Baseball Icon Bill Mazeroski Passes Away at 89: Remembering a Pittsburgh Pirates Hero

Renowned for his legendary game 7 walk-off home run that clinched the World Series, Bill Mazeroski has passed away at the age of 89.

Mazeroski departed this life on Friday, February 20.

“While his monumental home run is etched in baseball lore, my fondest memories of him are as a person,” reflected Pirates Chairman Bob Nutting. “Maz was truly exceptional, a venerable Pirates icon, a Hall of Famer, and one of the most outstanding defensive second basemen to grace the field.”

In 2001, Mazeroski earned his place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Throughout his illustrious career, he was a seven-time All-Star and famously secured victory with a ninth-inning, series-deciding home run against the Yankees in the 1960 World Series.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred remarked, “For more than six decades, Bill Mazeroski has been linked to one of the most iconic home runs in baseball history. Though his bat made history with the first walk-off, series-concluding home run in our Fall Classic in 1960, it was his defensive prowess that garnered him Hall of Fame accolades in 2001.”

Manfred added, “Bill understood that a run saved in the field was as important as a run driven in. Bill’s lifetime of hard work and humility was a perfect illustration of the city he represented on the diamond. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my deepest condolences to Bill’s family, his friends across our game, and all the loyal fans of Pittsburgh.”

“Maz gave us one of the greatest home runs in baseball history to clinch the 1960 World Series, and set records as one of the best defensive second basemen to play the game,” said Pittsburgh Mayor Corey O’Connor in a statement. “My thoughts are with the family, friends, and fans of Bill Mazeroski.” 

Along with hitting the most famous home run, Maz was known as one of the best defensive second basemen in the game during his 17 seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. He holds several records that still stand to this day, including most seasons leading the league in assists at 9, most seasons leading the league in turning double plays with 8, and most double plays turned in a single season when he had 161 in 1966. 

He was also part of the inaugural class of the Pirates Hall of Fame in 2022. 

In 2010, on his birthday, the Pirates unveiled a statue outside PNC Park in his honor, near the right field entrance. 

Mazeroski is survived by his sons, Darren and David, and his four grandchildren.