Pirates legend and Hall of Famer Bill Mazeroski, who struck one of the most unforgettable home runs in baseball history, died on Friday. He was 89. Renowned not just as one of the best defensive second basemen of all time, Mazeroski is primarily remembered for his walk-off home run against the Yankees in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series.
“Weird, isn’t it?” Mazeroski remarked during his Hall of Fame speech in 2001. “Known for the home run and in the Hall of Fame because of your defense.”
“Everyone across the Pirates organization is deeply saddened by the loss of Bill Mazeroski,” Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said in a statement. “… His name will always be tied to the biggest home run in baseball history and the 1960 World Series championship, but I will remember him most for the person he was: humble, gracious, and proud to be a Pirate.”
Mazeroski’s home run secured the Pirates their first World Series championship since 1925. Despite the Yankees outscoring the Pirates 55-27 in the seven games, Pittsburgh’s minus-28 run differential remains the largest ever overcome by a World Series champion. During the series, Mazeroski went 8 for 25 (.320) with two home runs and 5 RBIs.
In honor of Mazeroski, here is a look at 10 more iconic home runs that have left their mark in baseball history, listed chronologically.
Oct. 3, 1951: “The Giants win the pennant!”
The Brooklyn Dodgers held a 13-game lead over the crosstown rival New York Giants on August 11, but the Giants’ remarkable 37-7 finish brought the teams to a tie atop the National League. This rivalry led to a best-of-three tiebreaker series for the pennant, with the winner advancing to face the Yankees in the World Series. After the Giants won Game 1, the Dodgers won Game 2, leading to a decisive Game 3.
This was the first baseball game televised nationally. The Dodgers entered the ninth inning with a 4-1 lead, but the Giants staged a thrilling comeback. Ralph Branca took over for ace Don Newcombe, and with two runners on base and one out, Bobby Thomson sent Branca’s second pitch sailing out to left for a walk-off, three-run homer that clinched the pennant.
“The Giants win the pennant! The Giants win the pennant!” radio broadcaster Russ Hodges shouted.
April 8, 1974: Aaron breaks Ruth’s record
Babe Ruth stood as baseball’s home run king for over five decades, and his 714 career homers seemed insurmountable. However, just three games into the 1974 season, Hammerin’ Hank Aaron passed Ruth and became the game’s new home run leader with his 715th career blast, taking Dodgers lefty Al Downing deep.
“It’s gone! It’s 715!” legendary broadcaster Milo Hamilton exclaimed. “There’s a new home run champion of all-time, and it’s Henry Aaron.”
“What a marvelous moment for baseball,” Vin Scully reflected on the Dodgers’ broadcast. “What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world.”
Game 6 of 1975 World Series: Fisk waves it fair
The 1975 World Series is often regarded as one of the best ever. Three of the first four games were decided by a single run, with the Reds staging a comeback in Game 2 and the Red Sox doing the same in Game 3. Facing elimination in Game 6, the Red Sox were down 6-3 in the eighth inning when pinch-hitter Bernie Carbo hit a three-run homer to tie the game.
Four innings later, Hall of Famer Carlton Fisk hit a walk-off home run down the left field line at Fenway Park. As he ran down the line, he waved the ball fair.
Interestingly, the camera captured Fisk’s celebration thanks to a distraction. The camera operator inside the Green Monster was distracted by a rat, so it remained focused on Fisk instead of the ball’s trajectory.
Game 6 of 1977 World Series: Mr. October
In this instance, it was essentially three home runs. Yankees slugger Reggie Jackson, after hitting a home run in his final at-bat of Game 5, hit three home runs in his first three at-bats of Game 6, helping New York claim their first World Series title since 1962. Jackson hit four homers across Games 5 and 6, each off different pitchers.
At that time, it was just the third three-homer game in World Series history, following Babe Ruth’s feats in 1926 and 1928.
