Baseball icon Bill Mazeroski, who hit one of the greatest home runs of all time, has died at the age of 89.
Mazeroski died Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates said. No cause of death was given.
He produced a walk-off home run in Game 7 to lead the Pirates to a 10-9 win over the New York Yankees to win the World Series in 1960.
Widely considered to be one of the best defensive second basemen in history, the Hall of Famer was a 10-time All-Star and 8-time Gold Glove winner in 17 seasons with Pittsburgh.
The Pirates said in a statement: ‘It is with a heavy heart that we relay the news of the passing of legendary Pirates and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Bill Mazeroski.
‘Maz was a 7-time All-Star who hit the greatest home run in baseball history. He was a beloved member of the Pirates family and he will be deeply missed.’
Legendary Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski has died at the age of 89
Mazeroski hit a walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series to beat the Yankees
Mazeroski was a Pirate for his entire time in the majors and was a team man off the field.
His wife, Milene Nicholson, was a front office employee whom he met through Pittsburgh manager Danny Murtaugh. They were married in 1958, had two sons and remained together until her death in 2024.
His Hall of Fame plaque praises him as a ‘defensive wizard’ with ‘hard-nosed hustle’ and a ‘quiet work ethic.’
Mazeroski turned a major league record 1,706 double plays, earning the nickname ‘No Hands’ for how quickly he fielded grounders and relayed them.
He led the National League nine times in assists for second basemen and has been cited by statistician Bill James as the game’s greatest defensive player at his position – by far.
‘I think defense belongs in the Hall of Fame,’ Mazeroski said, defensively, during his Hall of Fame induction speech.
‘Defense deserves as much credit as pitching and I’m proud to be going in as a defensive player.’
ESPN has called his home run against the Yankees the greatest in major league history
But he will always be remembered for a moment with the bat. ESPN has called his home run against the Yankees the greatest in major league history. It was the first time a World Series had ended on a homer, leading to enduring waves of celebration and despair.
Even as a part-time player at the end of his career, he was a leader and steady presence on the 1971 team that featured Clemente and Willie Stargell and defeated the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
After his final season, 1972, Mazeroski coached briefly for the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners and was an infield instructor for Pittsburgh during spring training. In 1987, the Pirates retired his uniform number, 9.
In 1987, the Pirates retired his uniform number, 9. The 50th anniversary of his Game 7 heroics was marked in 2010 by the unveiling – on Bill Mazeroski Way – of a 14-foot, 2,000-pound statue of him rounding the bases.