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115-597: William Stanley Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936), nicknamed " Maz " and " the Glove ", is an American former second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) who played his entire career for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 to 1972. A seven-time All-Star known during his career primarily for his spectacular defensive play, he has come to be better known for perhaps the most memorable home run in baseball history ,

230-612: A Don Kessinger ground ball near second base and stepped on the bag to force out Willie Smith for the final out in a 4-1 victory over the Cubs. On July 16, he fielded the first batted ball in the history of Three Rivers Stadium , a ground ball off the bat of Ty Cline that opened a 3-2 loss to the Reds. On August 17, 1971, Mazeroski doubled in the second inning of a 6-5 loss to the Houston Astros for his 2,000th career hit. On July 23, 1972 against

345-420: A ground ball to the shortstop or third baseman the second baseman will cover second base to force out the runner coming from first. Moreover, if there are fewer than two outs they will attempt to turn the double play : that is, they will receive the throw from the other player with their foot on second base (to force out the runner coming from first base), and in one motion pivot toward first base and throw

460-568: A 3-0 advantage that held up in a 5-2 triumph. Even though Mazeroski hit .320 with team highs of five RBI, four runs scored and two home runs, Yankees counterpart Bobby Richardson was selected the Most Valuable Player of the series. In September 2010, a statue of Mazeroski was unveiled outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh, depicting his legendary home run celebration — a runner pose with both arms extended, ball cap in right hand. The home run

575-699: A Major League baseball game. On October 10, 1948, Game 5 of the World Series against the Boston Braves drew over 84,000. The record stood until the Los Angeles Dodgers drew a crowd in excess of 92,500 to watch Game 5 of the 1959 World Series at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum against the Chicago White Sox . Under Veeck's leadership, one of Cleveland's most significant achievements

690-593: A dramatic ninth-inning drive in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series that beat the favored New York Yankees . It was the first time that the major league season ended with a home run , and remains the only walk-off home run to clinch a World Series championship in Game 7. ESPN ranked the World Series winner at the top of its list of the 100 Greatest Home Runs of All Time, while Sports Illustrated had it eighth in its compilation of

805-513: A member club of the American League (AL) Central Division . Since 1994 , the team has played its home games at Progressive Field (originally known as Jacobs Field after the team's then-owner). Since their establishment as a Major League franchise in 1901, the team has won 12 Central Division titles, six American League pennants , and two World Series championships (in 1920 and 1948 ). The team's World Series championship drought since 1948

920-528: A monument behind home plate in recognition. In 2004, the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference saluted Mazeroski by electing him among the inaugural members of their Hall of Fame, alongside Boston Celtic great John Havlicek and Olympic wrestler Bobby Douglas . Mazeroski was recognized by Major League Baseball by being selected to throw out the first pitch of the Home Run Derby that preceded

1035-517: A power in the league. In 1891, the Spiders moved into League Park , which would serve as the home of Cleveland professional baseball for the next 55 years. Led by native Ohioan Cy Young , the Spiders became a contender in the mid-1890s, playing in the Temple Cup Series (that era's World Series) twice and winning it in 1895. The team began to fade after this success, and was dealt a severe blow under

1150-459: A powerhouse Perfectos team, as St. Louis finished fifth in both 1899 and 1900 . The Spiders were left with essentially a minor league lineup, and began to lose games at a record pace. Drawing almost no fans at home, they ended up playing most of their season on the road, and became known as "The Wanderers". The team ended the season in 12th place, 84 games out of first place, with an all-time worst record of 20–134 (.130 winning percentage). Following

1265-556: A professional baseball career. In 1954, after several major league teams had courted the infielder, the Indians, Boston Red Sox , Chicago White Sox and Philadelphia Phillies among them, the 17-year-old finally chose the Pirates, largely because they agreed to accelerate his start in Class-A ball unlike the others. Success at the pro level did not come easily for Mazeroski at the outset. In 1955,

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1380-574: A promotion to the major leagues midway through the season. At a time when the vast majority of young athletes were required to hone their skills in the minors for several years, Mazeroski got the call at 19 years of age. As expected, the transition was not a seamless one. He made his first big league appearance on July 7, 1956, against the New York Giants at the Polo Grounds in New York. His first hit

1495-505: A raucous celebration in the Steel City that lasted for days. "I was almost at second base when (the ball) finally went over," Mazeroski said. "I was running so hard, just trying to make sure I'd get to third. Then it took a moment or two to realize what happened -- it was gone." At that point, Mazeroski finished his sprint around the bases like a giddy schoolboy before he was mobbed at home plate. "You know, all I could think about was, "We beat

1610-464: A second baseman when he took Chicago Cubs starter Ferguson Jenkins deep in a 9-6, 10-inning road win. Later that year, he shattered Jerry Priddy 's single-season major league record of 150 double plays at second base, which was set with the Detroit Tigers in the 1950 campaign. In 1967, Mazeroski broke Schoendienst's NL record of 1,368 career double plays. On August 19, 1968, in an 8-3 road loss to

1725-613: A second baseman, all of which were later broken by Joe Morgan ; his career fielding percentage of .983 ranked second in NL history when he retired, less than a quarter of a point behind Red Schoendienst . Mazeroski also provided contributions on offense which were not typical for his position; his 138 career home runs and 853 runs batted in (RBI) were the most by any second baseman during the period between 1944 and 1974, with his home run total putting him behind only Rogers Hornsby among NL second basemen when his career ended. His home run production

