Wilmer David Mizell
Encyclopedia
Wilmer David "Vinegar Bend" Mizell (August 13, 1930 - February 21, 1999) was an American
left-handed pitcher
in major league baseball
who went on to serve three terms as a Republican
U.S. congressman
from North Carolina
between 1969 and 1975. He represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district
, including Winston-Salem.
, the source of his nickname. He was reared in nearby Leakesville, Mississippi
, where he graduated from high school in 1949. He was a professional pitcher between 1949 and 1963, although he served in the United States Army
during 1953 and 1954. During his Major League
career, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals
(1952–1960), Pittsburgh Pirates
(1960–1962), and New York Mets
(1962).
In a nine-season career, Mizell was 90-88
with a 3.85 ERA
in 268 games, 230 of which were starts
. He pitched 61 complete game
s, including 15 shutout
s. He allowed 654 earned run
s and struck out
918 in 1528 and 2/3 innings pitched
.
After leaving baseball, Mizell worked in sales and public relations
for the Pepsi-Cola company in Winston-Salem until 1967.
board of commissioners in 1966. He was the chairman of the board for the two years when he was a member.
In 1968, Mizell, a Republican, was elected to represent the 5th District in the 91st United States Congress
. A previous Republican candidate, G. Fred Steele, Jr., had polled 46.9 percent of the vote in District 5 in 1966; Steele's showing helped prepare the district for a party transformation in 1968. Mizell defeated Democratic
nominee Smith Bagley, an R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
official, 84,905 (52.4 percent) to 77,112 (47.6 percent). The previous 5th District representative, Democrat Nick Galifianakis
, was moved to the 4th District for the 1968 elections. Mizell was the first Republican to be elected in decades from the 5th District, which was based in Winston-Salem and included much of the northwestern part of the state. He was one of the most popular congressmen in Washington and one of the most conservative.
In 1970, Mizell defeated Democrat James G. White, 68,937 (58.1 percent) to 49,663 (41.9 percent). In 1972, he trounced former liberal Arkansas Congressman Brooks Hays
, who had moved to North Carolina, 101,375 (64.8 percent) to 54,986 (35.2 percent).
Mizell may have thought that his 1972 margin would insulate him from further Democratic challenges in 1974. The Watergate scandal
had an impact on Republican House members. Mizell was unseated by Democrat Stephen L. Neal
, 64,634 (52 percent) to 59,182 (47.6 percent).
In his 1974 defeat, Mizell polled less than three fifths of the total votes that he had received in 1972.
President Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
, a former House colleague, appointed Mizell as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, a post he held from March 1975 to May 1976.
In 1976, Mizell challenged Neal again and lost, 83,129 (45.6 percent) to 98,789 (54.2 percent). Neal, a strong supporter of the Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter
, polled almost the same raw vote as Mizell had four years earlier, when he was running on the Nixon
--Agnew
slate.
In 1981, Mizell was appointed Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
for Governmental and Public Affairs in the Reagan
administration. Later he was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
, in the George H. W. Bush
administration. Mizell also worked as executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
.
. He thought about running for his old seat again in the 1990s, but decided against it.
In the fall of 1998, Mizell had a heart attack while watching his son, Dave Mizell, coach High Point
Andrews High School in a football game against North Davidson High School
in Welcome
. Just before kickoff, rescue crews were called, and the game was postponed for about a half hour. Mizell was taken to the cardiac care unit of Wake Forest University
Baptist Medical Center. He recovered for a few months.
Mizell died at the age of 68 in Kerrville, Texas
, where he was visiting his wife's family.
Mizell is survived by his two sons, Danny and Dave, who both live in North Carolina, and by four grandchildren.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
in major league baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who went on to serve three terms as a Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
U.S. congressman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from North Carolina
North Carolina
North Carolina is a state located in the southeastern United States. The state borders South Carolina and Georgia to the south, Tennessee to the west and Virginia to the north. North Carolina contains 100 counties. Its capital is Raleigh, and its largest city is Charlotte...
between 1969 and 1975. He represented North Carolina's 5th congressional district
North Carolina's 5th congressional district
North Carolina's 5th congressional district covers the northwestern corner of North Carolina from the Appalachian Mountains to the Piedmont Triad. The district includes Alexander, Alleghany, Ashe, Davie, Stokes, Surry, Watauga, Wilkes, and Yadkin counties and parts of Forsyth, Iredell, and...
