Bill Mazeroski remembered for 1960 World Series shot that made Pirates champions

bill mazeroski rose to legend with one swing in October 1960, a ninth-inning home run that has been folded into Pittsburgh sports lore and that still draws annual remembrance decades later.

Bill Mazeroski’s 1960 swing

With a single swing in October 1960, Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski delivered the walk-off home run that won Game 7 of the 1960 World Series. The shot has been called one of the most iconic moments in Pittsburgh sports history.

Career milestones and honors

Mazeroski built a Hall of Fame résumé: he was a seven-time All-Star and a Baseball Hall of Famer who amassed over 2, 000 hits in 17 big-league seasons, all with the Pirates from 1956-72, and he won eight Gold Gloves.

Fans still mark Oct. 13 at Forbes Field site

More than 65 years after that swing, Pirates fans gather each year on Oct. 13 at what remains of Forbes Field in Pittsburgh’s Oakland neighborhood to listen to a rebroadcast of Game 7 of the 1960 World Series, playing the game’s play-by-play to celebrate Mazeroski’s home run.

Radio call preserved in the Library of Congress

Chuck Thompson’s NBC Radio call of Game 7 is permanently enshrined in the Library of Congress as part of the National Recording Registry, preserving the moment’s live sound for future listeners.

Statue at PNC Park and a reflected humility

In 2010 the Pirates erected a 14-foot bronze statue outside PNC Park that captures Mazeroski rounding second base and waving his helmet after the famous home run; the bronze does not show him turning a double play or making a fielding highlight. The statue marked another moment when Mazeroski’s humility drew notice: he once said in 2000, "I just thought it was another home run to win a ballgame and would never last 40 years. "

Remembering a life through images

Here’s a look at Bill Mazeroski through the years: from his rookie seasons with the Pirates starting in 1956 through his final big-league season in 1972, the milestones include the 1960 home run, more than 2, 000 hits across 17 seasons, seven All-Star nods and eight Gold Gloves.

bill mazeroski’s moment in October 1960 continues to shape annual rituals in Pittsburgh and to appear in public memory through the bronze statue at PNC Park and the preserved radio call in the National Recording Registry.

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For those following events tied to Mazeroski’s legacy, the annual Oct. 13 gathering at the Forbes Field site remains the next confirmed recurring observance tied to his 1960 home run.