#95 Bill Mazeroski

Back from my first getaway of the summer, and I've got a Hall of Famer for you! I wish I would've had a chance to post this on Memorial Day, since that appears to be an American flag floating behind Bill Mazeroski's head. It's either that, or a wayward seagull.

Fun facts about Bill Mazeroski:

-A West Virginia native, Bill went from high school to the Pirates organization in 1954.

-Made his major league debut in midseason, 1956 and never looked back.

-Quickly earned a reputation as one of the finest defensive second basemen in the league, winning his first Gold Glove in 1958 and adding seven more to his total in later years. He still holds the major league record for double plays by a second baseman (1,706).

-Also earned the first of seven All-Star selections in 1958, when he hit a career-high 19 home runs.

-Was named the Sporting News' Major League Player of the Year in 1960, when he batted .273 with 11 HR, 64 RBI, and his usual stellar defense. Of course that honor was eclipsed by his selection as the World Series' Most Valuable Player, on the strength of his .320 average and four extra-base hits, including the game-winning walkoff home run off of Ralph Terry in the decisive Game Seven.

-Won a second World Series with the Pirates in 1971, but appeared in only one game of the seven-game series against the Orioles.

-Hit .378 (14-for-37) with five home runs against former MVP and Cy Young Award winner Don Newcombe.

-Retired in 1972, having batted .260 with 138 HR and 853 RBI in 17 seasons in the Steel City.

-Coached with the Pirates in 1973 and the Mariners in 1979 and 1980.

-Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veteran's Committee in 2001.

-If you're looking for odd coincidences, Bill had a cameo in a 1968 episode of The Odd Couple, in which he hit into a triple play against Mets pitcher Jack Fisher, who was the last player I featured in this blog!