I kneel respectfully at the spot where Mazeroski’s homer cleared the wall that clinched the 1960 World Series for the Pirates.
That was the first time a World Series ended with a homer. Later that year, Joe Carter was the second to do it.
The spot is on the campus of University of Pittsburgh. My dad took the picture.
SI
OCTOBER 13, 1960 – World Series Game 7
The seventh game of the 1960 World Series was a wild and dramatic game that was going to be remembered for all time no matter what the outcome was. As it turned out, it featured one of the most memorable home runs in baseball history. Bill Mazeroski’s blast became the first ever World Series ending homer.
If a few tiny details had changed, the game would have been forever remembered as “The Hal Smith Game.”
In 1960, the Yankees returned to the World Series after a one year absence and looked to capture the title with pure power. They slugged their way to 16-3, 10-0 and 12-0 victories over the Pirates, who won their first pennant since 1927, a year they were swept by the Babe Ruth led Yankees.
However, while the Yankees won the blow outs, the Pirates took the close games, sneaking off 6-4, 3-2 and 5-2 victories. In virtually every statistical category, the series was lopsided in the Yankees favor, but it still went to a deciding Game 7.
The Pirates used a platoon of catchers in 1960. Smoky Burgess caught games against right handed starters. Journeyman catcher Smith did so against left handers. Lefty Whitey Ford was not available for the finale as he won Game 6 for the Yankees. Bob Turley was the Yankees starter meaning Burgess got the call to catch for the Pirates and Smith rode the bench.
From the beginning, it was clear this was not going to be a pitchers duel. Pirates first baseman Rocky Nelson homered in the first and when Burgess singled in the second, Bob Turley was lifted after only retiring three batters. Pittsburgh built a 4-0 lead.
The Yankees came storming back with homers by Moose Skowron and a three run homer by Yogi Berra, playing left field that day, and took a 5-4 lead in the sixth.
Burgess singled in the seventh and was the tying run with nobody on. He was lifted for pinch runner Joe Christopher but the Pirates could not drive him in.
In the 8th, Smith filled in as catcher. The 29 year old reserve was not even the most famous active catcher named Hal Smith. The Cardinals had an All Star by the same name which this author thought was the same person before doing the research for this post.
Calling pitches for reliever Roy Face, Smith saw the Yankees pad their lead. Johnny Blanchard and Clete Boyer each smacked RBI hits and New York led 7-4 and seemed to be pulling away.
In the bottom of the 8th, Gino Cimoli singled and Bill Virdon smacked a grounder that hit Tony Kubek in the neck. After a delay, Kubek was replaced by Joe DeMaestri.
Dick Groat singled, cutting the Yankee lead to 7-5. Then with two outs, Roberto Clemente beat out a grounder that made it a one run game.
Up stepped Hal Smith against reliever Jim Coates. With 2 outs, the count 2 and 2 and Casey Stengel’s Yankees 4 outs away from taking yet another title, Smith smashed a deep home run over Yogi Berra’s head in left field.
Suddenly the Pirates had a 9-7 lead. Forbes Field went insane as the reserve catcher had struck the blow that looked to slay the Yankees once and for all. The Pirates had not won a World Series since Pie Traynor and company stunned Walter Johnson the Washington Senators in 1925. Now, 35 years later, they were on the verge of another stunning game 7 victory and Hal Smith would be the man to lead the way.
Bob Friend came in to close out the World Series, but allowed a pair of singles without retiring a batter. Harvey Haddix, who famously threw 12 perfect innings in a 1959 game before losing in the 13th, relieved Friend. He coaxed a foul pop up to Smith. In a strange play with one out, Yogi Berra grounded out to first and Mickey Mantle appeared to be caught in a potential World Series ending rundown. But he dove back to first in time and Gil McDougald scored to tie the game. The lead that Hal Smith gave the Pirates was no more because of Mantle’s dive back to first. Haddix retired Skowron but now the game was knotted at 9.
Bill Mazeroski faced Ralph Terry to lead off the bottom of the 9th and hit a 1-0 pitch over the left field fence to end the World Series. Forever the game was known for Mazeroski’s homer. Any montage of great World Series moments includes Mazeroski’s homer. The fame of that moment probably was the event that clinched his Hall of Fame bid.
But think of how close it was to being Hal Smith’s moment in the sun. He would have been the great hero on the cover of magazines and whose blast would be remembered for all time. Devoted Pirate fans love and applaud Hal Smith’s heroism. However his deeds were so close to being immortal.
For that reason he is the Sully Baseball Unsung Post Season Hero for October 13.
In my latest series of entries, I want to record how each and every post season series ended.
I am doing a blog post for each and every team, listing which pitchers clinched the final out.
And I did a post on some of the more unusual endings, such as a series being clinched with a wild pitch or a runner caught stealing.
I felt it was necessary to list all of the series winning hits.
