Walk off home runs are fabled and exciting moments in baseball lore. Few moments in sports carry the drama of a walk off home run, which instantly ends a game.
Must Be Hit by the Home Team
By definition, a walk off home run is a home run that ends the game immediately. The teams then walk off the field, hence the name, "walk off home run." In order for this to happen, the home team must hit the home run. The home team gets the last chance to bat in any inning and in the entire game, and therefore the visiting team does not have a chance to come back after a walk off home run.
Walk Off Home Run Situations
For a walk off home run to take place, the game must either be in the ninth inning or in extra innings. Additionally, the game must either be tied or the home team must be behind.
Scoring
When a team hits a walk off home run, every runner gets a chance to score. This means that despite the fact that the first or second runner may give the home team the winning run, every person on the base path gets to score.
Touching Home Plate
The game is not officially over until the hitter of the walk off home run touches home plate. This is an important technicality, as the game is not over when the ball goes over the fence. The batter still has to round the bases, touching all of them, and continue on to touch home plate to score the run.
Not the Only Walk Off
Walk off home runs may be the ultimate in terms of winning a baseball game, but it's not the only "walk off." Any hit by the home team, when tied or losing in the ninth inning or in extra innings, counts as a walk off hit. Therefore, walk off singles, doubles and trips, as well as walk off ground rule doubles, all take place. Walk off walks also occur when the batter is walked with the bases loaded, causing the winning run to score in a tied game.
Tags: home team, walk home, walk home, ends game, extra innings