It was Dennis Eckersley that first coined the baseball terminology “walk-off.” He said it after giving up one of the most famous home runs in World Series history. According to legend, after Kirk Gibson limped around the bases, as the Dodgers beat the Athletics in game one of the 1988 October Classic, the Eck said: “that was a real walk-off piece of **** I just served up.”
Now the baseball purist will say that a true walk-off only occurs when the game ends on a home run, but in reality, anytime the home team wins, from the ninth inning on, no matter how the game ends, the visitors all have to walk off the field. When Eck first said it, he meant it in a negative way. The pitcher hangs his head in shame, and walks off the field. Today the term has become a statistic of pride and admiration, to the player with the game ending hit, as he walks off the field, either touching home in celebration , or just reaching a base, while the winning run scores.
Much has been written about the 2006 Boston Red Sox, and David Ortiz in particular, of the number of walk-off hits he has in his resume. Boston now has 7 walk-offs this year, and Ortiz has been responsible for 5.
The term walk-off also means a lot to the fans that are witnessing the action live. Most times you see a walk-off it is filed in your own personal lifetime lists, of the “greatest games I ever attended.” For myself my list begins in 1959, and continues on through August 2, 2006, as the Red Sox did it again. Against Cleveland, there were 2 outs in the last of the ninth, and 2 strikes on Doug Mirabelli, batting .186, there seemed little chance this game would go down in the memory book, but minutes later, Mark Loretta hit the green monster with the bases loaded, and everyone left Fenway, singing Dirty Water, and smiles for the ride home.
Here is my list of 11 walk-off victories by the Red Sox that I have attended, as well as the 6 defeats, I have witnessed. If you can recall them like me, send me your list of “Greatest walk-off games you ever attended.” If you use this site http://www.retrosheet.org, you can find the play by play of all MLB games for the last 50 years.
1. July 19, 1959. Boston trailed Cleveland 5-3 with two outs in the bottom of the ninth, and had the bases loaded. The count was full to Frank Malzone. I can still tell you the spot I was standing in section 25 that day. Malzone hit a high towering fly, that just scraped the wall and all 3 runs scored and Boston won. I was only 8 at the time, but remember the joy, and jubilation on my father’s face and it was a moment I knew I would never forget.
2. June 4, 1966 Jim Gosner hit a 3 run home run off Dooley Womack of the Yankees in the 15th with 6 minutes left in a game that lasted 4 hours and 17 minutes. There was a midnight curfew, and the clock was coming into play that long night.
3.* April 16, 1967 Yankee Stadium 18 innings. I threw my hot dog on the field from the upper deck, when Don McMahon made his first error in 168 games. Then in the last of the 18th I screamed to Conigliaro to move toward the line, but he didn’t and Joe Pepitone hit a ground rule double to win the game, after Jake Gibbs stole second base.
4. June 21,1969 day night doubleheader with NY. In the first game NY scores 3 in the 12th, but Boston scores 4 to win.
5. August 1, 1973 Yankees and Red Sox tied 2-2 in the ninth, Michael misses a suicide squeeze and Fisk and Munson fight on home plate. when Fisk was ejected, I was standing on top of the Red Sox dugout. Mario Guerrero scored Bob Montgomery, who replaced the ejected Fisk with 2 outs in the bottom of the ninth.
6. October 21, 1975, Carlton Fisk game 6, need I say more.
7. * May 22, 1976 The new Stadium. Catfish pitches 11 innings and NY wins 1-0, with Willie Randolph scoring the winning run
8. * July 25, 1976 NY. Chris Chambliss hits a 3 run home run with 2 outs in the last of the ninth to beat Boston 6-5.
9. * April 30, 1985, Anaheim. Dick Schofield walked for a walk-off in the 15th inning forcing in a run and the Angels beat the Red Sox.
10. *October 25 1986. I guess you can say that Mookie hit the ball, and Buckner walked off the field.
11. July 16, 1988 Morgan Magic. Kevin Romaine hits a walk off home run to lead off the last of the ninth and beat KC 7-6. Bo Jackson hit the hardest home run I ever saw, that is until Wily Mo Pena hit one on August 2, 2006
12. July 30, 1997 Boston scores 3 runs in the ninth after ARod makes a throwing error with 2 outs. Nomar wins it in the tenth with a bases loaded hit off the wall, 8-7.
13 April 17, 1998. Darren Bragg singled in Steve Avery, who was running for Mo Vaughn with the winning run in the 10th inning, of the first game I ever saw Pedro pitch.
14. * October 16, 2003. I was there as Aaron Boone took Wakefield deep in the 11th of game 7.
15. October 17, 2004 David Ortiz begins the comeback to win game 4 with a dramatic 12 inning home run.
16. June 1, 2006. David Ortiz acts out “Casey at the bat” as Boston trails Texas 4-2 “with what one more inning left to play.” Casey failed, but Big Papi delivers.
17. Mark Loretta hits the wall with the bases against loaded against Cleveland just like 1959.
There they all are. 11 victories by Boston and 5 defeats. 7 pure walk-off home runs. Jim Gosner, Chris Chambliss, Kevin Romanine, and David Ortiz in regular season games. Aaron Boone and Ortiz in the ALCS, and Carlton Fisk in the World Series. If you are a true baseball fan, then you could probably remember the games you witnessed, that ended up as walk-offs. Let me know the ones you were at.