The history of professional baseball in the city of Pittsburgh goes all the way back to the first World Series in 1903. That year the Boston Americans beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 5 games to 3. Baseball history has always found a place in the city of Pittsburgh.
Anybody who lives or has lived in Pittsburgh knows the story of Bill Mazeroski and the 1960 World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates played the New York Yankees. Sportswriters at the time didn’t give the Pirates much chance to beat the mighty Yankees. The starting lineup of the New York Yankees contained several future Baseball Hall of Fame inductees like Yogi Berra, Mickey Mantle, Roger Maris and Bobby Shantz.
The last game of the series was played at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh. When the Pirates came to bat in the bottom of the eighth inning during game 7 they were behind 7 – 4 and scored 5 runs to take the lead 9 – 7. In the top of the ninth inning the Yankees scored 2 runs and tied the game. The first batter in the bottom of the ninth inning was Bill Mazeroski. With the count of one ball and no strikes Mazeroski hit a long drive over the left field wall of Forbes Field to win the World Series.
Years later Mickey Mantle was quoted as saying the 1960 World Series was the biggest disappointment of his career. Mazeroski was the only player to hit a home run to win a World Series until Joe Carter did it in 1993 for the Toronto Blue Jays.
Another amazing aspect of the 1960 World Series is the statistics for the seven game series. The Pirates were outhit, outscored and outplayed but were still able to win.
To commemorate this piece of baseball history a 12-foot bronze statue of Bill Mazeroski stands outside of Pittsburgh’s PNC Park. It captures the moment Mazeroski touched home base. Looking at it enables the viewer to understand the intense joy and excitement Bill Mazeroski must have felt as he rounded the bases. It was made by Pittsburgh resident Susan Wagner who is an accomplished sculptor and painter.
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