October 16, 2014. If you’re a Giants fan, you don’t even need the year. You just need the name. Travis Ishikawa.
Honestly, the whole thing felt like a fever dream. Here was a guy who, just months earlier, was riding buses in Triple-A Fresno, staring at the ceiling of a hotel room and wondering if he should just hang it up. He’d been designated for assignment by the Pirates. He was a first baseman by trade, yet there he was, starting in left field in Game 5 of the National League Championship Series against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Then it happened. The Travis Ishikawa walk off.
It wasn't just a home run. It was a "where were you?" moment that permanently etched itself into the DNA of San Francisco sports. You've probably seen the replay a thousand times—the orange towels waving, Joe Buck’s voice reaching that iconic gravelly pitch, and Ishikawa nearly getting tackled by Jake Peavy before he even reached second base.
The Unlikeliest Hero in a Dynasty of Misfits
The 2014 San Francisco Giants weren't supposed to be there. This wasn't the powerhouse 2012 squad or the "torture" team of 2010. They were a Wild Card team. They were scrappy, leaning heavily on Madison Bumgarner’s left arm and a bunch of "castoffs and misfits," as they were affectionately called.
Ishikawa fit that description perfectly. He was a 21st-round draft pick from 2002. A journeyman. A guy who had seen the highs of a 2010 World Series ring and the lows of being cut by the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 2014.
Basically, he was out of options.
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When Michael Morse and Angel Pagan went down with injuries, Bruce Bochy did something crazy. He put Ishikawa in left field. Mind you, Ishikawa hadn't really played the outfield. He was a first baseman. Earlier in that very Game 5, he actually misplayed a fly ball that let a run score. He looked out of place. He looked like a guy playing a position he didn't know.
But baseball has a funny way of offering redemption.
Breaking Down the Travis Ishikawa Walk Off
Bottom of the ninth. Score tied 3-3. The air at AT&T Park was thick with that San Francisco fog and a nervous energy you could feel through the TV screen.
Michael Wacha was on the mound for the Cardinals. He hadn’t pitched in 20 days. It was a controversial move by Mike Matheny, one that Cardinals fans still argue about at bars to this day. Why Wacha? Why then?
- The Setup: Pablo Sandoval led off with a single. Hunter Pence flied out. Brandon Belt walked.
- The Count: Wacha fell behind 2-0. He had to throw a strike. He couldn't risk loading the bases.
- The Pitch: A 96-mph fastball, low and inside.
Ishikawa didn't just hit it. He turned on it. The sound was different—a sharp, metallic crack that cut through the roar of the crowd. As the ball soared toward the right-field arcade, Ishikawa didn't even run at first. He stood there, arm raised, watching.
"Travis Ishikawa hits one into right! The Giants win the pennant!"
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That call by Joe Buck is legendary. It was the first time since Bobby Thomson’s "Shot Heard 'Round the World" in 1951 that a Giants player had ended a pennant-winning game with a home run. 63 years. That’s the kind of history we’re talking about.
Why It Still Matters Today
We talk about "clutch" all the time in sports, but this was something else. It was the ultimate "right place, right time" story.
Ishikawa later admitted he was so overwhelmed he almost forgot to touch the bases. If you watch the footage closely, Jake Peavy is literally screaming at him to keep running because Peavy had wandered onto the field in a state of pure delirium.
What most people get wrong is thinking this was just a lucky swing. It wasn't. Ishikawa was a professional who had spent over a decade in the minors and majors, grinding for every at-bat. He knew Wacha had to come in with a strike. He was sitting on that fastball.
It also solidified the Giants' "Even Year Magic." It propelled them to the World Series against the Kansas City Royals, where Madison Bumgarner would eventually cement his status as a postseason god. But without Ishikawa, there is no Game 7 in KC. There is no third trophy in five years.
The Human Element
Beyond the stats, the Travis Ishikawa walk off is a story about not quitting. Honestly, it’s kinda cheesy, but it’s true. Ishikawa had called his wife crying just months before, telling her he didn't know if he could keep doing this.
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He stayed. He took a minor league deal. He played a position he wasn't comfortable with because the team needed him.
And then he hit the most famous home run in the history of that ballpark.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Historians
If you want to truly appreciate the magnitude of this moment, do these three things:
- Watch the Spanish Broadcast: The "Goooool" style call of Ishikawa's homer is arguably even more energetic than the English version. It captures the raw chaos of the moment.
- Look at the 2014 Roster: Check out how many players on that team were "second-chance" guys. It puts Ishikawa's role into perspective. He wasn't the outlier; he was the symbol of that entire era.
- Visit the Spot: If you're ever at Oracle Park (formerly AT&T), walk out to the right-field wall. Stand where that ball landed. Even in 2026, you can still feel the ghost of that roar.
The Travis Ishikawa walk off isn't just a highlight on a reel. It's a reminder that in baseball, as in life, you're only one swing away from changing your entire legacy. He went from a guy about to retire to a permanent legend in the city by the Bay.
To honor this legacy, take a moment to watch the full 9th inning of Game 5. Don't just watch the homer. Watch the tension build. Watch the pitching changes. It’s a masterclass in postseason drama that reminds us why we watch the game in the first place.