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Bill Mazeroski HomerunThe Bill Mazeroski homerun. The 1960 World Series was supposed to be an easy task for the New York Yankees against the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In fact, during the seven games, the Yanks out scored the Bucs 55 to 27. The Bombers out hit the Pirates 91 to 60. The Yanks hit ten home runs to Pittsburgh's four and batted .338 to the Pirates' .256.
Add to that, Whitey Ford's two complete game shut outs. The only problem for the Yankees was....they lost.
The Pirates won game one at Forbes Field 6-4. Then in game two the Yankees un-loaded for a 16-3 trouncing of the Bucs.
Game three at Yankee Stadium was another lopsided contest as the Yankees won 10-0. The Pirates bounced back to take the game four thriller 3-2.
Game five was another close Pirates' victory, 5-2.
The Yanks again crushed the Pirates 12-0 in game six.
Then came game seven back in Pittsburgh. The Pirates jumped out to an early 4-0 lead. The Yanks went ahead 5-4 in the sixth with the help of Yogi Berra's home run. Gino Cimoli got a lead off, pinch hit singel to start the bottom of the eighth. Bill Virdon then hit a sure double play ball right to Yankee short stop Tony Kubek. The ball took a freak hop and hit Kubek in the throat, knocking him down. Cimoli was safe at second and Virdon at first.
Dick Groat then singled home Cimoli and Virdon scored on a Roberto Clemente infield single. Reserve catcher Hal Smith followed with a three run homer for the Pirates fifth run of the inning and a 9-7 lead going into the top of the ninth. But the Yankees tied it in the ninth to set up the most dramatic finish to a World Series ever.
The Yankees sent Ralph Terry to the mound to start the ninth against Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski. Maz took the first pitch for a ball. The next pitch was a belt high fast ball from Terry and Mazeroski hit it deep to left. Yankees left fielder Yogi Berra watch the ball clear the wall to give the Pirates their first World Championship since 1925.
Mickey Mantle later said that losing the 1960 World Series was the biggest disappointment of his career.
A few baseball firsts happened in this World Series. Bill Mazeroski became the first and still the only player to end a game seven of the World Series with a home run. Joe Carter ended the series for the Toronto Blue Jays with a homer in 1993, but that was game six.
Game seven of this World Series is the only post season game in mlb history where no batter from either team struck out.
The Yankees' Bobby Richardson was named the series Most Valuable Player. It's the only time that a losing player won the MVP Award.
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