walk-off

[Laurence Horn]

Greg Pulliam observes,
>Major league radio broadcasters have lately been using the term
>"walk-off" to describe a home run that immediately wins and ends a
>game.  I've heard it used as both a noun ("That's a walk-off.") and
>as an attributive ("Mark McGwire wins it with a walk-off homer in the
>10th.").
>
Walk-off home runs we have had with us for some time but this is the first
year I, or various commentators who have mentioned this on TV or the radio,
have heard references to a "walk-off singls", "walk-off walk" (by which the
Yankees won their last game) or even "walk-off balk" (one committed a few
days ago by the immortal John Rocker).  The general consensus seems to be
that ESPN SportsCenter or Baseball Tonight bequeathed this item (that is,
outside the "walk-off home run") to the lexicon, but I haven't seen an
attestation of the actual First Cite.  There have been many complaints that
it's an excresence, a monstrosity, etc., but there's really no precise
equivalent.  A player can hit a game-winning home run (or single) in the
TOP of the ninth or tenth if the other team doesn't come back and tie the
score, but a walk-off home run (or single, or balk) really does end the
game and allow everyone to walk off, and so must come in the BOTTOM (home)
half of the ninth or an extra inning.

larry