Between 1946 and 1960, only Ted Williams and Stan Musial had higher lifetime averages than Dale Mitchell's career average of .312. 

He is the 7th most difficult batter EVER to strike out, tied with Frank Frisch. In 4538 PA he struck out only 119 times, and only once in the postseason - to end Don Larsen's Perfect Game. 

He remained bitter the whole rest of his life about that pitch, taken for strike three, maintaining it was high and outside, with George Will among others backing him up on that call.

In 1949 he hit 23 triples (!!). He struck out 11 times that year. More triples than strike outs. 

I got interested and looked him up when I saw that he had the following lines: 

1952:  .  542 PA  300/.354/.446 13 HR
1953:       69 PA  .283/.377/.350  1 HR

He was not injured. He never topped 69 PA again because Hank Greenberg, Cleveland's manager got Dave Philley in the offseason, moved Al Smith to left and put Philley in right, apparently sick of Mitchell's poor outfield defense. 

Nobody wanted a guy who got MVP votes a bunch of years, hit for the highest average after the two best hitters in baseball and so he sat on the bench as a pinch hitter for Cleveland?

He played his last season, 1956, for the Dodgers and had his last at bat in the last at bat umpired by the home plate ump as well in Larsen's Perfect Game. 

Baseball will break your heart. 


Here at two good articles about his career and lifetime of anger at the Larsen called strike three:

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/articles/39886/dale-mitchell-was-no-goat-the-guy-who-took-the/

http://www.letsgotribe.com/top-100-indians/2013/3/18/4102040/top-100-indians-56-dale-mitchell

and the Wikipedia entry on him:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dale_Mitchell_%28baseball%29

 

good stuff.

Why the DH needs to stay in baseball. Great hitters don't play because of defense

As always Italyprof, outstanding info! Dale deserves more credit in baseball other than the strikeout. However, as a counterpoint to Will's comments, Poliifact.com (of all sites) offers some excellent thoughts on that third strike.


http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2010/jun/11/george-will/george-will-says-final-pitch-don-larsen-1956-was-f/

Not quite as cut and dried as dear George makes it out. '56 was a different era and we all know about camera angles. But then again, we all know some men in blue like to 'get it over with.' : )

By the way - what was the count before the strikeout?

Good thread, italyprof.  I read the excerpts of the LA Times obit in your first link, and found the complete obit here:

articles.latimes.com/print/1987-01-07/sports/sp-2380_1_dale-mitchell

Pretty harsh!  I can't believe the writer spent so much time on the strikeout.  This was the top of the 9th of Game 5, Yanks leading 2-0, two out, nobody on.  It's not as if a single or a walk from Mitchell would have guaranteed a win.  In any event, the Dodgers won the next game to force a Game 7, so Mitchell definitely didn't kill their season with the strikeout.

I do give the author points from using "Lookie Lou" in the first sentence.  I love that term!