The NL's only lefthanded legal spitballer after 1920, Mitchell was a starter in all
or parts of 18 ML seasons, but not until 1931 with the Giants, at age 40, did he
win as many as 13 games. Often used in the field and as a pinch hitter, in 1922 he
played 42 games at first base for Brooklyn, pitched in only five, and batted .290.
Mitchell was the ill-fated Dodger whose liner started Bill Wambsganss's unassisted
triple play in the 1920 World Series; two innings later, he hit into a double play,
thus accounting for five outs in two at-bats.
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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
»June 18, 1911: Down 13–1 after five 1/2 innings, the Tigers make up a 12-run deficit to stage the biggest comeback in ML history, defeating the visiting Chicago White Sox by a score of 16–15. Ty Cobb chips in with five hits and five RBIs, as the Tigers score five in the 8th and three runs in the 9th. Cobb scores the winner when Sam Crawford hits a drive over the head of CF Ping Bodie for a double. Reliever Ed Walsh takes the loss with Clarence Mitchell pitching the last two innings to win.
»September 10, 1920: In the bottom of the first of an event-laden game, Grimes gives up hits to Charlie Jamieson, Bill Wambsganss, and Speaker. OF Elmer Smith then hits the first grand slam in World Series history, jumping on a Grimes spitter in the opening inning. In the 3rd, P Jim Bagby comes up with two on and crashes another Grimes delivery for a 3-run home run, the first ever by a pitcher in World Series play. Bagby is roughed for 13 hits, but he gets out of jams with the aid of three DPs and an unassisted triple play. In the 5th with Pete Kilduff on 2B and Otto Miller on 1B, relief pitcher Clarence Mitchell hits a line drive at SS Wambsganss, who steps on 2B and tags the off-and-running Miller before he can retreat. Cleveland dominates, 8–1.
»February 11, 1923:
The Dodgers trade Clarence Mitchell to the Phils for George Smith. Smith, a 20-game loser last year, must breath a sigh of relief since he lost 14 straight to Brooklyn (September 3, 1920–June 25, 1922).
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