Oct. 2, 1978: Bucky bleepin’ Dent
On July 19, the Yankees found themselves 14 games behind the Red Sox in the AL East. However, a spectacular finish, going 52-21 in the final stretch, positioned New York in a tie with Boston at season’s end. The bitter rivals faced off in a Game 163 to decide who would advance to the ALCS.
The Red Sox began with a 2-0 lead in the seventh inning, and with Mike Torrez on the mound looking strong, light-hitting shortstop Bucky Dent flipped the game with a three-run homer, putting the Yankees ahead 3-2. They went on to clinch the game 5-4.
Dent’s hitting was surprising; he had only hit four home runs in the regular season before this moment, retiring with 40 in nearly 1,400 games over 12 seasons. His performance helped New York complete an epic AL East comeback and ultimately win the World Series.
Game 1 of 1988 World Series: Gibson on one leg
Knee and hamstring injuries kept Kirk Gibson, the NL MVP that year, sidelined for the 1988 World Series. With the Dodgers trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning against ace closer Dennis Eckersley, Gibson stunned everyone by pinch-hitting for Alejandro Pena. He managed a two-out, two-strike, two-run walk-off home run to right field.
“All year long, they looked to him to light the fire, and all year long, he answered the demands,” Vin Scully said on the broadcast. “… High flyball into right field! She is gone! In a year that has been so improbable, the impossible has happened.”
The Dodgers went on to win the World Series in five games, with Gibson’s walk-off being the only time he appeared on the field in the series.
Game 6 of 1991 World Series: “We will see you tomorrow night!”
Before Game 6 of the 1991 World Series, the Twins were in a precarious position, down 3-2 against the Braves. Kirby Puckett came through in a big way, starting with an RBI triple in the first inning, then robbing Ron Gant of a game-tying two-run home run.
When tied at 3-3 in the 11th, Puckett hit a walk-off home run that tied the series.
“And we will see you tomorrow night!” broadcaster Jack Buck said after Puckett’s dramatic homer.
Puckett’s heroics set the stage for an iconic Game 7 pitchers’ duel, which Jack Morris won by throwing a 10-inning shutout, securing Minnesota’s second World Series title in five years.
Game 6 of 1993 World Series: “Touch ’em all, Joe!”
Mazeroski’s historic homer in 1960 was the first series-ending walk-off home run in baseball history, but not the last. With the Blue Jays aiming to repeat as champions in 1993, Joe Carter took to the plate against Phillies closer Mitch Williams, looking to change the game while the Blue Jays were down 6-5 in the ninth inning. Five pitches later, the Blue Jays secured their second consecutive title with Carter’s three-run walk-off homer.
“Touch ’em all, Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!” legendary Blue Jays broadcaster Tom Cheek declared after Carter’s unforgettable hit.
Sept. 7, 1998: Big Mac hits No. 62
Roger Maris’s 61 home runs stood unchallenged for nearly 40 years. However, in 1998, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa engaged fans in an electrifying home run chase that revived interest in baseball following the 1994-95 strike. On September 7, McGwire broke Maris’s record with his 62nd home run.
“Down the left field line. Is it enough? Gone! There it is. 62!” remarked Hall of Famer Jack Buck during the broadcast. “Touch first Mark, you are the new single-season home run king!”
By the end, McGwire had set a then-record of 70 home runs for the season, while Sosa also surpassed Maris with 66 homers that year.
Aug. 7, 2007: Bonds breaks Aaron’s record
McGwire’s 70 home runs quickly became a part of history as Barry Bonds eclipsed it shortly after, hitting 71 home runs in 2001. Bonds continued to dominate, hitting 45 homers in 2002, 2003, and 2004. By 2007, he set his sights on Hank Aaron’s legendary record of 755 career home runs. On August 7, Bonds hit lefty Mike Bacsik deep for his 756th career blast.
Bonds finished the season adding another six home runs, solidifying his place as baseball’s all-time leader with 766 career homers.
