Clarence E. Mitchell, 1891-1963 [RG3661.AM]

NEBRASKA STATE HISTORICAL SOCIETY MANUSCRIPT FINDING AID

RG3661.AM:  Clarence E. Mitchell, 1891-1963

Scrapbooks, etc.:  1911-1963

Franklin, Franklin County, Neb.:  Baseball player

Size:  0.5 cu.ft.; 1 box

BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE

Clarence E. Mitchell, son of William and Katheryn Buster Mitchell, was born in a sod house in Franklin County, Nebraska, on February 22, 1891. After attending public schools in Franklin County, Mitchell began a career in professional baseball as a left-handed spitball pitcher. He broke into the major leagues with Detroit in 1911 and pitched for Cincinnati, Brooklyn, the Philadelphia Phillies, the St. Louis Cardinals, and the New York Giants before retiring in 1932 with a lifetime record of 125 wins and 139 losses. While playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1920, Mitchell earned the dubious distinction of being the only man ever to hit into an unassisted triple play in World Series competition. Mitchell’s baseball career was interrupted in 1918 by service in World War I.

In 1943, he moved to Aurora, Nebraska, where he operated a tavern. On August 17, 1953, Mitchell was inducted into the Lincoln Journal Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame. Mitchell married Marion Shaw Watson on May 18, 1921, in Brooklyn, New York. They had two sons, Wallace and Clarence, Jr. Mitchell died in the Veterans Hospital, Grand Island, Nebraska, on November 6, 1963.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

The bulk of the collection consists of scrapbooks containing newspaper clippings concerning the professional baseball career of Clarence Mitchell. The clippings begin with part of his tenure in the minor leagues and then follow his major league career and include accounts of his famous spitball pitch and of his hitting into an unassisted triple play in the 1920 World Series. Also included is one folder of obituaries for Clarence Mitchell.

Note:  See the photo component [RG3661.PH] for related images. For additional biographical information, see the NSHS library catalog for Jack Kavanaugh’s book, Uncle Robbie [796.357 K21u]. See also the Nebraska History Index for additional references to Clarence Mitchell.

DESCRIPTION

Box 1

Volume/folder

1. 1. Scrapbook, 1911-1921

1. 1. Scrapbook, 1922-1929

1. 1. 1920 World Series Scrapbook, published in 1953

1. 1. Obituaries for Clarence E. Mitchell, 1963

ADDED ENTRIES:

Athletics

Baseball

Mitchell, Clarence E., 1891-1963

Nebraska Sports Hall of Fame

Scrapbooks

Sports

APD/ct   06-10-1975

Encoded TMM   11-15-2010