Sure every baseball fan has thought about how cool it would be to get the hit to win the World Series or close out a playoff series. These 24 are the only ones who can claim to have done it.
To be fair, only 23 are walk off hits. One was a sacrifice fly, but I included that as well.
There are a few massive home runs and one bunt.
So here they are. I list the batter, the game, the pitcher, who scored and what the final score was.
Larry Gardner
Game 8 1912 World Series
RBI Sacrifice Fly with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Christy Mathewson
Scoring: Steve Yerkes
Final Score:
RED SOX 3, GIANTS 2
Earl McNeely
Game 7 1924 World Series
RBI double with 1 out in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Pitcher: Jack Bentley
Scoring: Muddy Ruel
Final Score:
SENATORS 4, GIANTS 3
Goose Goslin
Game 6 1935 World Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Larry French
Scoring: Mickey Cochrane
Final Score:
TIGERS 4, CUBS 3
Billy Martin
Game 6 1953 World Series
RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Clem Lebine
Scoring: Hank Bauer
Final Score:
YANKEES 4, DODGERS 3
Bill Mazeroski
Game 7 1960 World Series
Home run to lead off the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Ralph Terry
Scoring: Bill Mazeroski
Final Score:
PIRATES 10, YANKEES 9
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Tom Underwood
Scoring: Dave Concepcion
Final Score:
REDS 7, PHILLIES 6
Chris Chambliss
Game 5 1976 ALCS
Leadoff home run in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mark Littell
Scoring: Chris Chambliss
Final Score:
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 6
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Tug McGraw
Scoring: Ron Cey
Final Score:
DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3
Gene Larkin
Game 7 1991 World Series
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Alejandro Pena
Scoring: Dan Gladden
Final Score:
TWINS 1, BRAVES 0
Francisco Cabrera
Game 7 1992 NLCS
2 run single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Stan Belinda
Scoring: David Justice and Sid Bream
Final Score:
BRAVES 3, PIRATES 2
Joe Carter
Game 6 1993 World Series
3 run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mitch Williams.
Scoring: Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Joe Carter
Final Score:
BLUE JAYS 8, PHILLIES 6
Edgar Martinez
Game 5 1995 Division Series
2 run double with no outs in the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Jack McDowell
Scoring: Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr.
Final Score:
MARINERS 6, YANKEES 5
Edgar Renteria
Game 7 1997 World Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Charles Nagy
Scoring: Craig Counsell
Final Score:
MARLINS 3, INDIANS 2
Todd Pratt
Game 4 1999 Division Series
Solo home run in the bottom of the 10th with 1 out.
Pitcher: Matt Mantei
Scoring: Todd Pratt
Final Score:
METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3
Carlos Guillen
Game 3 2000 AL Division Series
RBI bunt single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Keith Foulke
Scoring: Rickey Henderson
Final Score:
MARINERS 2, WHITE SOX 1
Tony Womack
Game 5 2001 NL Division Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: Danny Bautista
Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 2, CARDINALS 1
Luis Gonzalez
Game 7 2001 World Series
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mariano Rivera
Scoring: Jay Bell
Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 3, YANKEES 2
2 out RBI single.
Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: David Bell
Final Score:
GIANTS 2, CARDINALS 1
Solo home run leading off the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
Scoring: Aaron Boone
Final Score:
YANKEES 6, RED SOX 5
David Ortiz
Game 4 2004 AL Division Series
2 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Jarrod Washburn
Scoring: Pokey Reese and David Ortiz
Final Score:
RED SOX 8, ANGELS 6
Chris Burke
Game 4 2005 Division Series
Solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 18th.
Pitcher: Joey Devine
Scoring: Chris Burke
Final Score:
ASTROS 7, BRAVES 6
Magglio Ordonez
Game 4 2006 NLCS
3 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th
Pitcher: Huston Street
Scoring: Craig Monroe, Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez
Final Score:
TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 3
Jed Lowrie
Game 4 2008 AL Division Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Scot Shields
Scoring: Jason Bay
Final Score:
RED SOX 3, ANGELS 2
Nyjer Morgan
Game 5 2011 NL Division Series
RBI Single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: J. J. Putz
Scoring: Carlos Gomez
Final Score:
BREWERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2
Most of the players listed are solid big leaguers but not superstars.
Only Bill Mazeroski and Goose Goslin were Hall of Famers (and Mazeroski’s inclusion in Cooperstown is one of the most controversial votes ever.)
Rickey Henderson crossed the plate twice on a series ending hit, but never as a member of the A’s. Surely when you think of Rickey, you think of him as a Toronto Blue Jay or a Seattle Mariner.
So why did I do this list?
Well in case anyone out there in the vast internet land happens to wonder out loud “I wonder who got a walk off hit to end a post season series” they would land on this post from your pal Sully.
And I will update it the next time there is a walk off hit to end a post season series.
As of now, Nyjer Morgan’s hit against the Diamondbacks is the last one.
Sully Baseball 
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