during the season, he sang country music over the public address system at South Side Park and rode around the field on a mule. In 1951, Mizell pitched for the Houston Buffaloes of the Class AA Texas League. The team held a "Vinegar Bend Night," flying in 32 visitors reportedly from the town in Alabama for the evening's game. Because the town was so small, Mizell said that some of the guests "must've come from the suburbs." He had 15 strikeouts in that game, a 3–1 loss to the Shreveport Sports. In another outing, against the Dallas Eagles, he struck out 18 batters, tying the league's single-game record. Mizell led the league in strikeouts with 257, finished second in ERA to Tom Gorman (1.97 to 1.94), and tied for seventh in the league with 16 wins. With a record of 99–61, Houston won the pennant by 13.5 games over the San Antonio Missions. St. Louis Cardinals (1952–53, 1956–60) 1952–53 When he joined the Cardinals, broadcaster Harry Caray started calling him "Vinegar Bend," and the nickname stuck. He was hailed as "the left-handed Dizzy Dean" by sportswriter Red Smith, which Mizell called "a perty heavy load for a boy to tote." Added to St. Louis's starting rotation for the 1952 campaign, Mizell made his major league debut on April 22 against the Cincinnati Reds. He gave up two runs in the first inning, then held the Reds scoreless for the rest of the game, though he took the loss in a 2–1 defeat. Two starts later, on May 2, he limited the Philadelphia Phillies to four hits and two runs in a complete game, winning in the ninth when Peanuts Lowrey broke a 2–2 tie with an RBI-single. After that win, he lost three games in a row, then received four consecutive no decisions. He ended the winless streak on June 21, when he struck out 11 in his first major league shutout against the Boston Braves. That started a streak of six decisions won in a row, during which time Mizell posted a 3.05 ERA. He would not lose again until August 27. On September 5, he threw his second shutout of the year, tying his season high with 11 strikeouts in a 4–0 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Mizell finished his rookie season with a 10–8 record and a 3.65 ERA in 30 starts. He led the National League