1840-400: A single game and went on to lead the league in strikeouts from 1938 to 1941. On August 20, 1938, Indians catchers Hank Helf and Frank Pytlak set the "all-time altitude mark" by catching baseballs dropped from the 708-foot (216 m) Terminal Tower . By 1940 , Feller, along with Ken Keltner , Mel Harder and Lou Boudreau , led the Indians to within one game of the pennant. However,

1955-400: A small one-room house that was devoid of electricity and indoor plumbing. He often went by the name of Catfish because of a penchant for fishing, not because of any real passion for the sport but to put food on the table. Louis became prone to alcohol, but he wasn't about to let his son follow a similar path to the coal mines. The two played catch and talked ball regularly. Their favorite drill

2070-429: A span of 12 seasons (1957-1968), he started 150 or more games seven times and at least 129 in each one. In 1966 and 1967, the iron man was in the field for all except 32 of a possible 2,921 + 2 ⁄ 3 innings. In 1961, Mazeroski recorded 144 double plays, breaking the NL record of 137 shared by Jackie Robinson and Red Schoendienst . On April 28, 1966, Mazeroski became the second NL player to hit 100 home runs as

2185-493: A swing and a high fly ball going deep to left! This may do it!" NBC Radio broadcaster Chuck Thompson told the national audience. "Back to the wall goes (Yogi) Berra ... It is over the fence -- home run! The Pirates win! ... Ladies and gentlemen, Mazeroski has hit a one-nothing pitch over the left field fence at Forbes Field to win the 1960 World Series for the Pittsburgh Pirates!" "I thought it would go over (the wall). I

2300-582: A unique trade of managers in mid-season 1960, sending Joe Gordon to the Tigers in exchange for Jimmy Dykes . Lane left the team in 1961, but ill-advised trades continued. In 1965, the Indians traded pitcher Tommy John , who would go on to win 288 games in his career, and 1966 Rookie of the Year Tommy Agee to the White Sox to get Colavito back. However, Indians' pitchers set numerous strikeout records. They led

2415-518: A wealthy industrialist and also co-owner of the Boston Americans , lent money to other team owners, including Connie Mack 's Philadelphia Athletics , to keep them and the new league afloat. Players did not think the name "Bluebirds" was suitable for a baseball team. Writers frequently shortened it to Cleveland Blues due to the players' all-blue uniforms, but the players did not like this unofficial name either. The players themselves tried to change

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2530-529: A young team and a new manager; Roger Peckinpaugh had replaced the despised Vitt; but the team regressed, finishing in fourth. Cleveland would soon be depleted of two stars. Hal Trosky retired in 1941 due to migraine headaches and Bob Feller enlisted in the Navy two days after the Attack on Pearl Harbor . Starting third baseman Ken Keltner and outfielder Ray Mack were both drafted in 1945 taking two more starters out of

2645-606: Is a case of simple discrimination against defensive skills." Mazeroski was finally elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001 . On induction day in Cooperstown, Mazeroski only made it as far into his prepared remarks as thanking the Veterans Committee voters for choosing a player based largely on defensive skills (a rarity) before getting so overcome with emotion that he had to stop. Apologizing to those who "had to come all

2760-513: Is still an American League record. The Indians returned to the World Series to face the New York Giants . The team could not bring home the title, however, ultimately being upset by the Giants in a sweep. The series was notable for Willie Mays ' over-the-shoulder catch off the bat of Vic Wertz in Game 1. Cleveland remained a talented team throughout the remainder of the decade, finishing in second place in 1959, George Strickland 's last full year in

2875-530: Is the longest active among all 30 current Major League teams. The team's name references the Guardians of Traffic , eight monolithic 1932 Art Deco sculptures by Henry Hering on the city's Hope Memorial Bridge , which is adjacent to Progressive Field. The team's mascot is named "Slider". The team's spring training facility is at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona . The franchise originated in 1894 as

2990-516: The Brooklyn Robins 5–2 in the World Series for their first title, winning four games in a row after the Robins took a 2–1 Series lead. The Series included three memorable "firsts", all of them in Game 5 at Cleveland, and all by the home team. In the first inning, right fielder Elmer Smith hit the first Series grand slam. In the fourth inning, Jim Bagby hit the first Series home run by a pitcher. In

3105-506: The Cincinnati Reds , he broke Schoendienst's league record of 1,834 games at second base. In 1969, he broke Frankie Frisch 's NL record of 6,026 assists and Billy Herman 's league record of 10,815 total chances; in 1970, he broke Nellie Fox 's major league record of 1,619 double plays, and Herman's NL record of 4,780 putouts. In the second game of a doubleheader on June 28, 1970, in the final game played at Forbes Field, Mazeroski fielded

3220-657: The Cleveland Indians and counted Lou Boudreau , Bob Feller , Ken Keltner and Joe Gordon as his heroes. Mazeroski attended Warren Consolidated High School in Tiltonsville, Ohio , where he was a multi-sports star, most notably in baseball and basketball. He was a four-year starter with the varsity baseball team, normally as a shortstop or pitcher. In his senior year, he was named Class A 2nd team All-Ohio in basketball. Mazeroski turned down college scholarship offers from Duquesne , Ohio State and West Virginia to pursue

3335-464: The Detroit Tigers for Harvey Kuenn just before Opening Day in 1960 . It was a blockbuster trade that swapped the 1959 AL home run co-champion (Colavito) for the AL batting champion (Kuenn). After the trade, however, Colavito hit over 30 home runs four times and made three All-Star teams for Detroit and Kansas City before returning to Cleveland in 1965 . Kuenn, on the other hand, played only one season for

