walk-off

[Sam Clements]

Fred Shapiro contributed back in 2000 that the earliest use of the term in baseball he could find was a quote from Dennis Eckersley(Go Cleveland) in 1988.

7 JUne 1958  _Sheboygan Press_ 14/1

<<When Milwaukee Braves relief specialist Don McMahon saw the Coliseum's left field screen Friday, he said, "When anything is hit to left, the pitcher can walk off the mound, he knows it's a homer.">

I know, I know.....not an antedating.  Just showing it was a common metaphor in pitcherdom a bit earlier than Eckersley.

Sam Clements