Quick Question Re: Walk-Off Home Runs

JackWESQ

Wikipedia defines walk-off home run as "in baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run which ends the game. It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom of the final inning of the game — either the ninth inning, any extra inning, or any other regularly-scheduled final inning."

So let's say it's the bottom of the ninth in a tie game and the batter hits an inside-the-park home run. Does this count as a walk-off home run? Under wikipedia's definition, I guess it would. But a walk-off inside the park home runs sounds a bit odd. Any thoughts?

Is it possible to have a walk-off home run in the 6th, 7th or 8th inning?

/s/ JackWESQ

CDsNuts

Taking it literally, I guess you'd have to determine whether "walk off" means that you get to walk around the bases after your bomb, or whether everybody walks of the field after you hit it. I'd think the former, but that's just me. I wonder if it's ever been done.

Lee

stevek

I'm not sure when this "walk-off" term started, but it's got to be the most useless term I've ever heard in sports. Just call it a "game ending" home run like it was always called.

storm888

The way the query is posed, it is as though it was an art question.
It is actually a science question, answered by the rules.

ANY........

"home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom
of the final inning of the game — either the ninth inning, any
extra inning, or any other regularly-scheduled final inning."

................................................................

Is it possible to have a walk-off home run in the 6th, 7th or 8th inning?

NOT based on the defined-rule.

BUT, maybe we could see a de facto walk-off IF there was a
weather issue that ended the game contemporaneously with the
final hit, which hit was a home run.

rbdjr1

A few days ago, I saw the Florida Marlins beat the Atlanta Braves by a "walk-off passed ball".

Bases loaded, bottom of the ninth inning, score is tied, the Braves catcher lets the ball get by,

"Fish win! Fish win"!

rd

edit: P.S. Strange way for a game to end! I guess "a win is a win"? Thought I heard the announcer say the Marlins won a game the same way back in 2005? Missed that one!

jdip9

"walk-off" simply means you walk off the field after the play because the game is over...so you can have walk-off walks, walk-off passed balls, walk-off HR's....

not sure where it originated....a buddy of mine was using that word long before it hit the mainstream...he's from Rhode Island, but I'm sure it couldn't have originated there.....

frankhardy

<< <i>I'm not sure when this "walk-off" term started, but it's got to be the most useless term I've ever heard in sports. Just call it a "game ending" home run like it was always called. >>




To answer that question, I do know that the term "walk-off" home run existing in the 1960's. I do TTM autographs. I have been working on getting as many vintage Cardinals players as I can. Just this week I got some cards signed by Daryl Spencer, who played for the Cardinals in 1961 and 1962. Along with signing the cards I sent him, he sent me some copies of some newspaper clippings when he was in the headline. One of them read "Spencer ends game with walk off home run."

baseballfan

after that play (either homerun or inside the park homerun) everybody walks off field (game over) without completing the inning

scooter729

I've heard a lot of talk that the term really came into play when it was used by Dennis Eckersley after Gibson took him deep in the '88 Series. Eck started referring to it as "Gibson's walk-off" and the term stuck at that point.

rbdjr1

Walk-off home run (source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

In baseball, a walk-off home run is a home run which ends the game.
It must be a home run that gives the home team the lead in the bottom
of the final inning of the game — either the ninth inning, any extra inning,
or any other regularly-scheduled final inning.
It is called a "walk-off" home run because the teams walk off the field immediately afterward.
Sportscasters also use the term "walk-off double"
or other such terms if such a hit drives in the winning run to end the game.
The terms walk-off hit by pitch or walk-off balk have been applied,

and the latter has been dubbed a ........... "balk-off"

(these types of questionable walk-offs are seen by some fans as cheapening the concept).

Although the concept is as old as baseball, the term itself has come into wide use only since the 1990s.

Outside of baseball, the term "walk-off" has been used recently in both college and pro football,
using such terms as "walk-off field goal" and "walk-off touchdown",
meaning a team scored the winning points to end the game either
in sudden-death overtime or in the bottom half of the overtime period in college football.


History and usage of the term

The first known usage of the word in print appeared
in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 21, 1988, Section D, Page 1.
Chronicle writer Lowell Cohn wrote an article headlined "What the Eck?"
about Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley's unusual way of speaking:

For a translation, I go in search of Eckersley.

I also want to know why he calls short home runs.................. 'street pieces,'
and home runs that come in the last at-bat of a game............ 'walkoff pieces'

Although the term originally was coined with a negative connotation,
in reference to the pitcher (who must walk off the field with his head hung in shame),
it has come to mean a more celebratory term,
for the batter who walks off with pride while drawing adulation from the crowd).
The term attained widespread use in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

On 23 occasions in major league history, all during the regular season,
a player has hit a walk-off grand slam for a 1-run victory;
14 of those occasions came with two outs. Some baseball observers call this an "ultimate grand slam".

rd


source: Wikipedia

stevek

<< <i>

<< <i>I'm not sure when this "walk-off" term started, but it's got to be the most useless term I've ever heard in sports. Just call it a "game ending" home run like it was always called. >>




To answer that question, I do know that the term "walk-off" home run existing in the 1960's. I do TTM autographs. I have been working on getting as many vintage Cardinals players as I can. Just this week I got some cards signed by Daryl Spencer, who played for the Cardinals in 1961 and 1962. Along with signing the cards I sent him, he sent me some copies of some newspaper clippings when he was in the headline. One of them read "Spencer ends game with walk off home run." >>



Interesting.

I remember hearing it on ESPN I think it was last season and wondering for a second WTF does that mean? LOL

They also could just say "game winning" home run.

Oh well...language is always evolving...otherwise we'd all be communicating in Latin.

MooseDog

Here's a bit taken from Wikipedia on the origin of the term...this would imply that the interview took place BEFORE that "Gibson Event" (barf).

"The first known usage of the word in print appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle on April 21, 1988, Section D, Page 1. Chronicle writer Lowell Cohn wrote an article headlined "What the Eck?" about Oakland reliever Dennis Eckersley's unusual way of speaking: "For a translation, I go in search of Eckersley. I also want to know why he calls short home runs 'street pieces,' and home runs that come in the last at-bat of a game 'walkoff pieces'. . . ." Although the term originally was coined with a negative connotation, in reference to the pitcher (who must walk off the field with his head hung in shame), it has come to mean a more celebratory term, for the batter who walks off with pride while drawing adulation from the crowd). The term attained widespread use in the late 1990s and early 2000s."

It also says the Japanese equivalent term is a "Sayonara".

frankhardy

Maybe Mr Spencer typed that headline above the article.