3450-699: The Grand Rapids Rustlers , a minor league team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan , that played in the Western League . The team relocated to Cleveland in 1900 and was called the Cleveland Lake Shores . The Western League itself was renamed the American League prior to the 1900 season while continuing its minor league status. When the American League declared itself a major league in 1901, Cleveland

3565-601: The National League (NL) in double plays eight consecutive years, and recorded over 100 double plays eleven times, both also major league records. His 161 double plays in 1966 remain the major league record for second basemen; when he retired, he held the top three marks in NL history. He led the major leagues in assists a record nine times, and led the NL in putouts five times and in fielding percentage three times. Mazeroski set NL records for career games (2,094), putouts (4,974), assists (6,685) and total chances (11,863) by

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3680-507: The "Clown Prince of Baseball" as a coach. Patkin's appearance in the coaching box was the sort of promotional stunt that delighted fans but infuriated the American League front office. Recognizing that he had acquired a solid team, Veeck soon abandoned the aging, small and lightless League Park to take up full-time residence in massive Cleveland Municipal Stadium . The Indians had briefly moved from League Park to Municipal Stadium in mid-1932, but moved back to League Park due to complaints about

3795-649: The 100 Greatest Moments in Sports History. Mazeroski received the Babe Ruth Award for his play in the Series, during which he batted .320. An eight-time Gold Glove Award winner, Mazeroski was particularly noted for his ability to make the pivot in turning double plays . His 1,706 career double plays remain a major league record for a second baseman, and were the most by any non- first baseman in history until shortstop Omar Vizquel passed him in 2009. Mazeroski led

3910-523: The 17-year-old made his debut with the Class A Williamsport Grays , where he hit .235 in 93 games. He played exclusively at shortstop, where he was charged with 31 errors . The next spring, Pirates general manager Branch Rickey noticed how well he turned the double play as a second baseman, which prompted his move to the right side of the diamond. Mazeroski moved up to the Triple A Hollywood Stars farm club to begin

4025-601: The 1899 season, the National League disbanded four teams, including the Spiders franchise. The disastrous 1899 season would actually be a step toward a new future for Cleveland fans the next year. The Cleveland Infants competed in the Players' League , which was well-attended in some cities, but club owners lacked the confidence to continue beyond the one season. The Cleveland Infants finished with 55 wins and 75 losses, playing their home games at Brotherhood Park . The origins of

4140-426: The 1955 season. While he played 20 errorless games at his new position, the two-level jump proved to be too much at the plate. He was sent back to Williamsport, where he got back on track with a .293 batting average and 11 homers in 114 games. Mazeroski returned to Hollywood at the outset of the 1956 campaign, only this time things were noticeably different. He hit .305 with an .823 OPS ( on-base plus slugging ) to earn

4255-454: The 1960s, the most of any major leaguer at his position. Joe Morgan broke Mazeroski's NL record for games at second base on September 28, 1980, his record for putouts in 1981, his record for total chances in 1982 and his record for assists in 1983. On the heels of a subpar season for Mazeroski and his fourth-place team, the 1960 campaign exceeded the wildest dreams of Pittsburgh sports fans. The Battlin' Bucs, as they would become known, dominated

4370-679: The 2006 All-Star Game at Pittsburgh's PNC Park , receiving a long standing ovation. He also was picked to manage the National League during the All-Star Legends and Celebrity Softball Game during the All-Star week celebrations. In 2022, Mazeroski was inducted as an inaugural member of the Pirates Hall of Fame . In 1987, Mazeroski ran for the Democratic nomination for County Commissioner in his home of Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania but his bid

4485-480: The A's after his contract was capped at $ 2,400 per year—one of the highest-profile players to jump to the upstart AL. The Phillies subsequently filed an injunction to force Lajoie's return, which was granted by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court . The injunction appeared to doom any hopes of an early settlement between the warring leagues. However, a lawyer discovered that the injunction was only enforceable in

4600-570: The A's. With Lajoie gone, the club needed a new name. Somers asked the local baseball writers to come up with a new name, and based on their input, the team was renamed the Cleveland Indians. The name referred to the nickname "Indians" that was applied to the Cleveland Spiders baseball club during the time when Louis Sockalexis , a Native American , played in Cleveland (1897–1899). At

4715-463: The AL in runs, home runs, RBIs (for the second year in a row), and slugging percentage, and coming in second by one point in batting average. Ryan was forced out in 1953 in favor of Myron Wilson, who in turn gave way to William Daley in 1956 . Despite this turnover in the ownership, a powerhouse team composed of Feller, Doby, Minnie Miñoso , Luke Easter , Bobby Ávila , Al Rosen , Early Wynn , Bob Lemon , and Mike Garcia continued to contend through

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4830-519: The Chicago owner suspended eight players. The White Sox lost two of three in their final series, while Cleveland won four and lost two in their final two series. Cleveland finished two games ahead of Chicago and three games ahead of the Yankees to win its first pennant, led by Speaker's .388 hitting, Jim Bagby's 30 victories and solid performances from Steve O'Neill and Stan Coveleski. Cleveland went on to defeat

4945-528: The Cleveland Guardians date back to 1894, when the team was founded as the Grand Rapids Rustlers , a team based in Grand Rapids, Michigan and competing in the Western League . In 1900, the team moved to Cleveland and was named the Cleveland Lake Shores. Around the same time Ban Johnson changed the name of his minor league (Western League) to the American League. In 1900 the American League

