Bill Mazeroski
Baseball · Hometown: Wheeling, WV
- Pro team(s)
- Pittsburgh Pirates
- Hall of Fame
- ⭐ National Baseball Hall of Fame
William Stanley Mazeroski was born on September 5, 1936, in Wheeling, West Virginia, and grew up in the Tiltonsville area near the Ohio border. Signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates directly out of high school, Mazeroski never spent a day in the minor leagues, making his major-league debut at age 19 in 1956. Over 17 seasons as the Pirates' second baseman, he revolutionized the double-play turn with a wrist snap so quick it made him the fastest pivot man in baseball history and the gold standard for defensive play at his position. But his immortality was secured at 3:36 PM on October 13, 1960: batting in the bottom of the 9th inning of Game 7 of the World Series with the score tied 9-9, Mazeroski drove a pitch from Yankees pitcher Ralph Terry over the left-field wall at Forbes Field — the only walk-off home run in World Series history to end a decisive Game 7. The spontaneous celebration that followed him around the bases remains one of the most joyous moments in sports history. Inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Born in Wheeling, West Virginia.