Remembering a series for the ages
They often say when you die that your life flashes before you. I’ve always felt that one of those memories will be of Bill Mazeroski of the Pittsburgh Pirates running the bases and jumping with glee after hitting a home run in the bottom of the ninth of the 1960 World Series and giving the Pirates their first crown in 35 years. It was magical, unexpected and truly a miracle that the Pirates beat the mighty Yankees.
While many view the 1969 Amazin’ Mets as the most astonishing team to win the World Series, I always felt that they didn’t hold a candle to the 1960 Pirates.
The Pirates had not played in a World Series since 1927 and had not won the championship since 1925. In comparison they faced a team that had been in the World Series 21 times and won 16 over that period. On top of this, the Pirates were facing one of the most formidable teams in baseball history that had four future Hall-of-Famers including Roger Maris, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra and Whitey Ford, along with many others who would be consideredfor the Hall.
In World Series history the 1960 contest still holds the record for the greatest run differential with the Yankees scoring 55 runs and the Pirates 27 over the seven-game series. To reflect how astounding this really is, the 1996 World Series is the only other where theteam that scored significantly more runs lost (the Yankees beat the Braves in 1996 with Atlanta outscoring the Yankees by only eight more runs over thesix-game series).
For many, the seventh game was predetermined. The Yankees had trounced the Pirates 12-0 the day before. How could the Pirates come back after an embarrassing loss where they were not only shut out but routed? For many such a thrashing would be demoralizing and bouncing back less than 24 hours later would have been incomprehensible.
The seventh game though was at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field. The field gave the Pirates a slight advantage not only because of the fans, but its condition. Much like the city and its fans, Forbes Field was hardscrabble. The Pirates understood their field and the problems with it which gave them an edge.
The condition of the field played an important role in the Pirates win. In the eighth inning a routine ground ball hit by Bill Virdon of the Pirates to shortstop Tony Kubek struck a rock or pebble in the infield. As Kubek leaned down to field the ball, it popped up and hit him in the throat. Instead of Kubek turning a double play and ending the inning, the injury was serious enough that he needed to leave the game. Years later, Kubek described the infield at Forbes Field on that day as being like Normandy, half sand, half pebbles. The Pirateswent on to score four more runs in the inning after the errant ground ballto take a 9-7 lead.
The drama did not end there as the Yankees tied the score in the top of the ninth inning, setting up one of the most memorableWorld Series endings ever.
Inthe bottom of the ninth the Pirates lead-off hitter was their second baseman, Bill Mazeroski. Maz was only 23 when he stepped to the plate and faced Ralph Terry of the Yankees. Although young, he didn’t shrink from the challenge and slammed a 1-0 pitch over the leftfield wall. It was the first walk-off series-ending home run in World Series history.
You couldn’t ask for a more unlikely Series hero than Bill Mazeroski. He was a great fielder but a light hitter. He hit for singles and averaged only 10 home runs per season. The chances of thisquiet, modest man emerging as the saviorof the Pirates in the World Series andhitting of all things not one, but two home runs (half of the Pirates home runs), in the overall series was remarkable.The view that heroes step forward inthe time of need was true with Maz.
The unlikeliness of the Pirates winning the series was further reflected in the vote on the World Series MVP. It is the only time in history that a Series MVP was awarded to someone on the losing team. Bobby Richardson of the Yankees, who had a great series, received it. Mazeroski would have been a sure bet for the trophy if not for the fact that the writers took the vote prior to the ninth inning and his epic home run.
The 1960 Pirates are proof that miracles do occur but also that perseverance, self-confidence, and determination help to make them happen. It also helps though to have a few pebbles and rocksin the infield.