5060-443: The Indians before departing for San Francisco in a trade for an aging Johnny Antonelli and Willie Kirkland . Akron Beacon Journal columnist Terry Pluto documented the decades of woe that followed the trade in his book The Curse of Rocky Colavito . Despite being attached to the curse, Colavito said that he never placed a curse on the Indians but that the trade was prompted by a salary dispute with Lane. Lane also engineered

5175-481: The Indians defeated the Boston Braves four games to two for their first championship in 28 years. Boudreau won the American League MVP Award . The Indians appeared in a film the following year titled The Kid From Cleveland , in which Veeck had an interest. The film portrayed the team helping out a "troubled teenaged fan" and featured many members of the Indians organization. However, filming during

5290-513: The Maris trade, Lane acquired 25-year-old Norm Cash from the White Sox for Minnie Miñoso and then traded him to Detroit before he ever played a game for the Indians; Cash went on to hit over 350 home runs for the Tigers. The Indians received Steve Demeter in the deal, who had only five at-bats for Cleveland. In 1960, Lane made the trade that would define his tenure in Cleveland when he dealt slugging right fielder and fan favorite Rocky Colavito to

5405-475: The National League virtually from the start to claim their first pennant since the 1927 season. Meanwhile, Mazeroski was an NL starter in both All-Star Games. The Pirates seized control of the pennant race in August, when they won 21 of 31 games with Mazeroski in a lead role. He hit .373, drove in 16 runs and had a 26-game errorless streak in the month. The team was rewarded with a trip to the 1960 World Series , where

5520-488: The Pirates went on to win 4-3. And on July 31, 1968, in the second game of a doubleheader, Tommy Helms lined out to shortstop Gene Alley in the fourth inning of a 10-1 Pirates victory; Alley threw to Mazeroski, who then threw to Clendenon, retiring Lee May and Tony Pérez before they could return to their bases. Mazeroski became eligible for the Hall of Fame in 1978, but initially drew little support before gradually gaining in

5635-578: The Reds, he singled in the first inning of a 3-2 win; it was the last regular-season hit of his career, as he went hitless in his final 30 at bats as his playing time was gradually reduced to occasional pinch hitting . At the end of his career, Mazeroski ranked fourth in Pirates history in games played (2,163), fifth in home runs (138) and at bats (7,755), sixth in RBI (853) and doubles (294), and seventh in hits (2,016) and total bases (2,848). Modern sabermetrics credit him with 27.6 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) in

5750-727: The UA after being offered higher salaries. The Cleveland Blues merged with the St. Louis Maroons UA team in 1885. Cleveland went without major league baseball for two seasons until gaining a team in the American Association (AA) in 1887. After the AA's Pittsburgh Alleghenys jumped to the NL, Cleveland followed suit in 1889, as the AA began to crumble. The Cleveland ball club, called the Spiders (supposedly inspired by their "skinny and spindly" players), slowly became

5865-509: The Yankeesǃ We beat themǃ We beat the damn Yankeesǃ" he said. Fourteen-year-old Andy Jerpe retrieved the ball amid the cherry trees in Schenley Park , which was adjacent to the ballpark. Mazeroski signed the ball for him in the clubhouse, but the keepsake was lost during a neighborhood game a short time later. The Game 7 homer marked the third game-winning hit for Mazeroski in the series. In

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5980-706: The ball there (to force out the batter before they get there). If a runner on first base attempts to steal second base, or if the pitcher attempts to pick off a runner already at second base, then either the second baseman or the shortstop will cover second base. The following second basemen have been elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum : Source: baseball-reference.com Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland . The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as

6095-490: The ball, never really closed his glove over it turning the double play," said Pirates shortstop Gene Alley , who assisted Mazeroski on many of his 161 double plays in the 1966 season, still a major league record. "He could tilt his glove at an angle and hold his hand just so. It was a wonder the ball stayed in there. Then it would slide out in his hand just like that. He was the only one I ever saw do it like that." Five decades after Mazeroski played his final game, he still holds

6210-419: The cavernous environment. From 1937 onward, however, the Indians began playing an increasing number of games at Municipal, until by 1940 they played most of their home slate there. League Park was mostly demolished in 1951, but has since been rebuilt as a recreational park. Making the most of the cavernous stadium, Veeck had a portable center field fence installed, which he could move in or out depending on how

6325-521: The city gained an NL team. A new Cleveland Forest Citys were recreated, but by 1882 were known as the Cleveland Blues , because the National League required distinct colors for that season. The Blues had mediocre records for six seasons and were ruined by a trade war with the Union Association (UA) in 1884, when its three best players ( Fred Dunlap , Jack Glasscock , and Jim McCormick ) jumped to

6440-416: The decade in last place. In 1927 Dunn's widow, Mrs. George Pross (Dunn had died in 1922), sold the team to a syndicate headed by Alva Bradley . The Indians were a middling team by the 1930s, finishing third or fourth most years. 1936 brought Cleveland a new superstar in 17-year-old pitcher Bob Feller , who came from Iowa with a dominating fastball . That season, Feller set a record with 17 strikeouts in

6555-402: The distance favored the Indians against their opponents in a given series. The fence moved as much as 15 feet (5 m) between series opponents. Following the 1947 season, the American League countered with a rule change that fixed the distance of an outfield wall for the duration of a season. The massive stadium did, however, permit the Indians to set the then-record for the largest crowd to see

