Bill Mazeroski

B ill Mazeroski is in the Hall of Fame because of his

glove—year after year he played a spectacular second base for the Pirates. He is an icon in Pittsburgh because of one swing of his bat—a walkoff home run against Ralph Terry that beat the Yankees and won the 1960 World Series. Fifty years later, it remains the only walkoff home run in Game 7 in World Series history. “I just thought it was a home run to end the ball game,” Mazeroski says. “I never knew that 50 years later I’d still be talking about it .” But he did just that with Sporting News.

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Bill Mazeroski Hall of Fame second baseman

Mazeroski, 74, is immortalized with a much bigger version of this statue at PNC Park. The Pirates dedicated the 14!-foot tribute in September.

We had a 2-run lead going into the ninth. I thought, Get three outs and we’re world champs. This will be great. All off the sudden, they got a hit here, a hit there, scored two runs and tied it up.

I was kind of upset when I came off the field. I was a Cleveland Indian fan all my life. I thought, The Yankees beat up on Cleveland all the time —now they’re going to beat up on us.

I was sitting there all dejected. I didn’t even know I was the hitter. Someone yelled, “Maz, you’re up.” I grabbed my helmet and walked to the plate. I didn’t have time to think too much. I was thinking to myself,

Just hit the ball hard and get on base somewhere, get something started.

I was a high-fastball hitter. The first pitch was high, up around the chin, a little too high. I remember Johnny Blanchard —he was the catcher —going out. He said, “Get it down, get it down.” He walked back. Terry got it down, about chest-high. I thought it was a fastball. He has said it was a slider, but if it was, it didn’t slide.

I hit it hard. Yogi Berra was in left—I knew he wasn’t going to catch it. I knew it was over his head. I wasn’t sure if it was out of the ballpark—it was more

than 400 feet out there. So I’m running my tail off around first base, hoping he misplays it if it’s off the wall because then I’d be on third.

About the time I hit second, the fans went crazy, and I saw the umpire signaling home run. After that, I don’t think I touched the ground all the way home. I was trying to avoid the people coming in from the stands. There was a big “V” of guys waiting for me at home plate. Bill Jackowski, the umpire, was holding everybody back.

Then all hell broke loose. It felt like I was carrying everyone in the stadium to the dugout.

— As told to Matt Crossman

“When (Mazeroski) hit the ball, I thought it was going to hit the fence. That’s why I turned, waiting for the carom. I think it grazed the ivy going out. It was an unusual game and a strange Series. It was a tough one to lose.”

— Matt Crossman

A VIEW FROM THE OTHER SIDE

By Yogi Berra, the Yankees’ left fielder in Game 7

THE OTHER SIDE

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