Props to Metswalkoffs... http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/ Tuesday, May 29, 2007 What About Bob? Let's get this out of the way first, because I know someone will ask. The Mets have never won a game on a walk-off balk. And they still haven't, though I suppose that the balk(s) were more significant than anything else that happened in the 12th inning on Tuesday. But if you want to read an amazing coincidence involving balks, Bob's and walk-offs, make sure you read this whole posting. * Documented walk-off win #345 was the Mets 4th walk-off win of the season and their first since the 5-run 9th inning against the Cubs on May 17. * It was the Mets first walk-off home run since Carlos Beltran's against the Cardinals on August 22, 2006. It was Delgado's 3rd walk-off RBI (and 2nd walk-off hit) of the season and 4th walk-off RBI of his Mets career. The last 3 Mets walk-off wins have all ended with a Delgado walk-off RBI. * It was Carlos Delgado's 5th career walk-off HR, his 2nd as a Met (the other was a HR against the Pirates on May 3, 2006). It was his 9th career walk-off hit and 11th career walk-off RBI (9 hits, 2 walks). * It was the Mets 25th walk-off win against the Giants. It was their first walk-off win against the Giants since June 3, 2006 (Chris Woodward sacrifice fly) and their first walk-off home run against the Giants since Mike Piazza hit one on May 6, 2004. Mets With Walk-Off HR vs Giants Joe Hicks 1963 Ron Swoboda 1966 Tommie Agee 1969 Steve Henderson 1980 Rusty Staub 1982 Howard Johnson 1991 Benny Agbayani 2000 Mike Piazza 2004 Carlos Delgado 2007 * The list of Mets to hit 2 home runs in a game, including a walk-off HR is as follows: Tim Harkness 1963 Jerry Buchek 1967 Ed Charles 1968 Jim Beauchamp 1972 Rico Brogna 1996 Carlos Delgado 2007 * It was the 2nd 12-inning walk-off win of the season, with the first being the Endy Chavez bunt-off on April 24, 2007. It's interesting to note that in that game, Rockies pitcher Ryan Speier committed a balk in the 12th inning * In his first 717 major-league games, Armando Benitez was guilty of balking twice. In his 718th game, Armando Benitez balked twice. It was Benitez's 2nd walk-off loss against the Mets, his first since June 25, 1998. * The only other time the Mets won a game by walk-off in which the opposing team committed 2 balks was on May 31, 1988 against the Dodgers. Hall of Famer Don Sutton was charged with 2 in the first 5 innings in a game the Mets tied in the 10th inning on back-to-back RBI hits by Wally Backman and Keith Hernandez, then won in the 11th inning on a home run by Kevin Elster. * This was the 6th time that Bob Davidson umpired at first base in a Mets walk-off win. Only one of the other 5 games featured a balk call- the one on September 1, 1996 against the Giants, which we wrote about the other day. The balk (not sure if it was called by Davidson) came in the 5th inning and didn't have anywhere near the significance of the calls in Tuesday's game. * And if you had read our post from the other day, you'd know this one. It was the 5th time that the Mets got a walk-off win against a Barry Bonds-led team in a scenario in which they trailed entering their final at-bat of the night. Those that missed it can click here http://metswalkoffs.blogspot.com/2007/05/our-special-bonds.html True Metvidsons know...That the win, amazingly, came nearly 18 years to the day of a game in which the Mets lost on a walk-off balk. That happened in a 4-3 loss to the Dodgers on May 28, 1989. Second-spitter Roger McDowell was the guilty balker. The home-plate umpire who called the balk against McDowell was none other than BOB DAVIDSON!