6670-451: The drop in the lineup had an adverse effect on his confidence at the plate early in his career. After Danny Murtaugh replaced Bragan at the helm in early August 1957, Mazeroski and the Pirates showed immediate and steady improvement. "Baseball men are saying that Mazeroski, with his great hands and range and arm, is perhaps the finest young infielder in the business," Sports Illustrated reported in its 1958 preseason analysis. In 1958,

6785-615: The early 1950s. However, Cleveland only won a single pennant in the decade, in 1954, finishing second to the New York Yankees five times. The winningest season in franchise history came in 1954, when the Indians finished the season with a record of 111–43 (.721). That mark set an American League record for wins that stood for 44 years until the Yankees won 114 games in 1998 (a 162-game regular season). The Indians' 1954 winning percentage of .721

6900-459: The event go to a baseball scholarship that is awarded to a senior graduate of Buckeye Local High School in Warren Township, which is located near his former high school. Mazeroski was featured in an FSN Pittsburgh commercial that featured former Pirates first baseman Sean Casey . Second baseman Good second basemen need to have very good range since they have to field balls closer to

7015-408: The first baseman who is often holding runners on, or moving towards the base to cover. On a batted ball to right field , the second baseman goes out towards the ball for the relay. Due to these requirements, second base is sometimes a primarily defensive position in the modern game, but there are hitting stars as well. Second base is often referred to as the "Keystone". This is due to its position on

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7130-411: The fourth inning of Game 1, with Don Hoak on base, he hit a two-run homer off reliever Jim Coates that cleared the large scoreboard in straight-away left field. The blow extended Pittsburgh's lead to 5–2 and proved to be the difference in a 6–4 victory. In Game 5, Mazeroski rapped a two-run double to left field off Art Ditmar that scored Hoak and Gino Cimoli in the fourth inning. The hit gave his team

7245-425: The guest of honor at the first showing of the original television broadcast of Game 7; it was thought to be lost before it was discovered at the home of Bing Crosby , who had been co-owner of the Pirates throughout Mazeroski's career. However, he was unable to attend due to an undisclosed illness that left him hospitalized for several days. The annual "Bill Mazeroski Golf Tournament" is held each spring. Proceeds from

7360-406: The infield at the top of the diamond, similar to the keystone block in architecture. The second baseman catches line drives or pop flies hit near them, and fields ground balls hit near them and then throws the ball to a base to force out a runner. In this case, if the runner is to be forced out at second base then that base is covered by the shortstop . With a runner on first base, on

7475-455: The joy of the crowd, they were unsuccessful." From 1865 to 1868 Forest Citys was an amateur ball club. During the 1869 season , Cleveland was among several cities that established professional baseball teams following the success of the 1869 Cincinnati Red Stockings , the first fully professional team. In the newspapers before and after 1870, the team was often called the Forest Citys , in

7590-472: The league in K's every year from 1963 to 1968, and narrowly missed in 1969. The 1964 staff was the first to amass 1,100 strikeouts, and in 1968, they were the first to collect more strikeouts than hits allowed. The 1970s were not much better, with the Indians trading away several future stars, including Graig Nettles , Dennis Eckersley , Buddy Bell and 1971 Rookie of the Year Chris Chambliss , for

7705-483: The lineup. In 1946 , Bill Veeck formed an investment group that purchased the Cleveland Indians from Bradley's group for a reported $ 1.6 million. Among the investors was Bob Hope , who had grown up in Cleveland, and former Tigers slugger, Hank Greenberg . A former owner of a minor league franchise in Milwaukee, Veeck brought to Cleveland a gift for promotion. At one point, Veeck hired rubber-faced Max Patkin ,

7820-444: The major league records for second basemen for most double plays in a season (161), most double plays in a career (1,706), most years leading the league in twin killings (eight) and most seasons leading in assists (nine). His 543 assists in 1964 were the most by any second baseman between 1938 and 1983. Said Dick Groat , Mazeroski's first double-play partner in the big leagues, "He had marvelous range, great instincts and never threw to

7935-473: The majors. From 1960 to 1993, the Indians managed one third-place finish (in 1968) and six fourth-place finishes (in 1960, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1990, and 1992) but spent the rest of the time at or near the bottom of the standings, including four seasons with over 100 losses (1971, 1985, 1987, 1991). The Indians hired general manager Frank Lane , known as "Trader" Lane, away from the St. Louis Cardinals in 1957. Lane over

8050-594: The name Cleveland Indians . That name stuck and remained in use for more than a century. Common nicknames for the Indians were "the Tribe" and "the Wahoos", the latter referencing their longtime logo, Chief Wahoo . After the Indians name came under criticism as part of the Native American mascot controversy , the team adopted the current name (Guardians) following the 2021 season . From August 24 to September 14, 2017,

8165-416: The name to Cleveland Bronchos in 1902 , but this name never caught on. Cleveland suffered from financial problems in their first two seasons. This led Somers to seriously consider moving to either Pittsburgh or Cincinnati . Relief came in 1902 as a result of the conflict between the National and American Leagues. In 1901, Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie , the Philadelphia Phillies ' star second baseman, jumped to

8280-459: The next decade. One reporter referred to the team as the Napkins, "because they fold up so easily". The team hit bottom in 1914 and 1915, finishing last place both years. 1915 brought significant changes to the team. Lajoie, nearly 40 years old, was no longer a top hitter in the league, batting only .258 in 1914. With Lajoie engaged in a feud with manager Joe Birmingham , the team sold Lajoie back to

