Many twists, turns, thrills preceded Maz’s famous homer 60 years ago (copy)
Sixty years ago on Oct. 13 one of Major League Baseball’s greatest moments occurred when Bill Mazeroski delivered his World Series-winning home run at Forbes Field.
And, while almost every baseball fan has seen a replay of Maz’s blast and his enthusiast, boy-like romp around the bases, many sometimes forget all that preceded the final play of the Pirates’ dramatic 10-9 victory over the New York Yankees that day.
Game 7 of the 1960 World Series not only had an unforgettable ending but, with all the twists, turns and thrills, it was one of the greatest games in baseball history.
How about this quote from television announcer Mel Allen that day describing what he saw: “One of the most dramatic base hits in the history of the World Series.”
Yes, it was at the time, except Allen wasn’t talking about Mazeroski, he was referring to Hal Smith’s two-out, two-strike, three-run homer in the bottom of the eighth to cap a five-run rally that turned a 7-4 deficit into a 9-7 lead for Pittsburgh.
For those who only remember the Mazeroski blast, here’s a recap of how that unbelievable game evolved.
Bucs strike first
Bob Turley started for the Yankees and appeared to be breezing through the first inning when he had a 1-2 count with two outs on Bob Skinner, but Skinner worked a walk and Rocky Nelson followed with a two-run homer to right for a 2-0 Pirates lead.
Interestingly, Nelson’s homer was only the second of the series by the Pirates up to that point. The first came in Game 1, a two-run homer that provided what proved to be the winning runs in a 6-4 Pittsburgh win. That homer was by … Bill Mazeroski.
Pirates increase lead
Mazeroski also played a key roll in Pittsburgh’s two-run rally in the second. Smokey Burgess singled and Don Hoak walked. Maz not only bunted the runners up, but beat the throw to first for an infield single to load the bases with no outs. Pirates starter Vernon Law hit a come-backer to the mound that turned into a 1-2-3 double play, but just when it seemed the Yankees would get out of the inning unscathed, Bill Virdon followed with a two-run single to right for a 4-0 lead.
Law was actually a good-hitting pitcher. In Game 5 his two-out, RBI double keyed a three-run fifth inning and the Pirates won 3-2. Later in Game 7 he belted a long home-run distance drive to left field that curved just foul before grounding out.
Yankees storm back
Bill “Moose” Skowron got New York on the board with a solo home run in the fifth. In the sixth, Law gave up a single to Series MVP Bobby Richardson and walked Tony Kubek, prompting manager Danny Murtaugh to call on ace reliever Roy Face, with Law receiving a standing ovation. Face surrendered a run-scoring single to Mickey Mantle to make it 4-2, then served up a three-run homer to Yogi Berra and suddenly the Yankees had a 5-4 lead. Face faltered again in the eighth as John Blanchard’s run-scoring single and Clete Boyer’s RBI double increased New York’s advantage to 7-4.
Bucs’ magical 8th
Bobby Shantz had came on in relief for the Yankees in the third inning and had pitched extremely well. He seemed like he would get out of the eighth inning when he got Virdon to hit a potential double-play grounder to shortstop Kubek after allowing a lead-off, pinch-hit single to Gino Cimoli. The ball took a wicked hop, however, and hit Kubek in the throat in what may have been the biggest play of the game. Instead of having two outs and none on, the Bucs had two on and no outs with Virdon credited with an infield single. Kubek was replaced by Joe DeMaestri and Stengel pulled Shantz for Jim Coates, who gave up an RBI single to National League MVP Dick Groat. Skinner’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners up to set the stage for Nelson, but he hit a harmless fly out to right.
Roberto Clemente followed with a two-out, two-strike bouncer to first baseman Skowron, who saw he couldn’t get to the bag in time so looked for Coates who was coming over to cover. The speedy Clemente easily beat both players to first base as Virdon scored to make it 7-6 and Groat went to third.
Up next was catcher Hal Smith, who was only in the game because Murtaugh had taken out Burgess after he singled in the seventh for pinch-runner Joe Christopher. Smith barely checked his swing on a 1-2 pitch, then sent the next offering over the left field wall. Forbes Field exploded. Clemente joyfully skipped around the bases ahead of Smith. The Pirates had a 9-7 lead and were now three outs away from winning the World Series. Had the Yankees not rallied in the top of the ninth to tie it, Smith would be the one revered as the 1960 Series’ main hero.
Strange play in 9th
Murtaugh asked Bob Friend to close the game, but Richardson and pinch-hitter Dale Long opened the inning with singles. A typical rifle throw by Clemente to third base kept Richardson from trying to take an extra base. Murtaugh then brought in Harvey Haddix, who got Roger Maris to foul out to Smith, but Mantle stroked an RBI single to right with Long going to third.
With one out, runners on the corners and the score now 9-8, Berra hit a one-hop shot that was snagged by first baseman Nelson, who stepped on first for the out. Thinking Mantle would be on his way to second, Nelson looked to throw there, but Mantle instead tried to dive back into first and avoided a lunging tag attempt by Nelson as Gil McDougald, who was pinch-running for Long, came home with the tying run.
When the dust had cleared heading into the bottom of the ninth, the game was tied 9-9, Ralph Terry was on the mound and Mazeroski stepped up to the plate and took a ball. He then slugged the most famous home run in baseball history over the ivy-covered left field wall as Berra looked on helplessly.
Incredibly, the Pirates, out-scored in the Series 55-27, out-hit 91-60 and with a team ERA of 7.11 (no, that’s not a misprint), were the World Series champions.
One last note
If you have ever watched or heard a replay of Pirates announcer Bob Prince interviewing Mazeroski after the game, you’ll hear him ask a strange question: “You didn’t have to run very far, did you Bill?”
Obviously, Maz had to circle the bases. Prince had left the press box and was headed to the Pirates locker room to do post-game TV interviews after Smith’s homer. He turned around when he was told the Yankees had tied the game, then heard a tremendous roar, and realized the Bucs had won it and was told Mazeroski delivered the winning hit. No one told Prince that hit was a home run, though, so during the interview he assumed it was a single, and Maz only had to run to first. It wasn’t revealed to Prince the hit was a dramatic home run until after he was done with the interviews.