The Congressional Record is a unique source of public documentation. It started in 1873, documenting nearly all the major and minor policies being discussed and debated.
“IN MEMORY OF WILMER ``VINEGAR BEND'' MIZELL” mentioning the U.S. Dept of Agriculture was published in the Extensions of Remarks section on pages E296 on Feb. 25, 1999.
The publication is reproduced in full below:
IN MEMORY OF WILMER ``VINEGAR BEND'' MIZELL
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speech of
HON. MICHAEL G. OXLEY
of ohio
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, February 24, 1999
Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I'd like to offer a tip of the old baseball cap to a great team player--Wilmer Mizell.
I was saddened to learn of Wilmer's death this past Sunday at the age of 68. It's appropriate that Congress put its appreciation of one of its most genial Members in the record books.
I first came across Wilmer Mizell not as a Congressman from North Carolina, but as a cagey major league pitcher known as ``Vinegar Bend'' on his baseball cards. Truly the kind of great baseball nickname I fondly remember from my boyhood in the 1950's.
Anyway, I was a 14-year-old fan when I met Wilmer and some of his fellow St. Louis Cardinals in Milwaukee. He gave me his autograph--in fact, I still treasure those Cardinal autographs today--and tickets to the game. That's when ballplayers really were heroes to their fans, and when baseball was the indisputable National Pastime.
You'll find Wilmer Mizell permanently listed in the baseball fan's bible, the Encyclopedia of Baseball. He pitched for the Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates, and the New York Mets. He was a key addition for the Pirates in 1960, when Pittsburgh capped an improbable World Series victory over the Yankees on Bill Mazeroski's stunning home run. Wilmer then performed the ultimate sacrifice on behalf of the grand old game by toiling for the expansion Mets.
After a few years, Wilmer Mizell broke into another exclusive lineup. He was elected as a Congressman from North Carolina. Wilmer served his district with distinction from 1968 to 1974. He would later serve in the Commerce Department under President Ford and in the Agriculture Department under President Reagan. His easy-going style masked a savvy mind.
When I was a boy, I couldn't have imagined that I would meet Wilmer Mizell on the baseball field again * * * only this time, as a Congressman. For years, Wilmer was a fixture at the congressional baseball game. As a longtime player, I can't tell you how much it meant to have Wilmer at practice and at the game itself. One of my great regrets in my first year as manager of the Republican team is that Wilmer won't be there to share his advice, wisdom, and wit.
But we will all remember Wilmer Mizell when we rise for the National Anthem before the game this June. He was the essence of two traits common to success in baseball and politics: good-hearted competition and real camaraderie. We'll miss this great ballplayer, great American, and truly good friend.
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