When you grow up in Pittsburgh and part of your childhood dream is to play professional baseball, there are certain names you learn before ever hopping out of the crib. Stargell, Clemente, and many others really meant a lot, especially when this city had an actual professional team.
Here’s a little midweek treat because today is the 50th anniversary of the greatest home run ever hit in baseball at any level. (You can try to argue with me, but you’ll lose). I’ve seen this clip hundreds of times but today is the half-century marker. At 3:36 in the afternoon on this date, the unlikely hero stepped to the plate and made history in the final game of the 1960 World Series. Maybe one day we’ll be able to enjoy meaningful baseball in the Burgh again.
Here’s what thousands of kids have dreamed about for more than a century. It’s the World Series. Game 7. Bottom of the 9th. Tie game. You step to the plate. One swing can make you a legend. You hit the ball out of the park for a walk-off world championship winner. Only one man ever actually did it.
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We have a baseball team in the burg?
I know. Sad ain’t it? Maybe one day we can aspire to once again achieve mediocrity and finish .500
The classic backyard scenario. Great description.
Hope you guys get your team back soon. Pittsburgh is a city that deserves good baseball.
Definitely a great baseball town considering they drew 1.6 million fans while finishing worse than almost any point in the past century.
pittsburgh is full of the most hangers on its sad. this is maz’s greatest home run ever, not baseball’s.
Hangers on in Pittsburgh could mean a lot of things. Do you mean the Pirates? They usually lose their good players after 3 years. As for your other point, sorry my friend but what home run could possibly top this one of a kind shot?
While I don’t believe that we have ANY team,i do believe that this was one of the most influential homeruns ever. It did win a series
I believe the Pirates profitted around 30-40 million dollars last season, thats truly sad. Oh, and they fired the manager…again. They will soon trade away all the good players for “prospects” ….again. We should be called the Pgh Prospects, we are truly mlb’s farm club. Let’s bring in Mike Lavalliere as manager, what do you say?
Spanky! I love it. Where did that guy go? Hey, why not? Someone already mentioned Andy Van Slyke.