The Westmoreland County home of Pittsburgh Pirates legend Bill Mazeroski and his wife will go to the highest bidder, with the sale coming less than three months after memorabilia from his Hall of Fame career and other household items attracted hundreds of people to a New Year’s Day auction.
Bids on Bill and Milene Mazeroski’s house on Walton Tea Room Road, located in Hempfield, are scheduled to be taken March 22, according to Mark Ferry Auctioneers of Unity. The 1,700-square-foot house has three bedrooms, three baths and sits on 19.6 acres, according to an auction listing.
The modest single-story ranch house has a garage, outbuilding and small outdoor patio. There is an enclosed sunroom at the rear and a finished basement along with a mid-century kitchen and bathrooms, including one turquoise and brass accents and other adorned with pink tile walls and tub.
Open houses will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. March 8 and 5 to 7 p.m. March 17.
The custom-built house will be sold “as is” without any financing contingencies, according to the auction listing. Interested buyers will be required to make a nonrefundable down payment of 10% of the purchase price. The balance will be due within two months of the sale, upon delivery of a title that is free of any liens or encumbrances.
The buyer’s premium, also known as the auctioneer’s fee, will be 5% of the total cost. The Mazeroskis reserve the right to reject any or all bids, the auction listing said.
The would-be deal would include the rights to any gas or minerals on the property, the listing said.
Mazeroski, who has moved to the Philadelphia area to be close to family there, could not be reached for comment.
Mazeroski and his wife, Milene, bought the property in October 1959 for $4,600, according to county real estate records. The couple had been living in Braddock, a much shorter drive to Forbes Field than the Hempfield property some 30 miles from the former Oakland stadium.
A mere two months and nine days before Mazeroski hit the historic home run over the left field wall of Forbes Field on Oct. 13, 1960, to beat the New York Yankees in the World Series, the Mazeroskis took a $22,000 mortgage on the property that required a $141 a month payment.
The New Year’s Day auction of Mazeroski’s memorabilia, trophies, baseball bats, autographed photos, golf clubs, umbrellas, furniture, televisions and silverware “went very well,” said Jeanine Ferry of Ferry Auctioneers.
“They’ve been wonderful to work with,” Jeanine Ferry said of the Mazeroskis.