, including Winston-Salem.
Mizell in baseball
Mizell was born in Vinegar Bend, AlabamaVinegar Bend, Alabama
Vinegar Bend is an unincorporated census-designated place in Washington County, Alabama. Vinegar Bend is south-southwest of Chatom. As of the 2010 census, its population was 192. Vinegar Bend had a post office with ZIP code 36584 until it was closed July 1, 2010. When the bridge on the "main" road...
, the source of his nickname. He was reared in nearby Leakesville, Mississippi
Leakesville, Mississippi
Leakesville is a town located along the Chickasawhay River in Greene County, Mississippi, United States located around the junction of route 57 and route 63. As of the 2000 census, the town population was 1,026...
, where he graduated from high school in 1949. He was a professional pitcher between 1949 and 1963, although he served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during 1953 and 1954. During his Major League
Major League
See Major professional sports leagues in the United States and Canada.Major League may also refer to:-Sport:* Major League Baseball, the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America* Major League Cricket...
career, he played for the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1952–1960), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1960–1962), and New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
(1962).
In a nine-season career, Mizell was 90-88
Win (baseball)
In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only...
with a 3.85 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 268 games, 230 of which were starts
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
. He pitched 61 complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
s, including 15 shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s. He allowed 654 earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
s and struck out
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
918 in 1528 and 2/3 innings pitched
Innings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
.
After leaving baseball, Mizell worked in sales and public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
for the Pepsi-Cola company in Winston-Salem until 1967.
Mizell in politics
Mizell entered North Carolina politics in the 1960s. He was elected to the Davidson CountyDavidson County, North Carolina
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 149,331 people, 58,156 households, and 42,512 families residing in the county. The population density was 267 people per square mile . There were 62,432 housing units at an average density of 113 per square mile...
board of commissioners in 1966. He was the chairman of the board for the two years when he was a member.
In 1968, Mizell, a Republican, was elected to represent the 5th District in the 91st United States Congress
91st United States Congress
The Ninety-first United States Congress was a meeting of the legislative branch of the United States federal government, composed of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. It met in Washington, DC from January 3, 1969 to January 3, 1971, during the first two years...
. A previous Republican candidate, G. Fred Steele, Jr., had polled 46.9 percent of the vote in District 5 in 1966; Steele's showing helped prepare the district for a party transformation in 1968. Mizell defeated Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
nominee Smith Bagley, an R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company
The R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company , based in Winston-Salem, North Carolina and founded by R. J. Reynolds in 1875, is the second-largest tobacco company in the U.S. . RJR is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Reynolds American Inc...
official, 84,905 (52.4 percent) to 77,112 (47.6 percent). The previous 5th District representative, Democrat Nick Galifianakis
Nick Galifianakis
Nick Galifianakis was a Democratic U.S. Congressman from North Carolina between 1967 and 1973.-Life and career:Galifianakis was born in Durham, North Carolina, the son of Greek immigrants Sophia and Mike Galifianakis. Galifianakis attended local public schools and then Duke University, earning a...
, was moved to the 4th District for the 1968 elections. Mizell was the first Republican to be elected in decades from the 5th District, which was based in Winston-Salem and included much of the northwestern part of the state. He was one of the most popular congressmen in Washington and one of the most conservative.
In 1970, Mizell defeated Democrat James G. White, 68,937 (58.1 percent) to 49,663 (41.9 percent). In 1972, he trounced former liberal Arkansas Congressman Brooks Hays
Brooks Hays
Lawrence Brooks Hays was a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from the State of Arkansas....
, who had moved to North Carolina, 101,375 (64.8 percent) to 54,986 (35.2 percent).
Mizell may have thought that his 1972 margin would insulate him from further Democratic challenges in 1974. The Watergate scandal
Watergate scandal
The Watergate scandal was a political scandal during the 1970s in the United States resulting from the break-in of the Democratic National Committee headquarters at the Watergate office complex in Washington, D.C., and the Nixon administration's attempted cover-up of its involvement...
had an impact on Republican House members. Mizell was unseated by Democrat Stephen L. Neal
Stephen L. Neal
Stephen Lybrook "Steve" Neal was a North Carolina Democratic politician who served ten terms in the U.S. House of Representatives ....
