Bill Mazeroski, Pirates' World Series Game 7 walk-off legend, dies at 89 — USA TODAY
Bill Mazeroski, who beat the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, died at the age of 89.
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OT: Bill Mazeroski dead
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Mazeroski was recognized by many as the greatest defensive 2nd baseman in MLB history
RIP Bill Mazeroski, you were a defensive legend and a Pirate Treasure in Pittsburgh .
>5. 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bill Mazeroski (+7) made the Hall of Fame solely because of his defense; he's still regarded as the best ever at turning the double play. <
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RIP Bill Mazeroski, you were a defensive legend and a Pirate Treasure in Pittsburgh .
>5. 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates.
Bill Mazeroski (+7) made the Hall of Fame solely because of his defense; he's still regarded as the best ever at turning the double play. <
The best defensive teams of all time
Led by Hall of Famer Brooks Robinson, the 1969-73 Orioles are the clear choice as the best defensive team ever.
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I was nine years old and watching on the basement TV when he hit Ralph Terry's slider over the left field wall. As a Yankees fan, I was crushed. The Yankees had won three laughers, and had gone to the bottom of the 8th with a 7-4 lead. The perfect double play ground ball in the 8th that jumped up and hit shortstop Tony Kubek in the throat led to Hal Smith's homer that gave the Pirates a 9-7 lead was the worst. The Yankees rallied to tie in the top of the ninth with the help of brilliant baserunning by Mickey Mantle, but . . . That was Casey Stengel's last game as the Yankees manager.
I have not watched this, but the title says it is a recording of that 7th game that Mazeroski ended with his home run. The story I've read is that Pirates owner John Galbreath had to be in Europe for the 7th game. He insisted that the game be recorded and that no one tell him the result. It is rare to have recordings of TV programs from that time and so a huge amount has been lost.
Maz’s walkoff homer in 7th game of the World Series is baseball history that has yet to be duplicated.
Bill Virden hit that ground ball to Kubek. Mantle diving back to first base on a liner avoided a double play.
Bill Virdon also made a great catch earlier in the Series in Yankee stadium to prevent two runs for scoring in a very close game. (Ironically, he was later the Yankees manager).
Memory may betray me, but the key thing about the Mantle play was that the ball was hit on the ground. The Yankees had runners on first and third with one out, with Mantle on first. A scorching ground shot was hit down the first base line. Rocky Nelson, playing first for the Pirates, fielded the ball and stepped on the bag. Mantle then dived back to first, allowing the runner on third to score the tying run.
BTW, the winning pitcher for the Pirates was Harvey Haddix -- the guy who the year before had pitched a perfect game for 12 innings, but then lost to the Braves in the 13th.
You’re right about it being a ground ball to Nelson. I was a Pirate fan then. Was a Yankee fan but after they won 5 series in a row (49-53), I decided to root for the worst team in baseball which was the Pirates at that time.
I was about to be 14 in a few days when I watched this on a TV in the Prep school gym I was attending. I had been a Pirate fan for a few years because I was able to watch games when the Dodgers & Giants played in Philly & Pittsburgh on their trips back to the east coast. I may have been the only Pirate fan in the whole school. I remained a Pirate fan for many years. Now I won't even watch an inning of MLB.