Golden pitch

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Babe Ruth is tagged out by Rogers Hornsby to end the 1926 World Series. Bob Meusel was facing a "golden pitch" from Grover Cleveland Alexander when Ruth was caught stealing to end the game and the series. Ruth1926-3.jpg
Babe Ruth is tagged out by Rogers Hornsby to end the 1926 World Series. Bob Meusel was facing a "golden pitch" from Grover Cleveland Alexander when Ruth was caught stealing to end the game and the series.

A golden pitch refers to a pitch in a baseball game in which the outcome of the pitch could produce a World Series championship for either team.

Contents

As of the end of the 2025 baseball season, roughly 50 "golden pitches" have been thrown, by nine pitchers to 15 batters in the 1912, 1926, 1962, 1972, 1997, 2001, 2014, 2016 and 2025 World Series. [1]

Background

The term was coined by Wade Kapszukiewicz, a politician from Toledo, Ohio (as of 2025 the city's mayor), who introduced the concept in an article for the Spring 2016 edition of the Society of American Baseball Research (SABR) Baseball Research Journal. [1] By definition, a golden pitch can only be thrown in Game 7 of the World Series and only in the bottom of the ninth inning or later, when the road team has the lead.

The most recent golden pitches occurred in the 2025 World Series when Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto threw seven against the Toronto Blue Jays in the 11th inning of Game 7. [2] After the Dodgers had taken a 5-4 lead in the top of the 11th on a home run by Will Smith, Vladimir Guerrero Jr. led off the bottom of the 11th with a double. After he advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt by Isiah Kiner-Falefa, the teams entered a "golden pitch" situation by which either team could win on the next pitch. The next batter, Addison Barger, reached base on a four-pitch walk. Then Alejandro Kirk stepped to the plate. He hit a foul ball and took a strike for an 0-2 count. On the third pitch of his at-bat, Kirk hit a broken-bat ground ball to Dodgers shortstop Mookie Betts, who touched second base and threw to first baseman Freddie Freeman to complete the double play and clinch the Dodgers' ninth world championship. [3]

Plate appearances with golden pitches

YearBatterPitcher# of pitchesOutcome
1912 Steve Yerkes Christy Mathewson 5 [1] Walk
19121 Tris Speaker Christy Mathewson2 [1] RBI single, tie game
1926 Bob Meusel Grover Cleveland Alexander 1 or 2 [1] Babe Ruth caught stealing, St. Louis Cardinals win [4]
1962 Chuck Hiller Ralph Terry at least 3 [1] Strikeout
1962 Willie Mays Ralph Terry3 [1] Double
1962 Willie McCovey Ralph Terry2 [1] Lineout, New York Yankees win
1972 Pete Rose Rollie Fingers 1 [5] Flyout, Oakland A's win
1997 Charles Johnson José Mesa 4 [6] Single to RF
1997 Craig Counsell José Mesa3 [6] Sacrifice fly, tie game
2001 Jay Bell Mariano Rivera 1 [7] Groundout
2001 Tony Womack Mariano Rivera5 [7] RBI double, tie game
2014 Salvador Perez Madison Bumgarner 6 [8] Foul popout, San Francisco Giants win
2016 Michael Martinez Mike Montgomery [9] 2 [10] Groundout, Chicago Cubs win
2025 Addison Barger Yoshinobu Yamamoto 4 [11] Walk
2025 Alejandro Kirk Yoshinobu Yamamoto3 [11] Groundout double play, Los Angeles Dodgers win

1The golden pitches in the 1912 World Series occurred in Game 8. Game 2 of the series ended in a tie.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Golden Pitches: The Ultimate Last-at-Bat, Game Seven Scenario – Society for American Baseball Research" . Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  2. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (2025-11-02). "Gangster. Gutsy. Greatness. Yoshinobu Yamamoto authors a World Series for the ages". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  3. ↑ Kepner, Tyler (2025-11-03). "Why the Dodgers and Blue Jays just played the greatest Game 7 in World Series history". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  4. ↑ Fleming, John (2016-11-09). "The "golden pitch" which led to the first Cardinals title". Viva El Birdos. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  5. ↑ "1972 World Series Game 7, Oakland Athletics vs Cincinnati Reds: October 22, 1972". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  6. 1 2 "1997 World Series Game 7, Cleveland Indians vs Florida Marlins: October 26, 1997". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  7. 1 2 "2001 World Series Game 7, New York Yankees vs Arizona Diamondbacks: November 4, 2001". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  8. ↑ "2014 World Series Game 7, San Francisco Giants vs Kansas City Royals: October 29, 2014". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  9. ↑ "Trister: Mike Montgomery traded, but place in Cubs history secure – Society for American Baseball Research" . Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  10. ↑ "2016 World Series Game 7, Chicago Cubs vs Cleveland Indians: November 2, 2016". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
  11. 1 2 "2025 World Series Game 7, Los Angeles Dodgers vs Toronto Blue Jays: November 1, 2025". Baseball-Reference.com. Retrieved 2025-11-04.
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