Willie Mitchell

Born: 12/1/1889 in Pleasant Grove, MS, USA

Died: 11/23/1973 in Sardis, MS, USA

MLB Debut: 1909-09-22 | Final Game: 1919-05-31

Bats: R | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 176 lbs

Full name: William Mitchell

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Biography

Willie Mitchell was a professional baseball pitcher who played from 1909 until 1919. Born in 1889, he carved out a notable career in Major League Baseball during an era characterized by the transition from the deadball era to the more offensive-minded game of the 1920s. Mitchell was known for his competitive spirit and effective pitching style, which earned him a career record of 84 wins and 92 losses. Over the course of his career, he posted a commendable earned run average (ERA) of 2.88 and struck out a total of 921 batters, showcasing his ability to dominate opposing hitters. Throughout his time in the league, Mitchell played for several teams, most notably the Cleveland Indians and the Detroit Tigers. His contributions on the mound included four saves, marking him as one of the early relievers in a game that was still evolving in its strategic use of pitchers. Despite finishing with a losing record, Mitchell's skill set and performance made him a respected figure among his peers during a transformative period in baseball history. His legacy as a pitcher remains remembered by those who appreciate the foundational players of the sport.

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
84	92	276	190	93	16	4	1632.0	1464	522	14	605	921	2.88	0

Career ERA 2.88 vs. league average 2.94 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1909	CLE	AL	1	2	3	3	3	0	0	23.0	18	4	10	8	1.57	2.55 (+39%)	-477.1
1910	CLE	AL	12	8	35	18	11	1	0	183.7	155	53	55	102	2.60	2.79 (+7%)	1257.2
1911	CLE	AL	7	14	30	22	9	0	0	177.3	190	74	60	78	3.76	3.37 (-11%)	664.5
1912	CLE	AL	5	8	29	15	8	0	1	163.7	149	51	56	94	2.80	3.36 (+17%)	2075.7
1913	CLE	AL	14	8	35	22	14	4	0	217.0	153	46	88	141	1.91	3.07 (+38%)	2213.8
1914	CLE	AL	12	17	39	32	16	3	1	257.0	228	91	124	179	3.19	2.93 (-9%)	1215.5
1915	CLE	AL	11	14	36	30	12	1	1	236.0	210	74	84	149	2.82	2.90 (+3%)	3699.3
1916	CLE	AL	2	5	12	6	1	0	1	43.7	55	25	19	24	5.15	2.78 (-85%)	-108.6
1916	DET	AL	7	5	23	17	7	2	0	127.7	119	47	48	60	3.31	2.78 (-19%)	-6.5
1917	DET	AL	12	8	30	22	12	5	0	185.3	172	45	46	80	2.19	2.69 (+19%)	855.3
1918	DET	AL	0	1	1	1	0	0	0	4.0	3	4	5	2	9.00	—	0.0
1919	DET	AL	1	2	3	2	0	0	0	13.7	12	8	10	4	5.27	3.09 (-71%)	-1080.6

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
279	530	29	69	5	0	0	27	0	29	138	0.130	0.180	0.140	0.319	-4152.9

Career AVG .130 vs. league average .255 across their career seasons — 49.0% below league average.

Career OBP .180 vs. league average .321 across their career seasons — 44.0% below league average.

Career SLG .140 vs. league average .336 across their career seasons — 58.5% below league average.

Career OPS 0.319 vs. league average 0.657 across their career seasons — 51.4% below league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	RBI	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1909	CLE	AL	3	7	1	2	0	0	1	1	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1910	CLE	AL	35	63	1	10	0	2	0	15	0.159	.249 (-36%)	.317 (-46%)	.326 (-51%)	.644 (-49%)	-478.5
1911	CLE	AL	32	64	2	7	1	3	1	21	0.109	.266 (-59%)	.336 (-63%)	.356 (-65%)	.693 (-64%)	-683.0
1912	CLE	AL	29	53	4	6	0	3	4	11	0.113	.268 (-58%)	.335 (-48%)	.358 (-68%)	.694 (-58%)	-504.4
1913	CLE	AL	35	70	7	10	2	3	3	25	0.143	.259 (-45%)	.325 (-45%)	.345 (-50%)	.670 (-48%)	-545.9
1914	CLE	AL	39	81	5	7	1	4	8	22	0.086	.255 (-66%)	.322 (-48%)	.339 (-71%)	.661 (-60%)	-767.1
1915	CLE	AL	36	79	3	10	1	4	4	20	0.127	.250 (-49%)	.318 (-47%)	.332 (-58%)	.651 (-53%)	-655.3
1916	CLE	AL	12	11	0	0	0	0	1	4	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1916	DET	AL	23	36	3	9	0	3	5	6	0.250	—	—	—	—	0.0
1917	DET	AL	31	59	3	7	0	4	1	11	0.119	.248 (-52%)	.312 (-53%)	.323 (-63%)	.635 (-58%)	-518.7
1918	DET	AL	1	2	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1919	DET	AL	3	5	0	1	0	1	1	1	0.200	—	—	—	—	0.0

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
P	276	21	63	344	43	10

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1909	CLE	P	3	3	2	7	1	1
1910	CLE	P	35	18	9	46	4	1
1911	CLE	P	30	0	9	47	6	0
1912	CLE	P	29	0	8	30	6	0
1913	CLE	P	35	0	10	44	4	3
1914	CLE	P	39	0	4	46	6	1
1915	CLE	P	36	0	3	48	8	1
1916	CLE	P	12	0	3	9	3	0
1916	DET	P	23	0	2	21	1	1
1917	DET	OF	1	0	0	0	0	0
1917	DET	P	30	0	11	40	4	2
1918	DET	P	1	0	1	2	0	0
1919	DET	P	3	0	1	4	0	0