[Congressional Record Volume 145, Number 29 (Wednesday, February 24, 1999)]
[House]
[Pages H769-H761]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              IN MEMORY OF WILMER ``VINEGAR BEND'' MIZELLE

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Coble) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. COBLE. Mr. Speaker, my good friend from North Carolina (Mr. Burr) 
has already touched on Vinegar Bend's baseball accolades and 
accomplishments, and I will not emphasize that in detail.
  Mr. Speaker, 8 or 9 years ago a New York Times reporter wrote an 
article about me, and in that article he identified me as one who 
portrays or cultivates a country bumpkin image. The implication was 
that I was a phony, to some extent; that I was not a genuine country 
bumpkin.
  Some days after that New York Times article appeared, a constituent 
of mine called me in my Greensboro office and she said, ``I resent what 
that New York Times writer wrote about you when he said that you 
cultivated a country bumpkin image.'' She said, ``You are a country 
bumpkin.''
  Now, I am not suggesting, Mr. Speaker, that the late Vinegar Bend 
Mizelle was a country bumpkin, but he was, indeed, a genuine country 
boy, and there was no getting around that. And he tried in no way to be 
deceptive about it. This was he. When you saw Vinegar Bend, you saw a 
personified country boy.

[[Page H761]]

                              {time}  1500

  His folksy charm was endearing. Of course, many attributed that charm 
to his election. Because he had served as a county commissioner in 
Davidson County and then to leap from county commissioner to Congress 
was in the eyes of many a leap that he could not negotiate. ``Vinegar 
Bend could not handle that,'' I heard some of them say. But he handled 
it, and he handle it very effectively and very proficiently.
  Vinegar Bend leaves behind his wife and two sons, David and Danny. 
One lives in my district as a football coach at the Andrews High School 
in High Point. And the second one lives in my former district, as the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Burr) knows, that has now been 
redistricted out of the 6th District and I think is represented by the 
gentleman from North Carolina (Mr. Watt) now.
  But Vinegar Bend, as you will remember, Mr. Speaker, because you were 
there, came to the weekly Congressional prayer breakfast regularly. In 
fact, he probably attended that prayer breakfast more consistently than 
any other former Member, at least to the best of my knowledge. He was 
indeed a regular at the prayer breakfast.
  Mr. BALLENGER. Mr. Speaker, I rise this afternoon to join my 
colleagues to pay tribute to Wilmer ``Vinegar Bend'' Mizell, our former 
colleague who passed away last weekend. Whether you knew him personally 
from politics or from professional baseball or whether you knew him 
only by reputation, Vinegar Bend Mizell was a tremendous talent and a 
good and decent man. I think of all the persons I have come to know in 
my 30 plus years of public service, no one kinder or more genuine than 
Vinegar Bend Mizell comes to mind.
  Wilmer Mizell was not a native North Carolinian but born in 
Mississippi where he grew up playing baseball. In fact, he got the 
nickname ``Vinegar Bend'' from the small town of Vinegar Bend, Alabama 
where he spent much of his early ball-playing days. He joined the St. 
Louis Cardinals farm system after graduating from high school, playing 
baseball in Albany, Georgia and Winston-Salem, North Carolina, a city 
he would later represent in the Congress. While in the farm system he 
won most popular honors and the reputation as the ``strikeout king.'' 
In May of 1952, he joined the St. Louis Cardinals and pitched in the 
1959 National League All Star team. The following year he was traded to 
the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he completed the season with a 13-5 
record and helped the Pirates win the National League pennant. Vinegar 
Bend finished his career with the New York Mets expansion team in 1962. 
During his career he struck out 918 batters. In an interview years 
later about his baseball career, Wilmer simply summed up his success by 
saying, ``It seems every time I went out, I was pitching good 
baseball.''
  After retiring from baseball, Wilmer began a successful career in 
politics, first as a Davidson County Commissioner and then as a Member 
of Congress, representing the 5th Congressional district. As a member 
of this body, Vinegar Bend Mizell was an advocate for the ``average 
guy'' in his district, deriding the Democratic majority for being big 
spenders and taking too much in taxes out of the pockets of the working 
men and women of America.
  Congressman Mizell lost his seat in the 1974 elections during the 
aftermath of the Watergate scandals, when so many Republicans paid for 
the mistakes of President Nixon with their congressional seats. But 
even in defeat, Vinegar Bend was magnanimous, saying ``Whether you 
voted for me or not, [you've] still got a friend in Vinegar Bend.''
  He went on to serve in the Ford, Reagan and Bush Administrations and 
served with distinction.
  With Vinegar Bend's untimely death, we all have lost a friend. I 
mourn his passing and express my sincere condolences to his wife, Ruth, 
and his sons. Vinegar Bend will be missed, but not forgotten.
  Mr. CRANE. Mr. Speaker, I was saddened today to learn of the death of 
one of my colleagues from the ``Class of '69,'' Wilmer Mizell. We 
served together in the 91st, 92nd and 93rd Congresses.
  Popularly known as ``Vinegar Bend,'' he showed the same deep 
commitment to doing his best for the people of the 5th District of 
North Carolina as he exhibited in 1960 when he pitched to a 13 and 5 
record to help the Pittsburgh Pirates win the National League pennant.
  During his tenure in Congress, ``Vinegar Bend'' was an advocate for 
the consumer, the farmer and the factory worker. He compiled a 
conservative voting record that he was very proud of. His slogan, 
``You've got a friend in Vinegar Bend,'' was well known around his 
District.
  After his defeat in 1974, in the wake of Watergate, he was appointed 
Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Economic Development. In 1982, 
President Reagan appointed him as an Assistant Secretary of Agriculture 
for Governmental Affairs--effectively sending him back to his friends 
in the House and Senate as the Administration's leading spokesman on 
the promotion of its agricultural policies. He served President Bush as 
Deputy Assistant Secretary of Intergovernmental Affairs at the 
Department of Veterans Affairs and as Executive Director of the 
President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.
  Described as a ``real gentleman'' and ``a class act'', Congressman 
Mizell was both of those at all times, and I shall miss him. Our 
prayers are with all his family and friends.
  Mr. COBLE. I guess in closing, Mr. Speaker, I can best say that the 
goal in life, as well as baseball, is to score by going home. Vinegar 
Bend has circled the bases one final time, and he now rests at home. 
Good-bye, Vinegar Bend.

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