October 5: Walk-off HR

I was listening to sports radio on the drive home from dropping my kids at school this morning, and they were talking about the MLB play-offs, which start this week. The topic of conversation was the "walk-off home run", and where the term originated. Apparently, the phrase was coined by Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, it represents a home run that immediately ends the game. Thus, the players can "walk off" the field after the winning run crosses home plate. Ironically, Eckersley is the pitcher who gave up the iconic walk-off homer by Kirk Gibson in Game 1 of the 1988 World Series. It's believed that it was Gibby's homer that gave birth to the phrase.