Bill Mazeroski: bill mazeroski and the October 1960 swing that became a Pittsburgh touchstone

bill mazeroski’s one swing of his bat in October 1960 turned him into a legend and created one of the most iconic moments in Pittsburgh sports history. This gallery-style remembrance traces his playing career, a famous radio call, the rituals that still gather fans and the public memorials that followed.

Bill Mazeroski and the October 1960 blast that became legend

With one swing of his bat in October 1960, Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski became a legend. The shot is described in the record as one of the most iconic moments in Pittsburgh sports history, a single play that has repeatedly been revisited in images and commemorations.

Mazeroski’s own words and a humility that endured

His humility never let that moment overwhelm him: in 2000 he told a reporter, “I just thought it was another home run to win a ballgame and would never last 40 years. ” That remark, made four decades after the 1960 moment, has been used to underline how Mazeroski viewed the event throughout his life.

Career milestones: All-Star, Hall of Famer, and the numbers

Over a 17-season big-league career, all with the Pirates from 1956-72, Bill Mazeroski compiled more than 2, 000 hits and earned seven All-Star selections. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and won eight Gold Gloves, a string of awards and figures that map a long defensive and offensive tenure in Pittsburgh.

Fans keep the memory alive every Oct. 13 at Forbes Field remains

More than 65 years after his iconic shot, Pirates fans still gather annually — every Oct. 13 — at what remains of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood. Those gatherings center on a rebroadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, played back play-by-play so attendees can celebrate Mazeroski’s home run together at the site tied to the team’s history.

Statue at PNC Park and Chuck Thompson’s enshrined radio call

Humility again was tested in 2010 when the Pirates erected a 14-foot bronze statue outside PNC Park. The statue depicts Mazeroski not turning a double play or making any other fielding gem, but rounding second base and waving his helmet after his famous home run. Separately, Chuck Thompson’s NBC Radio call of the game is permanently enshrined in the Library of Congress as part of the National Recording Registry, giving the moment a recorded permanence alongside its physical memorials.

Here’s a look at Bill Mazeroski through the years.