# Baseball question - What is a "walk off home run?" **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 22, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-what-is-a-walk-off-home-run/88808 "2001-10-22T05:08:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-what-is-a-walk-off-home-run/88808/1 "2001-10-22T05:08:09Z")
In reading about this evening’s Yankee victory I read that the Yank’s won on a “walk off home run.” I’m somewhat of a baseball fan but I’ve never heard this term before. What does it mean? Haj ---
**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-what-is-a-walk-off-home-run/88808/2 "2001-10-22T05:52:39Z")
A “walk off” home run is one which wins the game. So everybody just walks off the field after the home run. ---
**Author:** ![Diletante](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/848f3c/32.png) [@Diletante](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diletante)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 5:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-what-is-a-walk-off-home-run/88808/3 "2001-10-22T05:56:53Z")
This is a term that’s only come into vogue in the last couple of years. It refers to a home run which ends the game immediately, thus allowing the players to “walk-off” the field right then, without getting three outs to end the inning. This happens when the home team scores a run at the bottom of the ninth or in the bottom of an extra inning (home team always bats at the bottom of an inning. Example: A’s vs. B’s, score 2-2 bottom of the 10th, no outs. B’s are up, Joe Slugger hits a homerun with empty bases. Score is now 1-0. The rest of the inning is not played because A’s have already had their batting attempts for the inning. This can also happen if a player hits a single, double or triple with men on base. After the game has been absolutely decided, it is immediately ended. Hope that helps. Go non-Yankees! ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [October 22, 2001, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/baseball-question-what-is-a-walk-off-home-run/88808/4 "2001-10-22T13:46:13Z")
Thanks, Haj