8395-485: The only members of the 1960 champions who were on the team when they picked up another title in 1971 , beating the favored Baltimore Orioles in seven games. Mazeroski later became a coach for the Pirates and the Seattle Mariners . The Pirates organization retired his uniform number in 1987; he is now the only living person so honored. Mazeroski was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Mazeroski

8510-523: The ownership of the Robison brothers . Prior to the 1899 season, Frank Robison, the Spiders' owner, bought the St. Louis Browns , thus owning two clubs at the same time. The Browns were renamed the "Perfectos", and restocked with Cleveland talent. Just weeks before the season opener, most of the better Spiders were transferred to St. Louis, including three future Hall of Famers: Cy Young, Jesse Burkett and Bobby Wallace . The roster maneuvers failed to create

8625-438: The perennial Gold Glove candidate set the bar for defense at his position that would still be in place decades later. Houston Astros and future Hall of Fame second baseman Joe Morgan called him "the gold standard" for infield defense. Mazeroski turned the double play into an art form with Gene Kelly -like footwork, magical hands, sure arm and exceptionally strong legs that survived countless attempts by baserunners to break up

8740-408: The play. Coupled with acute baseball instincts, he displayed unparalleled range in the field, as evidenced by the nine seasons that he led the league in assists per nine innings; recent analytics credit him similarly in total zone runs at the position. Remarkably, Mazeroski was able to accomplish this even though he played nearly half of his games at Forbes Field, whose infield was widely thought to be

8855-541: The same generic way that the team from Chicago was sometimes called The Chicagos. In 1871 the Forest Citys joined the new National Association of Professional Base Ball Players (NA), the first professional league. Ultimately, two of the league's western clubs went out of business during the first season and the Chicago Fire left that city's White Stockings impoverished, unable to field a team again until 1874. Cleveland

8970-613: The same time, Somers' business ventures began to fail, leaving him deeply in debt. With the Indians playing poorly, attendance and revenue suffered. Somers decided to trade Jackson midway through the 1915 season for two players and $ 31,500, one of the largest sums paid for a player at the time. By 1916, Somers was at the end of his tether, and sold the team to a syndicate headed by Chicago railroad contractor James C. "Jack" Dunn . Manager Lee Fohl, who had taken over in early 1915, acquired two minor league pitchers, Stan Coveleski and Jim Bagby and traded for center fielder Tris Speaker , who

9085-466: The scene, Oscar Madison is distracted from witnessing the play by an annoying phone call from Felix Ungar (immediately after sarcastically predicting to fellow sportswriter Heywood Hale Broun that the Mets still have a chance to win if Mazeroski hits into a triple play). Reportedly, the scene was actually filmed just prior to the start of a regular game at Shea Stadium on June 27, 1967. Maz reported that he

9200-459: The season cost the players valuable rest days leading to fatigue towards the end of the season. That season, Cleveland again contended before falling to third place. On September 23, 1949, Bill Veeck and the Indians buried their 1948 pennant in center field the day after they were mathematically eliminated from the pennant race. Later in 1949, Veeck's first wife (who had a half-stake in Veeck's share of

9315-458: The second baseman forged his legacy against the New York Yankees with a pair of game-winning home runs. The second came on October 13 off reliever Ralph Terry at Forbes Field, the only homer to end a World Series in major league history until 1993. One of the wildest games in baseball history got wilder yet in the top of the ninth inning, when the Yankees plated two runs to forge a 9-9 deadlock. At that point, Mazeroski admittedly got caught up in

9430-464: The state of Pennsylvania. Mack, partly to thank Somers for his past financial support, agreed to trade Lajoie to the then-moribund Blues, who offered $ 25,000 salary over three years. Due to the injunction, however, Lajoie had to sit out any games played against the A's in Philadelphia. Lajoie arrived in Cleveland on June 4 and was an immediate hit, drawing 10,000 fans to League Park. Soon afterward, he

9545-519: The stretch run of the pennant race, Veeck turned to the Negro leagues again and signed pitching great Satchel Paige amid much controversy. Barred from Major League Baseball during his prime, Veeck's signing of the aging star in 1948 was viewed by many as another publicity stunt. At an official age of 42, Paige became the oldest rookie in Major League baseball history, and the first black pitcher. Paige ended

9660-410: The sudden turn of events. It seemed the second baseman had forgotten that he was to lead off the bottom half of the inning, and it wasn't until first base coach Lenny Levy reminded him of the fact that he hurriedly picked up a bat. At precisely 3:36 p.m. local time, on a 1-0 count, Mazeroski slammed Terry's high fastball just to the left of the 406-foot marker in distant left-center field. "Here's

9775-403: The team began to unravel, leading Kilfoyl to sell his share of the team to Somers. Cy Young , who returned to Cleveland in 1909, was ineffective for most of his three remaining years and Addie Joss died from tubercular meningitis prior to the 1911 season. Despite a strong lineup anchored by the potent Lajoie and Shoeless Joe Jackson , poor pitching kept the team below third place for most of

9890-549: The team was wracked with dissension, with some players (including Feller and Mel Harder) going so far as to request that Bradley fire manager Ossie Vitt . Reporters lampooned them as the Cleveland Crybabies. Feller, who had pitched a no-hitter to open the season and won 27 games, lost the final game of the season to unknown pitcher Floyd Giebell of the Detroit Tigers . The Tigers won the pennant and Giebell never won another major league game. Cleveland entered 1941 with

