Washita County, Oklahoma....
, Mitchell was a standout at the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
from 1942 to 1946, with a career batting average of .467 and a senior season average of .507. Both marks are still Sooner records.
Mainly a line drive hitter to all parts of the field, Mitchell hit .432 in 11 games for the Indians in his rookie season in 1946. He became a regular in 1947 and hit .300 or better six of the next seven seasons.
In 1948, Mitchell hit for a career-high .336 average, had 204 hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
, led the league in singles
Single (baseball)
In baseball, a single is the most common type of base hit, accomplished through the act of a batter safely reaching first base by hitting a fair ball and getting to first base before a fielder puts him out...
(162), and led the Indians to victory in the 1948 World Series
1948 World Series
The 1948 World Series matched the Cleveland Indians against the Boston Braves. The Braves had won the National League pennant for the first time since the "Miracle Braves" team of . The Indians spoiled a chance for the only all-Boston World Series by winning a one-game playoff against the Boston...
. He finished third in the 1948 American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
batting race behind Ted Williams
Ted Williams
Theodore Samuel "Ted" Williams was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 21-year Major League Baseball career as the left fielder for the Boston Red Sox...
(.369) and Lou Boudreau
Lou Boudreau
Louis "Lou" Boudreau was an American Major League Baseball player and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1970...
(.355).
In 1949, Mitchell led the AL in hits (203), singles (161) and triples
Triple (baseball)
In baseball, a triple is the act of a batter safely reaching third base after hitting the ball, with neither the benefit of a fielder's misplay nor another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
(23), struck out only 11 times in 640 at-bats
At bat
In baseball, an at bat or time at bat is used to calculate certain statistics, including batting average, on base percentage, and slugging percentage. It is a more restricted definition of a plate appearance...
, and made his first appearance in the All-Star Game
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
. He received his second All-Star nod in 1952, and in 1954 led the Indians to an AL record 111 wins in a 154 game season and the American League pennant.
Mitchell posted a career .312 batting average
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
, 41 home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s and 403 RBIs
Run batted in
Runs batted in or RBIs is a statistic used in baseball and softball to credit a batter when the outcome of his at-bat results in a run being scored, except in certain situations such as when an error is made on the play. The first team to track RBI was the Buffalo Bisons.Common nicknames for an RBI...
in eleven seasons in major league baseball. For the period between 1943 and 1960, only Williams and Stan Musial hit for higher averages. A good contact hitter as well, he struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
only 119 times in 3,984 at-bats and received 346 walks
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
, for an outstanding 2.91 walk-to-strikeout ratio
Walk-to-strikeout ratio
In baseball statistics, walk-to-strikeout ratio is a measure of a hitter's plate discipline and knowledge of the strike zone. Generally, a hitter with a good walk-to-strikeout ratio must exhibit enough patience at the plate to refrain from swinging at bad pitches and take a base on balls, but he...
, the eighth best ratio in major league history.
Mitchell played for the Cleveland Indians in all but 19 of the 1127 regular-season games in which he appeared. Near the end of the 1956 season, the Brooklyn Dodgers purchased Mitchell's contract from Cleveland.
Mitchell is perhaps best remembered, however unfairly, for making the final out in Don Larsen
Don Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
’s perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
during the 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
for the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
against Mitchell's new team, the Dodgers. Mitchell, pinch-hitting for Brooklyn pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
Sal Maglie
Sal Maglie
Salvatore Anthony Maglie was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1945-1958 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals. Maglie was known as "Sal the Barber", because he gave close shaves—that is, pitched inside to...
, took a called third strike to end the only perfect game in Series history. Mitchell, who is tied for seventh place as one of the all-time toughest hitters to strike out (34-1 ratio), always maintained that the third strike he took was really a ball.
In his final at-bat as a big leaguer, he grounded out pinch-hitting in Game Seven of the Series, which the Yankees won.
Dale Mitchell died in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Tulsa is the second-largest city in the state of Oklahoma and 46th-largest city in the United States. With a population of 391,906 as of the 2010 census, it is the principal municipality of the Tulsa Metropolitan Area, a region with 937,478 residents in the MSA and 988,454 in the CSA. Tulsa's...
, in 1987 at the age of 65. The L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park
L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park
The L. Dale Mitchell Baseball Park is home to the University of Oklahoma Sooners baseball team.-About:Mitchell Park was named after Dale Mitchell, a mid-1940s Sooner letterman who holds OU's career and single-season batting records...
at the University of Oklahoma is named in his honor.