Sipu Jha
Bill Mazeroski, the quiet second baseman who gave the Pittsburgh Pirates one of the most unforgettable wins in baseball history, has died at the age of 89. The Pittsburgh Pirates announced his death on Saturday morning. For many fans, his name will always bring back October 13, 1960, the day he hit a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. That swing gave the Pirates a 10-9 win at Forbes Field and their first championship since 1925.Bill Mazeroski played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball, all with Pittsburgh from 1956 to 1972. He was a seven-time All-Star, won eight Gold Gloves, and collected more than 2,000 hits. In 2001, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. He later became part of the inaugural Pirates Hall of Fame class in 2022.
Bill Mazeroski’s 1960 World Series home run and Hall of Fame legacy defined by defense
Bill Mazeroski’s most famous moment came in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 in 1960. The score was tied 9-9. Facing Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry, the 24-year-old hit a high fastball over the left-field wall at Forbes Field. It remains the only time a World Series ended on a Game 7 walk-off home run.Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement, “Maz was one of a kind, a true Pirates legend, a National Baseball Hall of Famer and one of the finest defensive second basemen the game has ever seen.” He added, “His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history and the 1960 World Series championship, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious and proud to be a Pirate.”Still, teammates often said his glove meant just as much as that home run. Statistician Bill James once called him the most effective defensive second baseman ever. Mazeroski was known for turning double plays quickly and cleanly. Former teammate Dick Groat said, “Nobody ever played second base like he did.”Born on September 5, 1936, in Wheeling, West Virginia, Mazeroski grew up in a coal-mining family in Ohio. He signed with the Pirates in 1954 and reached the majors just two years later. He finished his career with 158 home runs and was also part of the Pirates’ 1971 championship team. In 2010, the Pirates honored him with a bronze statue outside PNC Park showing him rounding second base after his famous home run. Even then, he stayed humble. “I’m overwhelmed,” he said at the time. “I can’t believe this could happen to me.” Mazeroski is survived by his sons, Darren and David, and four grandchildren.
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