Wilmer (Vinegar Bend) Mizell, a country boy who earned his nickname by playing ball in Vinegar Bend, Ala. (pop. 50), finished 1959 with a decent 13-10 record and a serviceable 4.16 ERA. But Vinegar really dishonored his ’59 All-Star selections — baseball played two Midsummer Classics from 1959 to 1962 to raise money for player pensions — with a sour second half. During the ’59 backstretch, Mizell went 4-7 with an indecent 5.94 ERA. Luckily for Vinegar, he fared much better in politics after his playing career ended in 1962. As a Republican from North Carolina, Mizell served three terms in Congress, where he fiercely stuck up for the state’s tobacco industry. Later, Presidents Ford and Reagan appointed him to posts in their Administrations.