Bill Scripture

Who is Bill Scripture?

Earl Wayne "Billy" Scripture is an American former outfielder, third baseman, manager and instructor in professional baseball. An All-America baseball standout at Wake Forest University, Scripture threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 190 pounds in his playing days.

Scripture signed with the Baltimore Orioles after his matriculation from Wake Forest, but never reached the Major League Baseball level. He batted .252 in 891 games over nine seasons in the Baltimore and New York Mets farm systems, with 58 home runs. His last five seasons as an active player were spent at the Triple-A level with the Rochester Red Wings and Tidewater Tides. Scripture then became a minor league manager and instructor in the Kansas City Royals and Pittsburgh Pirates systems, peaking at the Double-A level and having only one winning season in five years as a skipper.

However, Scripture earned a reputation throughout professional baseball for his intensity, dedication to teaching, and his toughness. The most quoted stories about Scripture described his habit of biting the covers off baseballs when frustrated.