Bill Mazeroski, the Pittsburgh Pirates legend whose dramatic walk-off home run clinched the 1960 World Series and cemented his place in baseball immortality, died on February 20, 2026, in Lansdale, Pennsylvania. He was 89 years old.

The Pirates confirmed the news in a statement that read, "It is with a heavy heart that we relay the news of the passing of legendary Pirates and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Bill Mazeroski." Tributes poured in from across the baseball world as fans and former players alike remembered one of the game's most beloved figures.

Mazeroski's name will forever be synonymous with one swing of the bat. On October 13, 1960, at Forbes Field in Pittsburgh, he stepped to the plate to lead off the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the World Series against the New York Yankees. The score was knotted at 9-9 in what had been a wild, back-and-forth contest. On a 1-0 count, Mazeroski drove a pitch from Yankees reliever Ralph Terry over the left-field wall for a solo home run, giving the Pirates a 10-9 victory and their first championship since 1925.

It remains the only time in baseball history that a Game 7 of the World Series has ended on a walk-off home run. The image of Mazeroski rounding the bases, waving his helmet in jubilation as fans stormed the field, is etched into the collective memory of Pittsburgh and the sport itself. A statue commemorating that moment stands outside PNC Park to this day.

But Mazeroski was far more than a single moment, no matter how transcendent. Nicknamed "Maz" and "the Glove," he was widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive second basemen in baseball history. Over his 17-year career, all spent with the Pirates from 1956 to 1972, he won eight Gold Glove Awards and turned a major league record 1,706 double plays. His ability to field ground balls and complete the pivot at second base was so fluid and fast that he earned the additional nickname "No Hands."

A 10-time All-Star, Mazeroski finished his career with 2,016 hits and 138 home runs. He was also part of the 1971 Pirates squad that captured another World Series title, giving him a second championship ring. Despite the magnitude of his 1960 heroics, the World Series MVP award that year went to Yankees second baseman Bobby Richardson, an outcome that has puzzled baseball historians for decades.

Mazeroski's wait for the Hall of Fame was a long one. The Veterans Committee finally voted him into Cooperstown in 2001, recognizing not just the famous home run but a career defined by consistent excellence and defensive brilliance that set the standard for his position.

His passing comes as Major League Baseball enters its 2026 Spring Training season, with pitchers and catchers already reporting and exhibition games underway across Arizona and Florida. The timing serves as a poignant reminder of the sport's deep history, even as a new generation of players prepares for the campaign ahead.

Bill Mazeroski's legacy extends beyond statistics and awards. He represented a kind of loyalty and humility that resonated with fans throughout his career and long into retirement. He was Pittsburgh through and through, a one-team man in an era when such devotion was already becoming rare. The city of Pittsburgh and the baseball world have lost a true icon, but the memory of that October afternoon in 1960, and the man who made it unforgettable, will endure for generations to come.