Pirates Fans Celebrate Milestone World Series Anniversary

The event started in 1985, with this year marking the 40th anniversary of it, as Pittsburgh native Saul Finkelstein recognized the 25th anniversary of the game went to the same location, listening to NBC’s broadcast of the game by Chuck Thompson and Jack Quinlan, according to Rich Puerzer, who wrote about the event's history

Finkelstein did this by himself through 1992, before telling Jim O'Brien, who wrote the book Maz and the ’60 Bucs, about his annual celebration of the game at Pirates Fanfest in January 1993. O'Brien spoke about it as a guest on a sports radio talk show and fans eventually joined Finkelstein.

The event grew and even when Finkelstein died in 2004, the Game 7 Gang formed in 2006 and started organizing the event for the public the following year, which has seen large crowds at the event.

Pirates fans listen to the game, which started at 1:00 p.m. and concludes at 3:36 p.m., doing so on the dot each year.

The game went back and forth, as the Pirates took an early 2-0 lead, but the Yankees stormed back and led 7-4 in the top of the eighth inning. The Pirates came back and scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning, with Hal Smith hitting a three-run home run to put the home team up 9-7.

New York salvaged the game with a two-run top of the ninth inning, tying it up at 9-9, before Pirates second baseman Bill Mazeroski hit a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, walking it off and winning the 1960 World Series, 10-9 in Game 7.

Mazeroski's home run hit is commemorated with a statue outside PNC Park, that the Pirates unveiled in 2010, honoring the 50th anniversary.

The Pirates also gave fans a Mazeroski bobblehead and a t-shirt at the event, honoring the Hall of Famer for the most memorable home run in baseball history.

That World Series capped one of the most lopsided, as the Yankees outscored the Pirates 55-27 and second baseman Bobby Richardson won World Series MVP, the only player to ever do so from the losing team, despite the Mazeroski home run.

It marks the last time a professional Pittsburgh sports team won a championship in the city, as the Pirates last two World Series titles came in 1971 and 1979, both Game 7 wins over the Baltimore Orioles on the road.

The Pittsburgh Steelers, who won six Super Bowls, did so all away from the city, and the Pittsburgh Penguins five Stanley Cups all came on the road as well.

Mazeroski was one of a few great players on that 1960 World Series team forthe Pirates, including Hall of Fame right fielder Roberto Clemente, 1960 Cy Young Award winner and Pirates Hall of Famer Vern Law, plus 1960 National League MVP and batting champion Dick Groat, who went on and commentated on Pitt men's basketball games for 40 years.

Forbes Field no longer exists, as the Pirates moved into the multi-use Three Rivers Stadium on the North Shore with the Steelers, where they played for 30 seasons from 1971-2000, before moving to PNC Park starting with the 2021 season.

The center field wall of Forbes Field still exists, as well as home plate, which is in Posvar Hall, a University of Pittsburgh building.

Only four Pirates players from the 1960 World Series are still living, including Roy Face, outfielder Bob Skinner and both Law and Mazeroski.