Bill Mazeroski, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend who delivered the only walk-off home run in Game 7 of a World Series, has died at 89.
The Pirates announced his passing Saturday morning, Fox News reported. Mazeroski spent all 17 of his major league seasons in Pittsburgh, earning 10 All-Star selections and capturing two World Series titles during his career.
His defining moment came in the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 7 in 1960, when he launched a solo shot to clinch a 10-9 victory over the New York Yankees and deliver Pittsburgh its first championship since 1925. (RELATED: MLB Commissioner Comes Up With Interesting Idea That Will Leave Baseball Purists Fuming)
Pirates chairman Bob Nutting mourned the loss in a statement provided to CBS Sports. “His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history and the 1960 World Series championship, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious and proud to be a Pirate,” Nutting said.
We are saddened by the passing of Hall of Fame second baseman Bill Mazeroski, who hit one of the greatest home runs in baseball history.
— MLB (@MLB) February 21, 2026
On Oct. 13, 1960, Game 7 of the World Series, bottom of the 9th inning, Mazeroski smashed a walk-off home run to lead the Pirates to a 10-9… pic.twitter.com/HTeQtd1MF4
Mazeroski himself acknowledged the strange twist of his legacy during his 2001 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. “Weird, isn’t it? Known for the home run and in the Hall of Fame because of your defense,” he said, according to CBS Sports.
New York had dominated Pittsburgh on the scoreboard that October, posting a combined 55 runs to the Pirates’ 27 across seven games, CBS Sports reported. Yet Pittsburgh still captured the title despite the 28-run deficit.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred praised both sides of Mazeroski’s game in a statement to MLB.com. “While his bat delivered the first walk-off, series-ending home run in the history of our Fall Classic in 1960, it was Bill’s glove that earned him recognition from the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001,” Manfred said.
The Veterans Committee elected Mazeroski to Cooperstown based primarily on his defensive excellence. He won eight Gold Glove Awards and set a major league record with 1,706 double plays turned at second base. Baseball analyst Bill James once assessed that Mazeroski’s defensive statistics were “probably the most impressive of any player at any position,” according to MLB.com.
His wife Milene preceded him in death in May 2024 after 64 years of marriage. No cause of death was provided.
