Bill Mazeroski, the Hall of Fame second baseman who hit a walk-off home run to win the 1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates, has died at the age of 89. The Pirates announced his death on Friday in Lansdale, Pennsylvania; no cause was given.
Mazeroski's defining moment came on 13 October 1960, when he launched a ninth-inning homer over the left-field wall at Forbes Field to give the Pirates a 10-9 victory over the New York Yankees in Game 7. It was the first time a World Series had ended with a home run. 'From second base, I didn't touch the ground all the way in,' he recalled in 2015.
Despite that iconic hit, Mazeroski was not a superstar at the plate. He batted .260 with 138 home runs over 17 seasons, all with the Pirates. His Hall of Fame induction in 2001 was based largely on his defensive prowess: he won eight Gold Gloves, turned a record 1,706 double plays, and was described by statistician Bill James as the greatest defensive second baseman ever.
Pirates owner Bob Nutting said: 'Maz was one of a kind, a true Pirates legend. His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious and proud to be a Pirate.'
Born in Wheeling, West Virginia, during the Great Depression, Mazeroski signed with the Pirates at age 17. He married Milene Nicholson in 1958; she died in 2024. After retiring, he coached for the Pirates and Seattle Mariners. He is survived by two sons.
