Dennis Eckersley would later coin the term "walk-off home run," initially used as a negative term. But it later became an unofficial stat and is now used as a moment for the home team to celebrate. Although there are many other walk-off methods

, this walk-off home run is what helped coin the term, and "walk-off home run" is still the most famous of them.

 

The LA Dodgers would go on to upset the A's, winning the series, four games to one. Orel Hershiser, who threw a complete game in the clincher, won the World Series MVP.

 

The World Series at-bat was his only one. He didn't play another game in the 1988 World Series, but would finish his career a few years later. He's now the manager of the Arizona Diamondbacks.

 

The Oakland A's would bounce back, winning the 1989 World Series against the San Francisco Giants and return in 1990 after sweeping Boston. They would get upset by the Reds four straight, making the Reds the last National League team to go wire-to-wire (start and end the season in first place and win the Championship; the next wire-to-wire team would be the 2005 Chicago White Sox). After a disappointing six-game defeat in the 1992 ALCS to eventual World Champion Toronto Blue Jays, they haven't had postseason success since. The twenty-four-year championship drought is the franchise's longest since their forty-two-year drought from 1930 (as the Philadelphia A's) to 1972 (when they won their first of three straight titles).

 

Dennis Eckersley proved his worth as a closer further, dominating the role throughout the late-1980s and 1990s. In 1992, with the help of his 51 saves, microscopic 1.91 ERA, and .91 WHIP (Walks and Hits per Inning Pitched), he would go on to win both the AL Cy Young and AL MVP. He's the last reliever to win the AL Cy Young and MVP and last of the two respective clubs altogether until Eric Gagné (winning it for the Dodgers in 2003) and Justin Verlander (in 2011 for the Detroit Tigers after going 24-5 and winning the AL Triple Crown of Pitching). He would go on to save 390 games, win 197 games (he was a starter earlier in his career and had a no-hitter while with the Cleveland Indians in 1977), be elected to the Baseball of Fame on the first ballot, and have his number 43 retired.

 

The LA Dodgers wouldn't return to the playoffs again until winning the 1995 NL West and 1996 NL Wild Card (losing out the West to San Diego in the final weekend). Both times, they got swept. They're currently playing in the NLCS and haven't had much postseason success. Their World Series drought is the longest since moving to LA from Brooklyn in 1958 and longest for the franchise since their fifty-five-year drought (from 1990 when they won the NL Pennant and pre-modern World Series until 1955 when they won their first and only modern Fall Classic in Brooklyn).