, 64,634 (52 percent) to 59,182 (47.6 percent).
In his 1974 defeat, Mizell polled less than three fifths of the total votes that he had received in 1972.
President Gerald R. Ford, Jr.
Gerald Ford
Gerald Rudolph "Jerry" Ford, Jr. was the 38th President of the United States, serving from 1974 to 1977, and the 40th Vice President of the United States serving from 1973 to 1974...
, a former House colleague, appointed Mizell as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development, a post he held from March 1975 to May 1976.
In 1976, Mizell challenged Neal again and lost, 83,129 (45.6 percent) to 98,789 (54.2 percent). Neal, a strong supporter of the Democratic presidential nominee Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
, polled almost the same raw vote as Mizell had four years earlier, when he was running on the Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
--Agnew
Spiro Agnew
Spiro Theodore Agnew was the 39th Vice President of the United States , serving under President Richard Nixon, and the 55th Governor of Maryland...
slate.
In 1981, Mizell was appointed Assistant Secretary of Agriculture
United States Department of Agriculture
The United States Department of Agriculture is the United States federal executive department responsible for developing and executing U.S. federal government policy on farming, agriculture, and food...
for Governmental and Public Affairs in the Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
administration. Later he was appointed as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Intergovernmental Affairs, Department of Veterans Affairs
United States Department of Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs is a government-run military veteran benefit system with Cabinet-level status. It is the United States government’s second largest department, after the United States Department of Defense...
, in the George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush
George Herbert Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 41st President of the United States . He had previously served as the 43rd Vice President of the United States , a congressman, an ambassador, and Director of Central Intelligence.Bush was born in Milton, Massachusetts, to...
administration. Mizell also worked as executive director of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports
The President's Council on Fitness, Sports, and Nutrition , is an American government organization that aims to "promote, encourage and motivate Americans of all ages to become physically active and participate in sport"...
.
Mizell in retirement
After leaving government life, he resided in Midway, North CarolinaMidway, North Carolina
Midway is an incorporated town in Davidson County, North Carolina located within a township of the same name. The town is where rapper slash producer 9th wonder is from. Midway is situated approximately above sea level, and as of 2006, has a population of 4,399. Midway is part of the Piedmont...
. He thought about running for his old seat again in the 1990s, but decided against it.
In the fall of 1998, Mizell had a heart attack while watching his son, Dave Mizell, coach High Point
High Point, North Carolina
High Point is a city located in the Piedmont Triad region of North Carolina. As of 2010 the city had a total population of 104,371, according to the US Census Bureau. High Point is currently the eighth-largest municipality in North Carolina....
Andrews High School in a football game against North Davidson High School
North Davidson High School
North Davidson Senior High School is a public high school in Welcome, North Carolina . It was established in 1952 and is located along Old US Highway 52 in northern Davidson County. The high school serves the Welcome, Arcadia and Midway areas...
in Welcome
Welcome, North Carolina
Welcome is a census-designated place in Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 3,538 at the 2000 census. It is nationally known as the home of NASCAR's Richard Childress. The town motto is "Welcome to Welcome, A Friendly Place," as posted on the welcoming sign...
. Just before kickoff, rescue crews were called, and the game was postponed for about a half hour. Mizell was taken to the cardiac care unit of Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
Baptist Medical Center. He recovered for a few months.
Mizell died at the age of 68 in Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
, where he was visiting his wife's family.
Mizell is survived by his two sons, Danny and Dave, who both live in North Carolina, and by four grandchildren.
External links
http://bioguide.congress.gov/scripts/biodisplay.pl?index=M000833- http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1:74602863/EX-5TH+DIST%7eR%7e+REPRESENTATIVE+SUFFERS+ATTACK%3b+A+FORMER+U%7eR%7eS%7eR%7e+HOUSE+MEMBER+FROM+THE+5TH+DISTRICT+COLLAPSES%7eR%7e%7eR%7e%7eR%7e.html?refid=ip_hf
- http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0775387.html
- http://thedeadballera.com/Obits/Mizell.Wilmer.Obit.html