10005-504: The team won 22 consecutive games, the longest winning streak in American League history and the second longest winning streak in Major League Baseball history. As of the end of the 2024 season, the franchise's overall record is 9,852–9,369 (.513). According to one historian of baseball, "in 1857, baseball games were a daily spectacle in Cleveland's Public Squares. City authorities tried to find an ordinance forbidding it; to

10120-539: The team) divorced him. With most of his money tied up in the Indians, Veeck was forced to sell the team to a syndicate headed by insurance magnate Ellis Ryan. In 1953 , Al Rosen was an All Star for the second year in a row, was named The Sporting News Major League Player of the Year, and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award in a unanimous vote playing for the Indians after leading

10235-462: The time were locked in a tight three-way pennant race with the Yankees and White Sox , were not slowed down by the death of their teammate. Rookie Joe Sewell hit .329 after replacing Chapman in the lineup. In September 1920, the Black Sox Scandal came to a boil. With just a few games left in the season, and Cleveland and Chicago neck-and-neck for first place at 94–54 and 95–56 respectively,

10350-431: The top of the fifth inning, second baseman Bill Wambsganss executed the first (and only, so far) unassisted triple play in World Series history, in fact, the only Series triple play of any kind. The team would not reach the heights of 1920 again for 28 years. Speaker and Coveleski were aging and the Yankees were rising with a new weapon: Babe Ruth and the home run. They managed two second-place finishes but spent much of

10465-540: The voting nearly every year; he ran out of initial eligibility in 1992, having never received 50% of the vote. Skeptics pointed to his shortcomings as a hitter; his .299 on-base percentage remains the lowest of any non-pitcher in the Hall, though his power at the plate brings his on-base plus slugging figure more in line with other defensive stars elected previously, including Rabbit Maranville , Ray Schalk and Luis Aparicio . Newsweek columnist George Will remarked in 1995, "The exclusion of Mazeroski from Cooperstown

10580-700: The way up here to hear this crap," he then sat down to a long and loud standing ovation from the audience and his fellow Hall of Famers. In 1979, Mazeroski was inducted into the National Polish-American Sports Hall of Fame. In 1995, Harrison Central High School in Cadiz, Ohio had a field donated by Mazeroski which later became known as Mazeroski Field. In 2003, Buckeye Local High School in Rayland (which had since absorbed Warren Consolidated) honored him by naming their new baseball field after him, placing

10695-407: The worst in the majors because of its alabaster-like surface and many errant hops. What also made Mazeroski unique was his trademark glove, which wasn't much larger than his right hand. Its compactness allowed for a quicker grip, ball transfer and release, especially on double play attempts. Once broken in, the piece of equipment would see action for several years at a time. "Maz never really caught

10810-410: The wrong base. His release on the double play was phenomenal. When Maz was a kid, I had a couple of years' experience on him. If I would move Maz and tell him to play here or play there, I never had to tell him a second time. Ever." Mazeroski also was known for extraordinary durability, especially given the physical demands of the second base position and chronic lower body issues later in his career. In

10925-455: The year with a 6–1 record with a 2.48 ERA, 45 strikeouts and two shutouts. In 1948 , veterans Boudreau, Keltner, and Joe Gordon had career offensive seasons, while newcomers Doby and Gene Bearden also had standout seasons. The team went down to the wire with the Boston Red Sox , winning a one-game playoff, the first in American League history, to go to the World Series . In the series,

11040-402: The years had gained a reputation as a GM who loved to make deals. With the White Sox, Lane had made over 100 trades involving over 400 players in seven years. In a short stint in St. Louis, he traded away Red Schoendienst and Harvey Haddix . Lane summed up his philosophy when he said that the only deals he regretted were the ones that he did not make. One of Lane's early trades in Cleveland

11155-503: The young Bucs promptly stunned the baseball world with a second-place finish, while Mazeroski blossomed into an All-Star for the first time in his career. His 19 home runs and 69 RBI each ranked second at his position in the major leagues. He also was selected for his first Gold Glove Award. His father Louis died of lung cancer early the next year, but not before he had witnessed his son achieve stardom. Soon Pirates broadcaster Bob Prince began referring to Mazeroski as simply "The Glove", as

11270-587: Was a single off Johnny Antonelli in his first at bat . But for most of the next five weeks, his batting average tumbled below the .200 mark; he hit his first home run on August 16, a 2-run shot off Robin Roberts in the fourth inning, to lead the Pirates to a 4-1 road win over the Phillies. But a few days later, Pirates manager Bobby Bragan dropped him behind the pitcher in the batting order for 10 games. Mazeroski regrouped to hit .243 in 81 games, but later conceded that

11385-428: Was a misshapen, earth-colored ball that traveled through the air erratically, tended to soften in the later innings, and as it came over the plate, was very hard to see." In any case, Chapman did not move reflexively when Mays' pitch came his way. The pitch hit Chapman in the head, fracturing his skull. Chapman died the next day, becoming the only player to sustain a fatal injury from a pitched ball. The Indians, who at

11500-402: Was also late in the afternoon and the infield was completely shaded with the center field area (the batters' background) bathed in sunlight. As well, at the time, "part of every pitcher's job was to dirty up a new ball the moment it was thrown onto the field. By turns, they smeared it with dirt, licorice, tobacco juice; it was deliberately scuffed, sandpapered, scarred, cut, even spiked. The result

