Name | Bill Mazeroski |
---|---|
Position | Second baseman |
Bats | Right |
Throws | Right |
Birth date | September 05, 1936 |
Birth place | Wheeling, West Virginia |
Debutdate | July 7 |
Debutyear | 1956 |
Debutteam | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Finaldate | October 4 |
Finalyear | 1972 |
Finalteam | Pittsburgh Pirates |
Stat1label | Batting average |
Stat1value | .260 |
Stat2label | Home runs |
Stat2value | 138 |
Stat3label | Runs batted in |
Stat3value | 853 |
Teams | |
Highlights | |
Hofdate | |
Hofmethod | Veterans Committee }} |
While one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time, he is perhaps best known for winning the 1960 World Series with a dramatic game-ending home run. The only other time that a World Series ended with a home run was Toronto's Joe Carter in 1993. Mazeroski's however, remains the only home run to win a World Series Game 7.
As a 17-year-old in 1954, Mazeroski signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Originally a shortstop, he was quickly moved to second base and made his Major League debut on July 7, 1956. He would remain with the Pirates his entire career.
While his defensive ability typically overshadowed his contributions with a bat – Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince used to call him simply "The Glove" – Mazeroski had several fine offensive seasons. His best was in 1958, when he batted .275, hit 19 home runs (a career best), had 68 RBIs, good enough that along with his sterling mitt he was considered for the MVP Award. In he knocked in 82, a career best. During his peak (1957–68), he drove in more runs than any other middle infielder of the period. Mazeroski's power numbers were held down by the distant fences in Forbes Field. In his career, he hit over twice as many home runs on the road as he did in his home park – 45 home runs at home versus 93 on the road. By comparison, the Chicago Cubs slugging second baseman Ryne Sandberg hit only 118 career home runs away from the comfy confines of Wrigley Field.
In the 1960 World Series, Mazeroski won the title for Pittsburgh in Game 7 with a game-winning home run off New York Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry in the bottom of the ninth inning. The Yankees had rallied with two runs to tie the game, 9-9, in the top of the inning, setting up Mazeroski's heroics. A 14-year-old fan named Any Jerpe retrieved the ball outside the ground and had it signed by Mazeroski, but it was later lost when used in a game.
In spite of his reputation as a non-slugger, Mazeroski actually hit another decisive home run in the 1960 Series, tallying half of the Pirate team total over the seven games. In the fourth inning of Game 1, with Don Hoak on base, Mazeroski hit a shot off Jim Coates that went over the left field scoreboard and provided the edge in a 6–4 Pirates victory.
Mazeroski and Roberto Clemente were the last remaining Pirate players from the 1960 World Series winners to play on the 1971 championship team. Mazeroski was a member of ex-teammate Bill Virdon's coaching staff with the Pirates in , a year after retiring from playing.
Mazeroski was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. On induction day at Cooperstown he only made it as far into his prepared remarks as thanking the Veterans Committee voters for choosing a player based largely on defensive skills (a rarity) before becoming so emotional he had to stop. Apologizing to those who "had to come all the way up here to hear this crap!" he then sat down to a long and loud standing ovation from the audience and his fellow Hall-of-Famers.
Today, a portion of the brick left field wall from Forbes Field remains standing on the University of Pittsburgh campus in Pittsburgh's Oakland District as a memorial; locally, the wall is usually referred to as "Mazeroski's Wall." Although this is technically not the actual section of wall that Mazeroski's famous home run cleared, a nearby plaque does mark the spot where the sudden-victory homer cleared the wall. A softball field dedicated to Mazeroski lies on the other side. In 1987, Mazeroski ran for the Democratic nomination for County Commissioner in his home of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania but his bid was unsuccessful.
In 1995, Harrison Central High school, located in Cadiz Ohio had a field donated by Bill which would later be known as "Mazeroski Field"
In 2003, the Ohio Buckeye Local High School in Rayland (which had since absorbed Warren Consolidated) honored him by naming their new baseball field after him, placing a monument behind home plate in recognition.
In 2004, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference saluted Mazeroski by electing him among the inaugural members of their Hall of Fame, alongside Boston Celtic great John Havlicek and former Olympic wrestler Bobby Douglas.
Mazeroski was recognized by Major League Baseball by being selected to throw out the first pitch of the Home Run Derby that preceded the 2006 All Star Game at Pittsburgh's PNC Park, receiving a long standing ovation. He also was picked to manage the National League during the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game during the All Star week celebrations there.
In 2009, the Pittsburgh Pirates announced that a statue of Mazeroski would be added outside PNC Park. He will be depicted as in the famed photograph, running with both arms extended, ball cap in his right hand. That statue was unveiled on September 5, 2010. The brass plaque erected with the statue that sets the scene erroneously refers to the 1-0 pitch Mazeroski hit as "On an 0-1 pitch, at 3:36 p.m., Maz hit the only walk-off home run . . . "
According to an anecdote recorded at the Internet Movie Database web page on The Odd Couple, the scene was actually filmed just prior to the start of a regular game at Shea Stadium on June 27, 1967. Maz reported that he was given only 10 minutes to get it done:
:They had a guy out there pitching and he was throwing fastballs. I knew I had to hit a liner to the third baseman. It only took two takes. The first pitch, I hit a line drive that went just foul. The second one, I hit a one-hopper right to third. He caught it, stepped on third, threw to second, threw to first, a triple play. Now that took talent!
Jack Fisher was the pitcher for the Mets in that scene.
His son Darren is a retired junior college baseball coach.
His son Dave is an atmospheric scientist and did not pursue a career in baseball.
He would have been the guest of honor at the first showing in 50 years of the previously-lost television footage of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, but was unable to attend due to hospitalization.
Mazeroski hosts an annual golf tournament, The Bill Mazeroski Golf Tournament.
Category:1936 births Category:Living people Category:National League All-Stars Category:1960 in baseball Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Baseball players from West Virginia Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:People from Jefferson County, Ohio Category:Sportspeople from Pennsylvania Category:People from Wheeling, West Virginia Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Pittsburgh Pirates coaches Category:Seattle Mariners coaches Category:American people of Polish descent Category:Águilas Cibaeñas players Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers
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