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BaseballLibrary.com
Copyright © 2002
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Bill Mazeroski
Born: 1936

2B 1956-72 Pirates

Bill Mazeroski's Teammates

  • All-Star in 1958-60, 62-64, 67
  • Gold Glove in 1958, 60-61, 63-67
  • Hall of Fame in 2001

GamesAverageHRRBI
Career 2163.260138853
League CS 4.40000
World Series 8.30825

Books and articles about Bill Mazeroski

Not only was Mazeroski the greatest second baseman in Pirate history, he was also very likely the best defensive second basemen of all time. Yet he achieved instant fame with one swing of the bat on October 13, 1960. He had already made his mark in that World Series against the Yankees with a two-run homer in the opener. Batting in the bottom of the ninth in the seventh game, he drove Ralph Terry's second pitch over the left field wall at Forbes Field to give Pittsburgh a 10-9 win and its first World Championship since 1925. That dramatic shot helped earn him the Babe Ruth Award as outstanding player in the Series, and TSN's ML Player of the Year Award.
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RELATED LINKS
Book Excerpts
» 1960: The Last Pure Season by Kerry Keene
» The Best Double-Play Tandems from Bob Feller's Little Black Book of Baseball Wisdom

Submissions
» Bill Mazeroski: A Pirate Legend by Gerald Gregor
» A Typical Maz Play by Barry Lauer
» Mazeroski and My Love of the Game by Larry White
» If Maz, Why Not Simmons? by Jeff Covinsky
» Maz Election Gives Defense Appeal by Mike Attiyeh
» Hornsby, Lajoie, and ... Maz? by Harold Friend
» Major League Leaders Who Weren't: 1961's Unbalanced Schedule by Fred Worth

Around the Web
» Bill Mazeroski from thebaseballpage.com

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Signed out of an Ohio high school in 1954, the West Virginia native advanced to Pittsburgh in 1956. With shortstop Dick Groat, Mazeroski cemented a rebuilt Pirate infield that formed the base of the 1960 champions. He replaced the departed Groat as team captain, paired with shortstop Dick Schofield in 1963-64, then spent the rest of his career turning double plays with Gene Alley. Leg injuries began to take their toll in 1969; he soon turned over second base to young Dave Cash.

Mazeroski was a fine offensive performer, one of the top home run hitters among NL second basemen despite the spacious dimensions of his home park. He hit as many as 19 HR in 1958. But it is as a fielder that his name peppers the record books. An eight-time Gold Glove winner, he set ML second base records with 1,706 career double plays and 161 double plays in a season (1966, when the Pirates set a NL record with 215 total double plays). He led NL second basemen in double plays a record eight seasons (1960-67); in chances accepted a record eight; and in assists a record nine, including five straight (1960-64) for another NL mark. His 163 games at second base in 1967 set the ML record, and he tied the NL record of five seasons with more than 500 assists. (ME)


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FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY
» May 28, 1960: At Forbes Field in the 8th inning, Roberto Clemente is on 3B and Hal Smith on 1B with two outs, when Bill Mazeroski fans on a ball that hits in the front of the plate. The ball then hits umpire Al Barlick on the right knee and bounces back toward Phillies pitcher, Jim Owens. Maz doesn't move as Smith jogs to 2B. Clemente races in from 3B then stops. Owens fields the ball and goes after Clemente ignoring pleas from the Phils' bench to simply throw to 1B. In the run-down, Clemente knocks the ball out of Jim Coker's glove and scores the tying run on the catcher's error (the photo has been widely published). The Pirates win, 4–2 in the 13th on Don Hoak's 2-run home run.

» October 5, 1960: In a portent of things to come, Bill Mazeroski's 2-run 5th-inning home run off Jim Coates is the difference as Pittsburgh beats New York 6–4 in its first World Series win since 1925. Roy Face survives a 2-run 9th-inning Elston Howard home run to preserve Vern Law's victory.

» October 10, 1960: Bill Mazeroski stars again. His 2-run double stakes Harvey Haddix to a 3–0 lead. Roy Face is called on once more for another hitless effort to preserve a 5–2 win and 3-2 World Series lead for the surprising Pirates.

» October 13, 1960: In a 9–9 tie, Bill Mazeroski leads off the last of the 9th and hits what is arguably the most dramatic home run in Series history, off Ralph Terry, to give Pittsburgh a 10–9 win and the World Championship. An oddity in this game: it is the only World Series game this century with no strikeouts recorded. Despite Maz's heroics, Bobby Richardson is the Series MVP, as the Yanks outscore the Bucs, 52 to 27.

» April 19, 1962: The Pirates win their 9th straight, beating the Phils, 8–3. This is a new club record, breaking the mark at the beginning of the 1938 season. Roberto Clemente's 2-run single and Bill Mazeroski's 2-run homer are the big blows.

» July 9, 1963: Willie Mays is held to a single, but dominates a 5–3 National League win in the All-Star Game. He also walks, steals twice, scores twice, bats in a pair, and makes a great catch. It is Stan Musial's 24th All-Star appearance, a record. Musial's teammates comprise the starting infield for the NL: 1B Bill White, 2B Julian Javier, SS Dick Groat, and 3B Ken Boyer. Javier was chosen as the replacement for Pittsburgh's injured 2B, Bill Mazeroski.

» July 31, 1964: The Giants take advantage of three errors by Bill Mazeroski and two by Bob Bailey to tip the bumbling Bucs, 8–6. Maz's last error, on a potential DP ball in the 9th, helps the Giants score three runs. Willie Mays has three singles and three runs to lead the attack. The Giants remain one 1/2 games in back of the Phils, but learn that Juan Marichal has back spasms and will not pitch again until August 25th.

» March 25, 1965: Pittsburgh 2B Bill Mazeroski suffers a broken bone in his right foot. He will not start until May.

» May 18, 1968: Pirate Bill Mazeroski plays his 392nd straight game, a record for National League 2B, in an 8–3 loss to the Reds.

» May 25, 1969: The Pirates sweep a pair from the Giants as Jim Bunning wins his 200th game in the opener. Bunning strikes out eight in winning, 2–1 over Gaylord Perry. Bill Mazeroski and Carl Taylor hit homers in the nitecap to back Bob Moose's 6–2 win. Taylor's is his first ML home run.

» May 16, 1970: Bill Mazeroski's 9th inning pinch single paves the way for a Pirate win, 4–3, over the Expos. It is Maz's first pinch hit in his career.

» August 17, 1971: Houston tops the Pirates, 6–5, as Bucs 2B Bill Mazeroski records his 2,000th career hit.

» October 24, 1972: Three longtime infielders are released by their respective clubs: Bill Mazeroski (Pirates), Maury Wills (Dodgers), and Julian Javier (Reds).

» March 6, 2001: 2B Bill Mazeroski and Negro League pitcher Hilton Smith are elected to the Hall of Fame by the Old-timers Committee.

» August 5, 2001: Dave Winfield, Kirby Puckett, Bill Mazeroski, and Negro League star Hilton Smith are inducted into the Hall of Fame.