In this 1986 episode of ESPN Baseball’s Greatest Hits with host George Grande is titled “World Series Unsung Heroes….features Oakland A’s catcher Gene Tenace….plus St Louis Cardinals’ OF Harry The Hat Walker….along with Pittsburgh Pirates 2B Bill Mazeroski, with the shot heard round the world…..and last but not least, Red Sox OF Bernie Carbo….as the four featured “Unsung Heroes” of World Series past.
Gene Tenace is an American former professional baseball player and coach in Major League Baseball….where he was a catcher and first baseman from 1969 through 1983….as Tenace was drafted by the Kansas City Athletics from Valley High School in Lucasville, Ohio….and played for the Oakland Athletics, San Diego Padres, St. Louis Cardinals and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Tenace was one of the top catchers of his era….and won the 1972 World Series Most Valuable Player Award…..as featured in this video herewith.
Harry Walker, known to baseball fans as “Harry the Hat” was an American baseball player, manager and coach…..who got his nickname from his habit during at-bats of continually adjusting his cap between pitches….as there were no batting helmets in his day. His batting title came in 1947….when he hit .363 in a season during which he was traded from his original team, the St. Louis Cardinals, to the Philadelphia Phillies….when at St Louis during the previous year….he was one of the stars of the Cardinals’ 1946 World Series championship team…..also depicted in this video herewith…..when In the decisive seventh game against the Boston Red Sox….with Enos Slaughter on first base….Harry doubled to left center and Slaughter….who was running on the pitch and taking advantage of a slow relay from the Red Sox’ Johnny Pesky…..scored from first base in a “mad dash” with the winning run. He knocked in six runs during that Series, and batted .412.
Bill Mazeroski (born September 5, 1936) is an American former Major League Baseball (MLB) second baseman….who was nicknamed “Maz”….as he spent his entire 17-year career playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1956 – 1972…..and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2001. Mazeroski is regarded as one of the greatest defensive second basemen of all time. He was an All-Star for seven seasons….and a Gold Glove Award winner for eight seasons….and was a key member of the Pirates’ World Series-winning teams in 1960 and 1971….where he is best known for his walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth inning in Game 7 of the 1960 World Series—the only game 7 walk-off homer in World Series history.
Boston Red Sox OF Bernie Carbo’s pinch three-run home run in Game 6 of the World Series tied the score 6-all….thus paving the way for Carlton Fisk’s game-winning homer in the bottom of the twelfth for a 7 – 6 Red Sox victory. Carbo’s pinch homer was his second of the Series, tying Chuck Essegian’s 16-year-old record for most in a World Series….as Game 7 of this World Series would be watched by an estimated 71 million TV viewers, saw the Reds triumph in the ninth inning on a bloop single by Joe Morgan for a 4-3 win.
