Starting as just a kid from Colony, OK, to being known as a World Series Champion, Loren Dale Mitchell went down as one of the greats. Mitchell was born in Colony, OK, on August 23, 1921. Mitchell’s athleticism and love for sports were evident throughout his childhood and teenage years. After graduating from Cloud Chief High School, Mitchell married Margaret Emerson, a classmate at Cloud Chief. Mitchell and Emerson moved from Washita County to Norman, Oklahoma, where Mitchell would attend the University of Oklahoma (OU). The summer following his 1940 Freshman year, Mitchell played semipro baseball with the Oklahoma Natural Gas Club.
As World War II began, the then-21-year-old was drafted and sent to Europe for three years, where he served as a member of the Army Air Force. After his discharge from the Army, Mitchell returned to OU to continue his collegiate career. In June 1946, Mitchell first appeared as a minor-league ballplayer with Oklahoma City of the Double-A Texas League. That September, the Cleveland Indians contacted him. Elated with the Cleveland owner’s generosity, Mitchell made his major-league debut on September 15, 1946, at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium. He was the 1948 World Series Champion and spent nearly his entire career with the Indians.
At the end of July 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers claimed Mitchell as one of their new players. Mitchell retired following one more at-bat in Organized Baseball, a pinch-hitting appearance in Game Seven of the ‘56 Series.
In October 1981, the University of Oklahoma unveiled its new baseball stadium, Dale Mitchell Field. Despite having a well-known, stellar baseball career and earning distinction as a two-time American League All-Star, Mitchell called this the most significant honor of his life.
On January 5, 1987, Mitchell suffered a severe heart attack and passed in Tulsa, OK, at just 65 years of age. Mitchell had come a long way from a small tenant farm in Colony to becoming an elite baseball player and a top-notch executive in the business industry. Mitchell told reporters, “You never leave baseball once you’re in it. You always love the game.”
On Saturday, August 19, 2023, Mitchell will be one of two inducted into the Cleveland Guardians Hall of Fame during a pre-game ceremony.
Declared in a proclamation made by the City of Cordell Mayor, Phil Kliewer stated, “The City of Cordell takes great pride in acknowledging individuals who have made significant contributions to the world of sports, thereby inspiring generations to pursue their dreams. It is fitting and proper that the City of Cordell, on behalf of its residents, recognizes and celebrates the extraordinary achievements of Loren Dale Mitchell by declaring a day in his honor.”
As proclaimed in the proclamation, the City of Cordell, the official County Seat of Washita County, encourages all residents to join in celebrating the life and legacy of this remarkable athlete. On this day, August 19, we honor Loren Dale Mitchell for his unwavering dedication and exceptional talent and for being an exemplary ambassador of the game of baseball.