By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

It was 18 years ago Wednesday that Pittsburgh Pirates gold glove second baseman Bill Mazeroski was elected to Cooperstown on March 6, 2001.

And 59 years ago today it was a normal afternoon inside Rideau Public School in Kingston.

On the third floor Mrs. Lake’s Grade 6 class was located.

Or so it seemed ... I was sitting near the back of the class wearing a white sweater, with a transistor radio tucked inside my shirt pocket and the cord down my left arm and the plug stuck in my ear, covered by my hand.

In the top of the ninth in Game 7, Bobby Richardson and Dale Long each singled off Bob Friend. On came closer Harvey Haddix who popped up Roger Maris, but he allowed a run-scoring single to Mickey Mantle and Yogi Berra bounced out as the Yankees scored tying the game. Haddiix retired Bill Skowron for the final and on to the bottom of the ninth we went ... as Mrs. Lake continued to teach.

Ralph Terry threw ball one and the second pitch Mazeroski homered over the left-centre field wall at Forbes Field.

“Yesssss,” I said punching my right fist into the air. I was my father’s son. He had taught me to dislike the Yankees. His team was the Boston Red Sox. Mine were the Milwaukee Braves.

Mrs. Lake “OK Robert you shall be staying after school the rest of the week.”

It was the only home run ever hit to end Game 7 of a World Series. Remember Joe Carter hit his game winner in Game 6 in 1993 for the Toronnto Blue Jays.

One year Expos manager Bill Virdon brought in Mazeroski to work with infielders at West Palm Beach. Mazeroski was so gracious with his time.

Mazeroski is from Wheeling, West Virginia, along the Ohio River in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. The city is across the river from the state of Ohio and 11 miles west of Pennsylvania. It is a part of the tri-state area of Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, commonly known as The Ohio Valley.

I wrote about all the athletes that come from his area Lou Groza, the Nierko brothers, Phil and Joe, Boston Celtics great John Havlicek, a bunch of NFL Hall of Famers I can’t recall and himself. Mazeroski told me how he owned a par-three golf course with a bar. I asked if the guys in the bar debate who is the best player EVER from his region.

He nodded yes, but added “Usually it takes us so long into the night to reach a decision we can’t remember. So, we have to do it all over again the next night.”

I asked him the name of the his golf course and bar?

“Bill’s,” Mazeroski said. “What else did you want me to call it?

I was thinking maybe Turn Two.