[SABRMnLgs]

Hello,

I have been a sports fan since I first held a baseball bat about 60 years ago and am also a member of SABR. But I have a question I just cannot find the answer to or it must have past me by when I worked for a living. Can someone give me the definition of a "Walk-off" Home Run? I haven't a clue as to what that term means. Maybe a guy who hits a home with no one on base and he walks around the bases?? DUH???

Jerry Jackson (Calumet Grove)

[JohnN]

a walk off home run means it's the last swing of the game, game over.

could be bottom of ninth or extra innings (always the bottom though, since the home team gets last bats)

[k2at]

Just as a sidebar, you can also have a walkoff walk. Same principle; bases loaded, bottom of the ninth 2/2 game and the batter walks with the bases loaded.

[TomW]

I don't watch pro baseball but i think the rules say that the runner must touch each base in order. You can't run bases backwards, walk off the field, or fail to play out the game or you're out.

Again I don't know how they do it in the pros. I don't think pro basketball is even basketball when you can run 5-6 steps without dribbling and then jump up and dunk it. Should have been travelling. Anyway, its a pet peeve with me.

[JohnN]

TomW, right, gotta touch the bases!

[MMC24]

To achieve a Walk-Off home run, the home team bats in the bottom half of the 9th inning or the bottom half of extra innings should the score be tied at the end of the regulation play.

The home team batter hits a home run to score the go-ahead run to win the game because the visiting team does not have another change to bat. The individual does not walk around the bases but jogs touching each base as he passes it. Usually there is a celebratory group of home team players waiting for him at home plate to congratulate his achievement. The term "walk-off-home-run" comes from the fact that now everyone walks off the field because the game is over.

Of course, a walk-off hit can achieve the same win but this is not a walk-off home run. In this case, other home team players are already on base and the hit allows one of the players to score a run to win. Still everyone walks off the field because the game is over.

[Alex]

I pretty much agreed what others were saying, but I thought the walk-off referred to the losing pitcher, so I did some digging and this is what I found:

The term "walk off" should only be used when a game ends with the final batter hitting a game-ending (and game-winning) home run. Broadcasters now tend to use the term to describe any game-ending (and game-winning) hit be it a single, double, triple or home run.

Dennis Eckersley (the great relief pitcher) is credited with first using the term "walk off" as a way to describe a game that ends abruptly with the final batter hitting a clutch game-winning home run. He used the term to describe how the pitcher who gave up the game-ending (and game-winning) home run will now have nothing else to do than "walk off" the field in defeat.

So, this may or may not be accurate, but I am sticking to it.

[zcaveman]

Originally Posted by Alex

Dennis Eckersley (the great relief pitcher) is credited with first using the term "walk off" as a way to describe a game that ends abruptly with the final batter hitting a clutch game-winning home run. He used the term to describe how the pitcher who gave up the game-ending (and game-winning) home run will now have nothing else to do than "walk off" the field in defeat.[/i]

So, this may or may not be accurate, but I am sticking to it.

Now that makes sense!!

[MMC24]

If you saw the Angels vs Red Sox game last night than you saw a perfect example of a "Walk off Hit" Boston scored in the bottom of the 9th to beat LA to win the Division Championship. It was a very exciting ending. Nothing better than a "Walk-Off" win.