Bill Mazeroski

Bill Mazeroski, born in 1936, American professional baseball player, one of the best defensive players in the sport’s history. In addition to his sparkling defense at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mazeroski is most famous for his dramatic ninth-inning home run to defeat the New York Yankees in the seventh game of the 1960 World Series.

William Stanley Mazeroski was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, and grew up in Ohio. His father was a former minor league baseball player. A high school shortstop, Mazeroski was drafted by the Pirates in 1954 and was converted to second base. In 1958 he won the first-ever Gold Glove Award for National League (NL) second basemen, an honor he would receive seven more times in the next nine years.

A .260 career hitter in the major leagues, Mazeroski was never known for his offensive abilities. But the memorable 1960 home run, his second of the World Series, gave the Pirates their first championship title in 35 years. It remains the only game-winning home run ever hit in the seventh game of a World Series. Mazeroski spent his entire career with the Pirates and was part of the 1971 Pittsburgh team that also won a championship.

A seven-time member of the All-Star team, Mazeroski was known for his ability to execute the double play. Using his athleticism and powerful throwing arm, he led the league in double plays eight times and set records for most double plays in a season (161 in 1966) and in a career (1,706). Mazeroski also holds the major league record for most seasons (nine) leading the league in assists (in baseball, an assist is credited when a player throws to a teammate to record an out). He retired in 1972 after a 17-year career that included 2,016 hits and 853 runs batted in (RBIs). Mazeroski was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001.