Bill Mazeroski statue to be built at PNC Park.
January 27, 2010 7:33 AM Subscribe
Bill Mazeroski, Hall of Fame second baseman for the Pittsburgh Pirates, will join Willie Stargell, Roberto Clemente, and Honus Wagner as players with bronze statues outside of PNC Park, where the Pirates play.
Mazeroski, known for one of the most dramatic plays in baseball history, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 after 21 years of waiting and delivered perhaps the shortest acceptance speech in Hall of Fame history.
Mazeroski, known for one of the most dramatic plays in baseball history, was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001 after 21 years of waiting and delivered perhaps the shortest acceptance speech in Hall of Fame history.
Every year on the anniversary of that hit, people gather where a part of wall from old Forbes Field is and listen to the audio of that game. I was there a couple of years ago, and when Maz hit the home run, people started cheering like it had just happened.
It's one of my favorite memories.
posted by elder18 at 7:44 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
It's one of my favorite memories.
posted by elder18 at 7:44 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Mazeroski waited so long because he wasn't an especially good player, and they usually want you to be especially good if they're going to let you into the Hall. He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever. That should be (and eventually was) enough to get him in next to Ozzie Smith and Brooks Robinson (probably-best at each of their positions, though even their mediocre hitting put Maz's to shame). It didn't hurt that Mazeroski also hit one of the most famous homers ever.
posted by aswego at 7:46 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by aswego at 7:46 AM on January 27, 2010
One of my favorite news photos shows the end of that game from the top of the Cathedral of Learning.
posted by octothorpe at 7:46 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by octothorpe at 7:46 AM on January 27, 2010
I agree, defense does belong in the Hall of Fame. A run prevented is as good as a run scored.
posted by Mister_A at 7:50 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by Mister_A at 7:50 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
Mazeroski waited so long because he wasn't an especially good player
He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever.
Good player is not synonymous with good offensive player.
posted by kmz at 8:05 AM on January 27, 2010
He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever.
Good player is not synonymous with good offensive player.
posted by kmz at 8:05 AM on January 27, 2010
My favorite baseball players are the scrappy defensive types who don't hit for power, but do get on base and play great defense. Guys who have great motors like David Eckstein. That's traditional baseball right there.
posted by elder18 at 8:11 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
posted by elder18 at 8:11 AM on January 27, 2010 [1 favorite]
From Time Magazine's Historic Home Runs:
According to reports, Ted Szafranski, 13, caught the ball but returned it to Mazeroski after the game in exchange for two cases of beer.
Guess the drinking age was a lot lower in 1960?
posted by drinkcoffee at 8:22 AM on January 27, 2010
According to reports, Ted Szafranski, 13, caught the ball but returned it to Mazeroski after the game in exchange for two cases of beer.
Guess the drinking age was a lot lower in 1960?
posted by drinkcoffee at 8:22 AM on January 27, 2010
Of all the major league parks I've been to, PNC is my favorite place to watch a game. It'll be nice to see Maz's statue out front next time I'm there.
posted by rocket88 at 9:29 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by rocket88 at 9:29 AM on January 27, 2010
In Cooperstown, they have to do a ceremony every year. That's because the whole hall of fame thing is an industry now. That's why people like Mazeroski get inducted.
Ideally, only a "no-brainer" player should get into the hall of fame. That goes for football (NFL) too. Those days are over, though.
posted by Zambrano at 9:30 AM on January 27, 2010
Ideally, only a "no-brainer" player should get into the hall of fame. That goes for football (NFL) too. Those days are over, though.
posted by Zambrano at 9:30 AM on January 27, 2010
There is a small, though not zero, possibility that I am related to him. When I was a kid on Long Island, I was constantly asked if I was related to Bill. As I was only 3 when he hit that homerun and I wasn't a Yankee fan, it took me a while to understand what the heck people were talking about. Funny how people remembered that one hit.
posted by tommasz at 10:01 AM on January 27, 2010
posted by tommasz at 10:01 AM on January 27, 2010
"Mazeroski waited so long because he wasn't an especially good player
He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever."
Good player is not synonymous with good offensive player.