11615-468: Was born in Wheeling, West Virginia to a Polish-American family. His parents were Mayme and Louis Mazeroski who resided in nearby Witch Hazel, Ohio. Louis had been a highly regarded baseball prospect himself—he once had a tryout with the Cleveland Indians —but a severed foot suffered in a coal mine accident ruined his dream as well as his livelihood. Along with his parents and sister Mary, Mazeroski grew up in

11730-546: Was breaking the color barrier in the American League by signing Larry Doby , formerly a player for the Negro league's Newark Eagles in 1947 , 11 weeks after Jackie Robinson signed with the Dodgers . Similar to Robinson, Doby battled racism on and off the field but posted a .301 batting average in 1948, his first full season. A power-hitting center fielder, Doby led the American League twice in homers. In 1948, needing pitching for

11845-516: Was engaged in a salary dispute with the Red Sox . All three would ultimately become key players in bringing a championship to Cleveland. Speaker took over the reins as player-manager in 1919 , and led the team to a championship in 1920. On August 16, 1920, the Indians were playing the Yankees at the Polo Grounds in New York. Shortstop Ray Chapman , who often crowded the plate, was batting against Carl Mays , who had an unusual underhand delivery. It

11960-409: Was given only 10 minutes to get it done: They had a guy out there pitching and he was throwing fastballs. I knew I had to hit a liner to the third baseman. It only took two takes. The first pitch, I hit a line drive that went just foul. The second one, I hit a one-hopper right to third. He caught it, stepped on third, threw to second, threw to first, a triple play. Now that took talent!" Jack Fisher

12075-408: Was hoping it would," Mazeroski told reporters in the jubilant home team clubhouse afterward. "But I was too happy to think. All year we've been a fighting, come-from-behind ballclub. We always felt we could pull it out even after the Yankees tied it in the ninth, but I didn't think I'd be the guy to do it." The legendary homer gave the Pirates their first World Series championship in 35 years and set off

12190-468: Was named team captain, and in 1903 the team was called the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps after a newspaper conducted a write-in contest. Lajoie was named manager in 1905 , and the team's fortunes improved somewhat. They finished half a game short of the pennant in 1908. However, the success did not last and Lajoie resigned during the 1909 season as manager but remained on as a player. After that,

12305-603: Was one of its eight charter franchises. Originally called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues , the team was also unofficially called the Cleveland Bronchos in 1902. Beginning in 1903, the team was named the Cleveland Napoleons or Naps , after team captain and manager Nap Lajoie . Lajoie left after the 1914 season , and club owner Charles Somers requested that baseball writers choose a new name. They chose

12420-430: Was particularly impressive due to the Pirates playing in cavernous Forbes Field , where the distant reaches in left and center field made it typically the league's most difficult home run stadium until the mid-1960s; Mazeroski hit more than twice as many homers on the road (93) than at home (45) in his career. He closed out his career by helping the Pirates to three consecutive division titles; he and Roberto Clemente were

12535-403: Was played with a tennis ball, which Louis threw against a brick wall and his son fielded with a glove that had been purchased with money earned from digging an outhouse, as family legend had it. The exercise was designed to sharpen hand-eye coordination and ability to quickly adjust to bad bounces, areas in which young Bill excelled as early as elementary school. As a child, Mazeroski was a fan of

12650-411: Was ranked number 2 on The Sporting News ' list of "Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments. In 2020, writing for The Athletic , sportswriter Joe Posnanski ranked the home run at number 8 in his series of "60 moments", a list of most memorable moments in baseball history. Mazeroski was the focus of a staged game-ending triple play as part of a cameo appearance in the 1968 film The Odd Couple . In

12765-583: Was still considered a minor league. In 1901 the team was called the Cleveland Bluebirds or Blues when the American League broke with the National Agreement and declared itself a competing Major League. The Cleveland franchise was among its eight charter members, and is one of four teams that remain in its original city, along with Boston , Chicago , and Detroit . The new team was owned by coal magnate Charles Somers and tailor Jack Kilfoyl. Somers,

12880-560: Was the pitcher for the Mets in that scene. In reality, Mazeroski never suffered such an inglorious moment during his playing days, but he did record two triple plays as a fielder, both against the Cincinnati Reds . On April 18, 1966, in the seventh inning of a home game, Vada Pinson struck out during a double steal attempt. Catcher Jesse Gonder threw to third baseman Bob Bailey , who then threw to Mazeroski to retire Tommy Harper off second base, and Mazeroski then threw to first baseman Donn Clendenon to retire Pete Rose off first base;

12995-444: Was thus the NA's westernmost outpost in 1872, the year the club folded. Cleveland played its full schedule to July 19 followed by two games versus Boston in mid-August and disbanded at the end of the season. In 1876, the National League (NL) supplanted the NA as the major professional league. Cleveland was not among its charter members, but by 1879 the league was looking for new entries and

13110-465: Was to send Roger Maris to the Kansas City Athletics in the middle of 1958. Indians executive Hank Greenberg was not happy about the trade and neither was Maris, who said that he could not stand Lane. After Maris broke Babe Ruth's home run record, Lane defended himself by saying he still would have done the deal because Maris was unknown and he received good ballplayers in exchange. After

13225-461: Was unsuccessful. Mazeroski resides in Panama City, Florida with his wife Milene (nee Nicholson). Milene had been the secretary for Rex Bowen, at the time the head of the scouting department with the Pirates. The couple had two sons. Darren is a retired junior college baseball coach, while Dave is an atmospheric scientist. In 2010, the 50th anniversary of the 1960 World Series , Mazeroski was to be

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