was good for third behind Jones's 8.4 and Harvey Haddix's 6.6. However, his 92 walks were third in the NL, behind Jones's 115 and Bob Buhl's 105. Assessing the Cardinals' pennant chances during 1957 spring training, manager Fred Hutchinson said, "We've got at least three pitchers capable of winning 20-Herm Wehmeier, Sam Jones, and Vinegar Bend Mizell. If a couple of them can do it, we'll make plenty of trouble." Mizell's fastball had slowed a bit in 1956, and it was even slower in 1957. He was giving up more home runs than he had before he joined the Army, and the Cardinals were worried about his weight and his windup motion. Mizell spent much of the early part of the season in the bullpen, and the Cardinals even attempted to send him to Houston, but they were unable to get him through waivers. They had him watch films of his pitching, not common practice at the time, to help him correct his mistakes. On July 18, he relieved Hoyt Wilhelm in the ninth inning with the Cardinals leading the Dodgers 9–4 and the bases loaded. He retired Duke Snider on a groundout but then walked Gino Cimoli to bring up Gil Hodges, a right-handed hitter. Though many managers would have inserted a right-hander in this situation, Hutchinson left Mizell in to face him, and Hodges hit a grand slam, tying the game, which the Cardinals eventually lost 10–9. The decision drew ire from St. Louis fans, and general manager Frank Lane and executive vice president Richard A. Meyer even criticized Hutchinson publicly, prompting a meeting between the three men and team owner August Busch, Jr., in which Hutchinson appealed to the owner to "Let me alone to do my job." "That thing with Mizell in Brooklyn, I just wanted to get him over a hump," Hutchinson later explained. Through July 27, Mizell had a 5.32 ERA, but his control started to improve in the middle of the year. Called on for a start on July 29, he held the Pirates to two hits in a 4–0 shutout victory. Thereafter, most of his appearances would be starts. With the second-place Cardinals trailing the NL-leading Milwaukee Braves on August 18, Mizell threw a four-hit shutout, helping the Cardinals sweep a doubleheader and remain in the pennant race. His ERA after July 27 was 2.54. In 33 games (21 starts), he had