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Archives The Walk-Off Playoffs
With Jim Edmonds launching an absolute bomb into the St. Louis night, the 2004 postseason became the all-time single-season leader for postseason walk-off home runs, with five.

As well, David Ortiz became the first player ever to hit two walk-off bombs in the same postseason (to add to his game-winning single in Game 5 of the ALCS), and just the second player ever to hit two walk-off postseason homers in his career, after Bernie Williams.

Meanwhile, Dan Miceli becomes the first pitcher ever to surrender two walk-off homers in the same postseason, and the second pitcher ever to serve up two walk-off postseason gopher balls in his career. The first was not Byung-Hyun Kim, who gave up two game-tying jacks but only one walk-off in 2001. Instead, it's the great Lee Smith.

Finally, the 2004 NLCS became the first series ever with back-to-back walk-off homers, and only the second postseason series of all time with two walk-off jacks. The first? The 1988 World Series, with Kirk Gibson's memorable Game 1 pinch-hit longball and Mark McGwire's game-winner in Game 3.

Of course, the addition of third divisions and the wild card added several postseason games, many of which have been played in parks unprecedentedly friendly to the home run. Still, I find this statistic staggering:

Number of walk-off postseason homers prior to Joe Carter's in baseball history: 19

Number since Joe Carter's homer: 18

Here's the complete list.

Note that nine consecutive playoff walk-off homers (1995-2001) occurred in either The Bronx or Queens. A famous homerun taking place in Manhattan -- namely, Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round The World in 1951 -- is not included, since that playoff was technically an additional regular season game.

1949 World Series
Tommy Henrich (NY Yankees) off Don Newcombe (Brooklyn) to win 1-0 in the bottom of the ninth
Yankees lead series 1-0, would win in 5

1954 World Series
Dusty Rhodes (NY Giants) off Bob Lemon (Cleveland) to win 5-2 in 10 innings
Giants lead series 1-0, would sweep

1957 World Series
Eddie Mathews (Milw. Braves) off Bob Grim (NY Yankees) to win 7-5 in 10 innings
Series tied 2-2, Braves would win in seven

1960 World Series (Game 7)
Bill Mazeroski (Pittsburgh) off Ralph Terry (NY Yankees) to win 10-9 in the bottom of the ninth
Pirates win World Series

1964 World Series
Mickey Mantle (NY Yankees) off Barney Schultz (St. Louis) to win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth
Yankees lead series 2-1, would lose in seven

1972 World Series
Gene Tenace (Oakland) off Clay Carroll (Cincinnati) to win 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth
A's lead series 3-1, would win in seven

1973 NLCS
Johnny Bench (Cincinnati) off Tom Seaver (NY Mets) to win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth
Reds lead series 1-0, would lose 3-2

1973 ALCS
Bert Campaneris (Oakland) off Mike Cuellar (Baltimore) to win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth
A's lead series 2-1, would win 3-2

1975 World Series
Carlton Fisk (Boston) off Pat Darcy (Cincinnati) to win 7-6 in 12 innings
Series tied 3-3, Red Sox would lose in seven

1976 ALCS (Game 5)
Chris Chambliss (NY Yankees) off Mark Littell (Kansas City) to win 7-6 in the bottom of the ninth
Yankees win ALCS

1979 ALCS
John Lowenstein (Baltimore) off John Montague (California) to win 6-3 in 10 innings
Orioles lead series 1-0, would win 3-1

1981 NLDS
Andy Ashby (Houston) off Dave Stewart (Los Angeles) to win 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth
Astros lead series 1-0, would lose 3-2

1981 NLDS
George Vukovich (Philadelphia) off Jeff Reardon (Montreal) to win 6-5 in 10 innings
Series tied 2-2, Phillies would lose 3-2

1984 NLCS
Steve Garvey (San Diego) off Lee Smith (Chi. Cubs) to win 7-5 in the bottom of the ninth
Series tied 2-2, Padres would win 3-2

1985 NLCS
Ozzie Smith (St. Louis) off Tom Niedenfuer (Los Angeles) to win 3-2 in the bottom of the ninth
Cardinals lead series 3-2, would win in six

1986 NLCS
Lenny Dykstra (NY Mets) off Dave Smith (Houston) to win 6-5 in the bottom of the ninth
Mets lead series 2-1, would win in six

1988 World Series
Kirk Gibson (Los Angeles) off Dennis Eckersley (Oakland) to win 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth
Dodgers lead series 1-0

