I just got back from an amazing finish as the #2 Miami Hurricanes took down the Clemson Tigers with a Yonder Alonso walk-off jack into the parking lot beyond right field. Alonso pimped (baseball slang for taunting while watching your home run soar) the 2-run shot and then gave the famous "U" sign to the crowd as he jumped onto home plate. Pretty damn exciting. Every once in a while you just seem to know something big is about to happen. When he stepped to the plate I practically expected him to hit that home run. Hey, those offseason Alex Rodriguez one-on-one sessions are paying off. Wow. Anyway, it prompted me to research and decide on the most memorable walkoff home runs.


#10) Jim Thome's 500th (September 16, 2007. Regular Season)
Rarely do you see people hitting 500 career home runs. But only once has it happened with a walk-off. Thome did it and I remember watching it on television. Not to mention they were down 7-1 in the 7th.

#9) Aaron "Frickin" Boone (October 16, 2003, Game 7 of ALCS)
What a lot of people don't realize is that Bucky Dent's infamous home run over the Green Monster wasn't actually a walk-off shot. The Red Sox still had a chance with 2 on and 2 out in the bottom of the 9th and couldn't do it. Well, not to worry Red Sox fans, your misery carries on in this list with the near carbon copy contributed by Aaron Boone. I remember the shock that vibrated through my head when he hit that ball. I still remember yelling, "No way!!!"

#8) Run Off (July 25, 1956, regular season)
Roberto Clemente has that sort of mythological aura about him. I never got to see him play, but I've seen the footage and the countless interviews of people praising him. If there is one moment in baseball history I'd like to see with my own eyes, his walk-off inside-the-park home run would make it close to the top. I wonder if the odds of that occurring are over or under 1 million to 1.

#7) The Philly Fright (October 23, 1993, Game 6 of the World Series)
Joe Carter has been the subject of many complaints in the Eisenberg house. I've been hearing about this home run since I was a kid growing up outside Philadelphia by my big brother. Mitch Williams and his hair will always live in infamy. The Phillies, let alone Philly sports, rarely get championship opportunities, so this was one of the more upsetting ever.

#6) Mr. November (October 31, 2001, Game 4 of the World Series)
September 11th changed a lot of things in America, but it made that year's World Series as memorable as any. From the George W. Bush first pitch to this walk-off homer. Derek Jeter earned the nickname "Mr. November" after his post-midnight walk-off that tied the series at 2-2. The Yankees were America's team whether you liked it or not and destiny prevailed as it always seems to in sports. That series also started Byung-Hyun Kim's fatal decline into mediocrity.

#5) Miracle Starter (October 17, 2004, Game 4 ALCS)
David Ortiz has hit plenty of game winners. When he doesn't you almost feel cheated. Well, in the 12th inning of game 4, down 3 games to none in the series, dejected Sox fans everywhere were shot with life with Ortiz's walk-off. It capped the first win of the 2004 ALCS that they would eventually win. The comeback will never happen again. DiMaggio's hitting streak will be broken before that one.

#4) The Shot Heard 'Round The World (October 3, 1951, regular season playoff)
"The Giants win the pennant!" Yea, that one. I've seen the footage of this home run, and although I have no context as to the excitement it generated, I know enough about baseball to understand. I must have been a sight to see live. It took the Giants to the playoffs and sent the Dodgers home.

#3) Bill Mazeroski (October 13, 1960, Game 7 of the World Series)
The only game 7 World Series walk-off in history. Could you imagine seeing this today? I would probably rip off all of my clothes and climb the nearest foul pole while waving my torn shirt in the air and screaming. No, seriously, I would.

#2) The Wave (October 21, 1975, Game 6 of World Series)
You've all seen it, I hope. Carlton Fisk waving his famous home run back into fair territory like a bowler trying to make that last pin fall. It's one of those moments that continue to make the Red Sox baseball's most exciting franchise.

#1) I Don't Believe What I Just Saw (October 15, 1988, Game 1 of the World Series)
An injured Kirk Gibson steps to the plate in an unexpected pinch hitting appearance. Everybody is shocked that he would even try to hit, but Gibson limps his way to the plate. What comes next is history. He belts a missile into right field. Even more impressive is who was pitching. Dennis Eckersley is one of baseball's all-time best closers, but Gibson had the best of him to win Game 1 of the World Series. By far not the most meaningful game to win, but the most memorable home run in baseball history takes the top spot on this list.