In the spring of 1931, the New York Yankees were traveling home from preseason training in Florida when they stopped in Chattanooga, Tennessee, for an exhibition game against a local minor-league team. The atmosphere surrounding the game was colored by recent comments from Babe Ruth, who had told reporters that women were "too delicate" for baseball and would never succeed in the sport.

During the game, 17-year-old Jackie Mitchell, a left-handed pitcher, took the mound. In a widely documented sequence, Mitchell struck out both Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in succession. Ruth, who had previously voiced his exasperation at the prospect of women entering the sport, was visibly frustrated by the outcome. The event remains a notable moment in baseball history, serving as a direct, albeit exhibition-based, challenge to the prevailing gender norms of the era regarding athletic capability.