Mark McGwire (Oakland) off Jay Howell (Los Angeles) to win 2-1 in the bottom of the ninth
A's trail series 2-1, would lose in five

1991 World Series
Kirby Puckett (Minnesota) off Charlie Liebrandt (Atlanta) to win 4-3 in 11 innings
Series tied 3-3, Twins would win in seven

1993 World Series
Joe Carter (Toronto) off Mitch Williams (Philadelphia) to win 8-6 in the bottom of the ninth
Blue Jays win World Series in six games

1995 ALDS
Tony Pena (Cleveland) off Lee Smith (Boston) to win 5-4 in 10 innings
Indians lead series 1-0, would sweep

1995 ALDS
Jim Leyritz (NY Yankees) off Tim Belcher (Seattle) to win 7-5 in 12 innings
Yankees lead series 2-0, would lose 3-2

1996 ALCS
Bernie Williams (NY Yankees) off Randy Myers (Baltimore) to win 5-4 in 11 innings
Yankees lead series 1-0, would win in five

1999 NLDS
Todd Pratt (NY Mets) off Matt Mantei (Arizona) to win 4-3 in 10 innings
Mets win Division Series 3-1

1999 ALCS
Bernie Williams (NY Yankees) off Rod Beck (Boston) to win 4-3 in 10 innings
Yankees lead series 1-0, would win in five

1999 NLCS
Robin Ventura (NY Mets) off Kevin McGlinchy (Atlanta) to win 4-3 in 15 innings
Mets trail series 3-2, would lose in six

1999 World Series
Chad Curtis (NY Yankees) off Mike Remlinger (Atlanta) to win 6-5 in 10 innings
Yankees lead series 3-0, would sweep

2000 NLDS
Benny Agbayani (NY Mets) off Dave Fultz (San Francisco) to win 3-2 in 13 innings
Mets lead series 2-1, would win 3-1

2001 ALCS
Alfonso Soriano (NY Yankees) off Kazuhiro Sasaki (Seattle) to win 3-1 in the bottom of the ninth
Yankees lead series 3-1, would win in five

2001 World Series
Derek Jeter (NY Yankees) off Byung-Hyun Kim (Arizona) to win 4-3 in 10 innings
Series tied 2-2, Yankees would lose in seven

2003 ALDS
Trot Nixon (Boston) off Rich Harden (Oakland) to win 3-1 in 11 innings
Red Sox trail series 2-1, would win 3-2

2003 ALCS (Game 7)
Aaron Boone (NY Yankees) off Tim Wakefield (Boston) to win 6-5 in 11 innings
Yankees win ALCS

2003 World Series
Alex Gonzalez (Florida) off Jeff Weaver (NY Yankees) to win 4-3 in 12 innings
Series tied 2-2, Marlins would win in six

2004 NLDS
Rafael Furcal (Atlanta) off Dan Miceli (Houston) to win 4-2 in 11 innings
Series tied 1-1, Braves would lose 3-2

2004 ALDS
David Ortiz (Boston) off Jarrod Washburn (Anaheim) to win 8-6 in 10 innings
Red Sox sweep ALDS

2004 ALCS
David Ortiz (Boston) off Paul Quantrill (NY Yankees) to win 6-4 in 12 innings
Red Sox trail 3-1, would win in seven

2004 NLCS
Jeff Kent (Houston) off Jason Isringhausen (St. Louis) to win 3-0 in the bottom of the ninth
Astros lead series 3-2

Jim Edmonds (St. Louis) off Dan Miceli (Houston) to win 6-4 in 12 innings
Series tied 3-3
Posted by Mike D on Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 02:26 AM EDT.
The Walk-Off Playoffs | 14 comments | Create New Account
The following comments are owned by whomever posted them. This site is not responsible for what they say.
Pistol - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 09:45 AM EDT (#24609) #
I don't know what it means, but most of the recent WOHR have been in extra innings. Most of the old WOHR were in the 9th.

1954 World Series
Dusty Rhodes (NY Giants) off Bob Lemon (Cleveland) to win 5-2 in 10 innings
Giants lead series 1-0, would sweep

Wow, I never knew the American Dream played baseball.......
[ Reply to This ]
_Grimlock - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 10:46 AM EDT (#24610) #
Me Grimlock think Sapphire was the mascot for the Giants!
[ Reply to This ]
Mike D - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 10:57 AM EDT (#24611) #
I don't know what it means, but most of the recent WOHR have been in extra innings. Most of the old WOHR were in the 9th.

