The baseball world lost one of its most beloved figures on Friday when Bill Mazeroski, the Pittsburgh Pirates Hall of Fame second baseman, passed away at the age of 89. No cause of death was announced. His passing came just as MLB spring training games were getting underway across Arizona and Florida, casting a somber shadow over the start of a new baseball season.

Mazeroski will forever be remembered for one singular, breathtaking moment: his walk-off home run in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series against the New York Yankees. On October 13, 1960, with the score knotted at 9-9 in the bottom of the ninth inning at Forbes Field, Mazeroski launched a pitch over 400 feet, clearing the left-field wall over the head of Yankees outfielder Yogi Berra. He remains the only player in Major League history to end a Game 7 with a walk-off home run.

I dont know its out. I dont know its a home run, Mazeroski once recalled about the blast that sent Pittsburgh into a frenzy. He described how he didnt touch the ground all the way in as he rounded the bases amid the pandemonium. ESPN has called it the greatest home run in major league history, and its significance grew with each passing decade. Pittsburgh fans continued to gather annually at Forbes Fields remaining center-field wall each October 13 to listen to the original broadcast, a testament to how deeply the moment embedded itself in the citys identity.

But to define Mazeroski solely by that one swing would be a disservice to his remarkable career. His Hall of Fame plaque, awarded in 2001 by the Veterans Committee, begins with three words: A defensive wizard. Mazeroski earned eight Gold Glove Awards during his career and set the Major League record for double plays turned by a second baseman with 1,706. His quick hands and instinctive positioning earned him the nickname No Hands for his ability to field ground balls and turn double plays in one seamless motion.

A coal miners son from Wheeling, West Virginia, Mazeroski signed with the Pirates as a teenager and never wore another uniform. Over 17 seasons in Pittsburgh, he compiled a .260 career batting average with 138 home runs, was named to seven All-Star teams, and won two World Series titles. The Pirates retired his iconic No. 9 jersey in 1987.

Pirates chairman Bob Nutting honored Mazeroski as a true Pirates legend whose legacy extends far beyond his most famous moment. That sentiment was echoed across the baseball world as tributes poured in from current and former players, teams, and fans.

Mazeroski married Milene Nicholson, a Pirates front office employee, in 1958. The couple remained together until her passing in 2024. He retired from the field after the 1972 season with a .983 fielding percentage and a reputation as perhaps the finest defensive second baseman the game has ever seen.

As pitchers and catchers report and spring training games begin, the 2026 season will open under the weight of this loss. But it will also carry forward the legacy of a man who embodied everything Pittsburgh baseball stands for: grit, humility, and one unforgettable swing that changed history forever.