William Earl Essick (December 18, 1880–October 12, 1951), nicknamed "Vinegar Bill", was a professional baseball pitcher in the Major Leagues. A native of Illinois, he attended Knox College and Lombard College. Essick pitched for the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

during the seasons of 1906 and 1907. He then became a longtime minor-league manager and team executive before joining the New York Yankees in 1935 as a scout. According to author Jim Sandoval's 2011 book ''Can He Play? A Look at Baseball's Scouts and Their Profession'', Essick was credited with discovering or signing a number of Yankee future stars, including Joe DiMaggio, Lefty Gomez, Joe Gordon and Ralph Houk. He retired in 1950 and succumbed to heart disease a year later. As a pitcher, Essick had a remarkable 1905 season in the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

for the Portland Beavers, throwing an astronomical 466.1 innings and ending up with a won-lost record of 23–30. He was 19–6 the following season before being called up to the major leagues by Cincinnati and making his Major League Baseball debut on September 12, 1906. Sandoval wrote that Essick's nickname originated because the German word for vinegar is "Essig."

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1880 births 1951 deaths Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Illinois Cincinnati Reds players Minor league baseball managers Salt Lake City Elders players Portland Giants players Portland Beavers players St. Paul Saints (AA) players Knox Prairie Fire baseball players Kansas City Blues (baseball) players Toledo Mud Hens players South Bend Benders players Grand Rapids Grads players Grand Rapids Black Sox players Grand Rapids Bill-eds players New York Yankees scouts Major League Baseball scouts {{US-baseball-pitcher-1880s-stub