A piece of Pittsburgh sports history has been gifted to the Heinz History Center. The uniform and bat wielded by Bill Mazeroski in the Pirates' 1960 World Series-clinching victory against the New York Yankees will be part of its permanent collection.
“This is the very bat he held in his hand that day, October 13, 1960, and this is the uniform he wore that day," said Andy Masich, president and CEO of the History Center. "It still has Mazeroski’s sweat from 1960 on it."
In Game 7 of the series, Mazeroski stepped up to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning. The game was tied 9-9, and Maz hit a home run off Yankee pitcher Ralph Terry over the left field wall of Forbes Field. It remains the only walk-off Game 7 home run in World Series history.
“Not only is this a great Pittsburgh moment, but it’s a great sports moment,” said Anne Maderasz, director of the Western Pennsylvania Sports Museum housed at the History Center. "Many people consider it one of the greatest World Series games of all-time and one of the most dramatic finishes."
Both the uniform and the bat are from Alba and Thomas Tull, who bought the items at auction in 2013. Tull, who is part of the Steelers ownership group, said the items should have a permanent home in Pittsburgh.
Steelers Hall-of-Famer and Sports Museum Champions Committee Co-Chair Franco Harris agreed.
“I’m blown away with having the uniform and having the bat that was part of that actual moment, and this is for all of us in Pittsburgh to share," he said at the unveiling.
The bat and uniform will be on display in the History Center’s fourth-floor special collections gallery. While there, the items will be preserved in preparation for permanent display in the museum's baseball exhibit.
