The Professional

The Professional, manufactured by Mills Novelty Company (active 1932-1942), is a rare and intriguing example of early pinball history. As a pure mechanical (PM) machine with a baseball theme, it showcases the growing popularity of sports themes in the pinball world during that era, and exemplifies the straightforward, mechanical nature of early pinball designs.

The Professional's key features include gobble holes for players to sink balls, two ball kickers for strategic control, and a score totalizer in the lower playfield for easy tracking of scores, all housed within a large metal frame bearing the game's name. The game's baseball-inspired gameplay - where three strikes result in an "Out" and three Outs end the game - gives The Professional a charming and nostalgic mechanic that sets it apart from other pinball machines of its era. It is not to be confused with Mills' separate 1934 game 'Professional Baseball,' which has a different playfield and totalizer design.

The machine's design is notable for its straightforward, no-frills aesthetic, typical of early pinball machines. With little information available about its exact production year or designer, The Professional remains a somewhat enigmatic piece of pinball history, appealing to collectors interested in the era's mechanical, coin-operated amusements.