Walk-Off Firsts

Today, most historians agree that pitcher Dennis Eckersley coined the now-popular term “walk-off,” referring to game-ending home runs as “walk-off pieces.” The idea was that once the home run was hit, there was nothing left for the pitcher to do, so he would simply walk off the mound.

It’s only appropriate that term be associated with “Eck,” because he surrendered one of the most famous “walk-off pieces” in baseball history: Kirk Gibson’s game-ending, two-run homer in Game One of the 1988 World Series.

But in the early days of baseball, there was no such thing as a “walk-off” hit. And by “no such thing,” I don’t mean that game-ending hits weren’t called “walk-offs.” I mean that there were no game-ending hits, regardless of what you called them. That’s because the rules of baseball simply did not allow for the possibility. Here’s the relevant rule from 1879:

The game shall consist of nine innings to each side, but should the score then be a tie, play shall be continued until a majority of runs for one side, upon an equal number of innings, shall be declared, when the game shall end. All innings shall be concluded when the third hand is put out.

In other words, no matter which club was ahead in the bottom of the ninth (or the bottom of an extra inning), the inning was not over until all three outs were made. For example, if the team batting second was ahead going into the bottom of the ninth, that half inning would be played, even though the outcome was already determined. Furthermore, if the team batting second was behind going into the bottom of the ninth, and then scored enough runs to gain the lead, that half inning still continued until the third out was made ... again, even though the outcome was already determined.

It wasn’t until 1880 that the rules were changed to essentially the modern-day situation, allowing the game to end once the outcome was assured even if the third out had yet to be made. Here’s the exact wording of that new rule:

A Game shall consist of nine innings to each contesting nine, except that: (1) If the side first at bat scores less runs in nine innings than the other side has scored in eight inning, the game shall the terminate. (2) If the side last at bat in the ninth innings scores the winning run before the third man is out, the game shall then terminate. (3) If the score be a tie at the end of nine innings to each side, play shall only be continued until the side first at bat shall have scored one or more runs than the other side, in an equal number of innings; or until the other side shall score one more run than the side first at bat.

In short, it wasn’t until 1880 that a walk-off hit could occur under the rules of the game. This raises the question ...

When was the first walk-off hit in major league history?

The answer is: Opening Day of 1880. Yes, you read that correctly. On the very first day that a walk-off hit could occur, it did occur.

On May 1, 1880, Cincinnati hosted Chicago on the first day of the National League season. While the Reds were the home team, they batted first. That is because the rule at the time called for the winner of a pre-game coin toss to earn the choice of whether to bat first or second. In this case, the Reds most likely won the toss and opted to bat first. This seems counterintuitive from the modern-day point of view, but as these early games were generally played with just one ball, there was a real advantage to batting first and getting a crack at that brand new baseball.


Joe Quest

Just about two-and-a-half hours after that fateful coin toss, the visiting Chicagoans found themselves trailing Cincinnati, 3-2, as they came to bat in the bottom of the ninth. Then Chicago rallied and, with one out, had Larry Corcoran on third and Tom Burns on second. As reported in the Cincinnati Enquirer the next day:

[Joe] Quest dropped a little fly over [Cincinnati second baseman Pop] Smith’s head safe for a base and Corcoran scored the trying [sic] run and Burns kept bowling right along for victory. [Cincinnati right fielder Jack] Manning had plenty of time to head him off, but after holding the ball and hesitating, he threw it six feet over [Cincinnati catcher John] Clapp’s head, and the game was lost. According to the new League Rules the game ended with Burns’ run, though but one of the Chicagos was out.

Making his major league debut with the National League’s Cleveland club that very same day was a 21-year-old infielder named Fred Dunlap. Just over two months later, Dunlap became the answer to the following trivia question:

Who hit the first walk-off home run in major league history?

On July 10, 1880, Cleveland played host to the same Chicago club that had earlier recorded the first big league walk-off hit. Entering the contest, Chicago was riding an amazing 20-game winning streak. In fact, with a win and a tie prior to that streak, Chicago had fashioned a run of 22 straight games without a loss.

As noted in the Chicago Tribune on July 11, “it was a pitcher’s game.” Cleveland’s Jim McCormick and Chicago’s Fred Goldsmith matched goose eggs, for eight straight innings, and after Chicago failed to score in the top of the ninth, Cleveland came to bat. “[Jack Glasscock] got [to] first on a hit in the ninth, and [Fred] Dunlap, the next striker, drove a ball down in the lower corner of the grounds, bringing in Glasscock and making a home run himself.”


Fred Dunlap

Under today’s rules, Dunlap’s hit would have only counted as a triple, because it was not an over-the-fence home run and thus the game would have ended the moment Glasscock’s winning run scored. But at the time, the play was allowed to continue, Dunlap was credited with a homer, Cleveland earned a 2-0 victory, Chicago’s streak came to a halt, and the first walk-off home run entered baseball’s record books.