Baseball question about the term walk-off home run

Factual Questions
1

Basically, what does it mean.

I know a little bit about baseball and I often watch highlights on Sportscenter, but I have not been able to figure out what this term means.

Here are my thoughts; a game ending home run; a home run on the first pitch of the batters inning or maybe a home run when the count is full?

2

Every time I’ve ever heard the term, it means a game-ending home run. That is to say:

  • It’s at least the ninth inning (could happen during extra innings, too).
  • It has to be a member of the home team (it has to occur in the bottom of the inning).
  • The home run puts the home team in the lead, so there’s no need to play any more of the game.
3

Funnily enough we recently had a thread about this exact thing. Don’t worry, though, no problem explaining it again.

Basically it is a home run during the home team’s half of the inning that ends the game. If the home team goes into the bottom of the ninth, say, down by a run and someone hits a home run with one runner on the game is over. Doesn’t matter if there are two outs, one out or no outs or what the count was. The visiting team doesn’t get to bat again.

Joe Carter won a World Series for the Toronto Blue Jays in this fashion about ten years ago.

4

Essentially, once it’s hit, everyone walks off the field.

5

You still gotta run the bases though, right? :confused:

6

:slight_smile: Okay, to be specific: the batter trots around the bases (in rare instances with one flap down); any other baserunners do likewise and may wait for the batter around home plate; other members of his or her team may come out of the dugout as well; the pitcher may turn and watch it go, uttering profanities, or may hang his head for a moment before walking off; the rest of the defense walks off the field. Is that better?

7

Next question on this topic: how long has it been called this? I don’t recall hearing this term until a couple of years ago.

8

ESPN.com did a piece on the phrase a couple of years ago when it suddenly became popular. Call it 2001 or so.

Prior to that I’ve always heard them called ‘game ending’ or ‘game winning’ home runs. I feel certain some sportscaster somewhere coined it and the meme worked it’s viral way around because it sounds good.

9

I’ve always heard Dennis Eckersley credited with having coined the term in the early 90’s. ESPN definitely took it to obscene proportions sometime in the last couple of years, though.

10

Way over-used phrase, along with many other ESPNisms. Every time I hear some woman ESPN highlight person say “the bags are juiced” I want to vomit.

11

Oh, just come right out and say it. Linda Cohn is an abomination.

12

An Eckersley cite has been found from 1988. But you’re definitely correct about ESPN’s silliness.