I don't think it's a coincidence. The increased use of relief pitching seems to be the reason more teams are able to protect tie games into extra innings. Several of the first few victims were tiring starters as opposed to short relievers.
[ Reply to This ]
_Mick - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 11:07 AM EDT (#24612) #
Just a cursory glance tells me that this could become a "clutch" argument, where big name players step up in big spots.

By my quick-scroll count, of the 37 homers listed, nine were hit by current or future Hall of Famers (including two, Maz and Oz, known far more for leather than lumber),while 19 more were jacked by All-Star calibre players, from the someday "He was an All-Star??" types like Gene Tenace and Aaron Boone to perennials like Garvey and Gibson.

Jim Leyritz, New York thanks you for your time and service and still marvels at the fact that your name is on this list.
[ Reply to This ]
Mike D - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 11:27 AM EDT (#24613) #
Mick, would you agree that Todd Pratt is the least accomplished hitter on this list?

Who's the worst pitcher on the list...maybe McGlinchy?
[ Reply to This ]
_Mick - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 11:38 AM EDT (#24614) #
Mike, I must disagree. Pratt, a clearly pedestrian hitter with a career OPS+ of exactly 100, falls short of the legendary Vukovich, with an OPS+ of just 92 (woudln't that be anOPS-minus?)

I was briefly confusing that Vukovich with John Vukovich,who actually was the Opening Day 3B for the legendary 1975 Reds before Sparky Anderson once pinch-hit for him in the first inning; shortly thereafter, Pete Rose gambled with a move to 3B (sorry).

That Vukovich had a career BA of.161 and a career OPS+ of 20.

Wasn't the Ventura homer you list actually the famous grand-slam single and thus not technically eligible for this list?
[ Reply to This ]
_Mick - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 11:38 AM EDT (#24615) #
Italics off (I hope).
[ Reply to This ]
_Mick - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 11:39 AM EDT (#24616) #
Dammit! Italics OFF!
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Gerry - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 12:08 PM EDT (#24617) #
From 1993 until last year more than half the home runs were by Yankees. This year they did not have any.

I always remember the Kirby Puckett home run, and his run around the bases, pumping his fists the whole way.
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_R Billie - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 12:14 PM EDT (#24618) #
Why did Garner bring in Dan Miceli? What about Dan Miceli screams good idea to face the middle of the Cardinals order? ESPECIALLY after you had just burned Lidge, your best pitcher, for three innings in an attempt to win the game, why not bring in Oswalt at that point with Clemens going the next day?

I suppose now you have Oswalt available in reserve for Clemens but I think you have to go for the win when you have a chance to end the series. You were tied in extra innings. You don't know what's going to happen tomorrow...if Clemens has a bad day you're kind of sunk in the way the Yankees were.

Meanwhile, Julian Tavarez is having a nice comeback year. He was a big deal after a good early year in Cleveland but the Cards managed to resurrect him as it seems they manage to do with a few pitchers. Guys like Williams and Carpenter who were average before become supermen with them. That's a pretty nice ability for an organization to have.
[ Reply to This ]
Mike D - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 01:12 PM EDT (#24619) #
Wasn't the Ventura homer you list actually the famous grand-slam single and thus not technically eligible for this list?

Technically, you're right...in the way that people were technically correct when they said "the real millenium celebration will happen when we ring in 2001."

In both cases, such technicalities are -- in my view -- properly ignored.
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_joemayo - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 02:59 PM EDT (#24620) #
wow. i forgot all about Benny Agbayani (the Hawaiian Punch (sans "out")). i didn't even notice but his 15 minutes have been up for a while...
[ Reply to This ]
_Jim - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 03:20 PM EDT (#24621) #
'"He was an All-Star??" types like Gene Tenace and Aaron Boone to perennials like Garvey and Gibson.'

Kirk Gibson never made an all-star team.
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_Mick - Thursday, October 21 2004 @ 03:31 PM EDT (#24622) #
Yes, yes, and both Tenace and Boone DID make All-Star teams. That's exactly the point. 25 years from now, everybody will still think f Gibby as an All-Star (thanks in large part to a wholly undeserved MVP award) but nobody other than Tenace's wife and Boone's brother will remember they were All-Stars.

A propos of nothing, did you know that Tenace originally pronounced his name "Tenacky" before changing it to "Tennis"? A very Joe Teezman-like move, that.
[ Reply to This ]
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