Bill Hepler

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1945)}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2024}}

{{Infobox baseball biography

|name=Bill Hepler

|position=Pitcher

|image=

|caption=

|bats=Left

|throws=Left

|birth_date={{Birth date and age|1945|9|25}}

|birth_place=Covington, Virginia, U.S.

|death_date=

|death_place=

|debutleague = MLB

|debutdate=April 23

|debutyear=1966

|debutteam=New York Mets

|finalleague = MLB

|finaldate=October 2

|finalyear=1966

|finalteam=New York Mets

|statleague = MLB

|stat1label=Win–loss record

|stat1value=3–3

|stat2label=Earned run average

|stat2value=3.52

|stat3label=Strikeouts

|stat3value=25

|teams=

• New York Mets ({{mlby|1966}})

}}

William Lewis Hepler (born September 25, 1945) is a retired American professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher who was drafted in 1965 by the New York Mets. He played for the Mets for one season before being sent back down to Minor League A-level baseball.{{cite book|author=William J. Ryczek|title=The Amazin' Mets, 1962-1969|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=04uvrAP6rvoC&pg=PA119|date=4 September 2007|publisher=McFarland|isbn=978-0-7864-5525-6|pages=119–}} He stood {{convert|6|ft|2}} tall and weighed {{convert|160|lb}}.

Hepler was selected in the 1965 Rule 5 draft from the Washington Senators after his debut season in professional ball. He appeared in 37 games played for the 1966 Mets, starting three. He gave up only one earned run in his first ten Major League innings pitched.{{cite web|title=The 1966 NY N Regular Season Pitching Log for Bill Hepler|url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1966/Kheplb1010011966.htm|website=retrosheet.org|accessdate=August 29, 2015}} All told, he worked in 69 innings and allowed 27 earned runs and 71 hits during the season, issuing 51 bases on balls and striking out 25.

Hepler returned to the minor leagues in 1967 and concluded his playing career after the 1970 season.