No, but it's very hard to be a very good (let alone Hall-worthy) player without being at least an average hitter. Fielding is a much smaller fraction of a position player's contribution to the game than hitting. Mazeroski wasn't even an average hitter for a second baseman. He was a bad hitter (that's part of the reason that home run was so amazing). Look at his comps at baseball-reference.com. The players his career most resembled include Royce Clayton, Terry Pendleton, Garry Templeton, and Frank White. Look at his Hall of Fame statistics on that page.
As I said, I'm happy that the best-fielding guy at a particularly difficult position got into the Hall. That person is worth remembering and honoring in some way. But when people were comparing him all those years to most of the other players in the Hall, and deciding he wasn't half as good as them, they weren't wrong.
posted by aswego at 10:05 AM on January 27, 2010
He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever."
Good player is not synonymous with good offensive player.
No, but it's very hard to be a very good (let alone Hall-worthy) player without being at least an average hitter. Fielding is a much smaller fraction of a position player's contribution to the game than hitting. Mazeroski wasn't even an average hitter for a second baseman. He was a bad hitter (that's part of the reason that home run was so amazing). Look at his comps at baseball-reference.com. The players his career most resembled include Royce Clayton, Terry Pendleton, Garry Templeton, and Frank White. Look at his Hall of Fame statistics on that page.
As I said, I'm happy that the best-fielding guy at a particularly difficult position got into the Hall. That person is worth remembering and honoring in some way. But when people were comparing him all those years to most of the other players in the Hall, and deciding he wasn't half as good as them, they weren't wrong.
posted by aswego at 10:05 AM on January 27, 2010
Aswego: "He was, however, probably the best-fielding second baseman ever."
I'll take Roberto Alomar and his 10 gold gloves over Mazeroski and his 6 without giving any thought to Maz's offensive skills versus Robbie's.
posted by evadery at 8:03 PM on January 27, 2010
I'll take Roberto Alomar and his 10 gold gloves over Mazeroski and his 6 without giving any thought to Maz's offensive skills versus Robbie's.
posted by evadery at 8:03 PM on January 27, 2010
I'll take Roberto Alomar and his 10 gold gloves over Mazeroski and his 6 without giving any thought to Maz's offensive skills versus Robbie's.
We have much better data on fielding in Alomar's days than we do on fielding in Mazeroski's, and as we learn more it may turn out that Alomar was better. I wouldn't bet on it, simply because the data we do have doesn't even suggest Alomar was the far-and-away best fielder of the 90s. Mazeroski definitely got in because of the perception that he was at least one of the best-fielding second basemen ever, though. And Alomar belongs (and eventually will) get in because he's one of the best all-around second basemen ever.
But the one thing everyone in the know agrees on is that Gold Gloves are useless measures of defensive skills.
posted by aswego at 8:59 PM on January 27, 2010
We have much better data on fielding in Alomar's days than we do on fielding in Mazeroski's, and as we learn more it may turn out that Alomar was better. I wouldn't bet on it, simply because the data we do have doesn't even suggest Alomar was the far-and-away best fielder of the 90s. Mazeroski definitely got in because of the perception that he was at least one of the best-fielding second basemen ever, though. And Alomar belongs (and eventually will) get in because he's one of the best all-around second basemen ever.
But the one thing everyone in the know agrees on is that Gold Gloves are useless measures of defensive skills.
posted by aswego at 8:59 PM on January 27, 2010
I am wondering how Maz will be portrayed when the statue is unveiled. The pose will probably depict him joyously rounding the bases after his famous World Series homer in '60. But it would be nice if Maz could be shown turning a double play of chasing a grounder. However they do it, it's just great to see him get the recognition he deserves.
posted by Uncle Chaos at 2:56 AM on January 28, 2010
posted by Uncle Chaos at 2:56 AM on January 28, 2010
It'll be rounding second during the home run:
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10028/1031622-63.stm
posted by aswego at 1:02 PM on January 28, 2010
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/10028/1031622-63.stm
posted by aswego at 1:02 PM on January 28, 2010
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posted by stupidsexyFlanders at 7:39 AM on January 27, 2010