Joe Carter carved out a solid career with 396 regular-season home runs and six more in the playoffs, but none of them come close to matching the magnitude of his walk-off blast that won the 1993 World Series.
That swing gave the Toronto Blue Jays their second consecutive championship and capped off back-to-back titles in 1992 and 1993. What makes Carter’s moment even more special? The Blue Jays wouldn’t reach another Fall Classic for 32 years until 2025, adding serious weight to that October night in Toronto.
Let’s break down how one of baseball’s most iconic moments unfolded.
The Setup
Game 6 of the 1993 World Series took place on Oct. 23, 1993, with the Blue Jays trailing 6-5 heading into the bottom of the ninth.
Carter stepped in against Mitch Williams, the Phillies’ hard-throwing lefty closer. Williams had posted solid numbers during the regular season – 3-7 record with a 3.34 ERA and 43 saves – but the postseason wasn’t going his way. He’d struggled to a 2-2 record with a 7.88 ERA through three saves that October.
The inning started with Williams walking Rickey Henderson. After getting Devon White to fly out, he gave up a single to Paul Molitor, setting the stage for Carter with runners on first and second and one out.
Carter wasn’t exactly locked in that night. He’d gone 0-for-3 to that point and was a career 0-for-4 against Williams. The lefty was using a slide step to keep Henderson from stealing third, nearly losing his balance on the mound but catching himself each time.
The At-Bat
Williams started Carter with two balls before finding the strike zone with a pitch right down the middle that Carter watched for strike one. The next offering came in low, and Carter swung wildly for strike two.
That’s when everything changed.
On the fifth pitch of the at-bat, Carter connected and sent a line drive over the left field wall. Game over. Series over.
The Call That Made History
Tom Cheek’s radio call became the stuff of legend, with his line “Touch ’em all Joe, you’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life” ranking among the greatest calls in Canadian sports history.
Here’s the pitch on the way — a swing and a belt!
Left field — way back, BLUE JAYS WIN IT!
The Blue Jays are World Series champions, as Joe Carter hits a three-run homer in the ninth inning, and the Blue Jays have repeated as World Series champions!
Touch ’em all, Joe! You’ll never hit a bigger home run in your life!
Where It Ranks Among Walk-Off World Series Homers
Carter’s blast was one of 19 walk-off home runs in World Series history, but here’s what makes it special – only two walk-off homers have ever clinched a championship.
The other belongs to Bill Mazeroski, whose 1960 shot for the Pirates came in Game 7 and remains the only walk-off homer in World Series Game 7 history.
Some of the other memorable walk-offs include:
- Carlton Fisk’s body-English homer in 1975 Game 6
- Kirk Gibson’s hobbled blast in 1988 Game 1
- David Freese’s epic 2011 Game 6 shot
- Freddie Freeman’s recent heroics in 2024 and 2025
But Carter’s stands alone as a series-clincher that came with the Blue Jays down to their final outs.
Carter’s Legacy
While Joe Carter isn’t in the MLB Hall of Fame, his place in Blue Jays history is secure. He’s a member of the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame (2003) and earned the “Major League Baseball Hometown Heroes Award” in 2006 through fan voting.
The Rogers Centre honors Carter as part of its “Level of Excellence,” displaying his name and number on the 500 level facing alongside 10 other franchise legends.
Carter’s also been inducted into several other halls of fame, including the National College Baseball Hall of Fame (2009), Ontario Sports Hall of Fame (2004), and Kansas Baseball Hall of Fame (2008).
All things considered, not a bad legacy for a guy who came through when it mattered most. That swing in October 1993 gave Toronto something special – a moment that still gives Blue Jays fans chills more than three decades later.
