Mike Mitchell (baseball)
Encyclopedia
Michael Francis Mitchell (December 12, 1879 - July 16, 1961) was an outfielder
in Major League Baseball
from 1907 to 1914. He played for the Cincinnati Reds
, Chicago Cubs
, Pittsburgh Pirates
, and Washington Senators
. Known for his powerful throwing arm, Mitchell was also a decent hitter who led the National League
in triples
twice. He stood at 6' 1" and weighed 185 lbs.
. He started his professional baseball career in 1902 with the New York State League's Schenectady Electricians. He stayed in the NYSL for the next two seasons and then moved to the Pacific Coast League
in 1905. In 1906, he had "one of the greatest minor-league seasons of the Deadball Era", winning the batting title and also leading the PCL in hits
, home run
s, total bases, and slugging percentage.
, finishing seventh in the batting race and leading the National League in outfield assists
, with 39. The assists mark set a record that was not broken until 1930. According to Bill James
, Mitchell had the best outfield arm of his era.
Mitchell slumped in 1908, but he rebounded in 1909 with a career-high .310 batting average
and a career-high 152 OPS+. He led the league in triples, with 17, and finished second in batting average and slugging percentage. Mitchell then hit 18 more triples in 1910 to lead the league again. From 1909 to 1911, he scored over 70 runs
, drove in over 80 runs, hit over 15 triples, and stole over 30 bases each season.
Mitchell's power numbers went down slightly in 1912, and in December he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played for the Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Senators over the next two seasons before retiring from the game.
Mitchell died in 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona
.
Outfielder
Outfielder is a generic term applied to each of the people playing in the three defensive positions in baseball farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder...
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 1907 to 1914. He played for the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
, Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
, and Washington Senators
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
. Known for his powerful throwing arm, Mitchell was also a decent hitter who led the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in 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....
twice. He stood at 6' 1" and weighed 185 lbs.
Minor league career
Mitchell was born in Springfield, OhioSpringfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
. He started his professional baseball career in 1902 with the New York State League's Schenectady Electricians. He stayed in the NYSL for the next two seasons and then moved to the Pacific Coast League
Pacific Coast League
The Pacific Coast League is a minor-league baseball league operating in the Western, Midwestern and Southeastern United States. Along with the International League and the Mexican League, it is one of three leagues playing at the Triple-A level, which is one step below Major League Baseball.The...
in 1905. In 1906, he had "one of the greatest minor-league seasons of the Deadball Era", winning the batting title and also leading the PCL in 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....
, 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, total bases, and slugging percentage.
Major league career
Mitchell went to the major leagues the following season with the Cincinnati Reds. He made an immediate impact as a rookieRookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, finishing seventh in the batting race and leading the National League in outfield assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
, with 39. The assists mark set a record that was not broken until 1930. According to Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
, Mitchell had the best outfield arm of his era.
Mitchell slumped in 1908, but he rebounded in 1909 with a career-high .310 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 :...
and a career-high 152 OPS+. He led the league in triples, with 17, and finished second in batting average and slugging percentage. Mitchell then hit 18 more triples in 1910 to lead the league again. From 1909 to 1911, he scored over 70 runs
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
, drove in over 80 runs, hit over 15 triples, and stole over 30 bases each season.
Mitchell's power numbers went down slightly in 1912, and in December he was traded to the Chicago Cubs. He played for the Cubs, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Washington Senators over the next two seasons before retiring from the game.
Mitchell died in 1961 in Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
.
See also
- List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
- List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
- List of Major League Baseball triples champions