The 1988 Major League Baseball season ended with the underdog Los Angeles Dodgers shocking the Oakland Athletics, who had won 104 games during the regular season, in the World Series. The most memorable moment of the series came in Game 1, when injured Dodger Kirk Gibson hit a dramatic pinch-hit walk-off home run off Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley to win the game for Los Angeles. The Dodgers went on to win the Series in five games.

This would also be the final full season for Peter Ueberroth as MLB commissioner.

Overview

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One of the American League's best players in 1988 was Athletics outfielder José Canseco,^[1] who became the first player in history to hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in a single season, unanimously garnering league MVP honors. The A's surrounded him with a stellar supporting cast, led by fellow slugger Mark McGwire (with whom Canseco formed the famed "Bash Brothers" duo). Aided by strong pitching from Dave Stewart and Bob Welch and the lights-out Eckersley securing 45 saves, Oakland ran away with the American League West and swept the Boston Red Sox of Boggs, Rice, and Clemens in the playoffs before falling to the Dodgers in the World Series.

Speaking of the Dodgers, nobody expected them even to contend for the National League West title in 1988, let alone win the World Championship. ^{[citation needed]} However, the intensity and clutch hitting of Gibson (named the NL MVP at season's end) and the solid pitching of Orel Hershiser (who won a league-leading 23 games) spearheaded L.A. to a division championship by seven games over the Cincinnati Reds. In addition to his 23 victories, Hershiser led the National League with 267 innings pitched and 8 shutouts, and also set a record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings (formerly held by Dodger great Don Drysdale). These accomplishments, combined with his 2.26 ERA, earned him the National League Cy Young Award. However, it was in the postseason that Hershiser really distinguished himself – he started Games 1 and 3 of the NLCS against the tough New York Mets, saved Game 4 in relief, and threw a complete-game shutout in Game 7. He hurled another complete-game shutout in Game 2 of the World Series, and also helped his own cause going 3-3 at the plate with a run scored and an RBI, and again went the distance in the clinching Game 5. Hershiser was named MVP of both the NLCS and the World Series, capping off arguably one of the greatest seasons a starting pitcher has ever had.

Awards and honors

• Baseball Hall of Fame
  • Willie Stargell

Other awards

• Outstanding Designated Hitter Award: Harold Baines (CWS)
• Roberto Clemente Award (Humanitarian): Dale Murphy (ATL).
• Rolaids Relief Man Award: Dennis Eckersley (OAK, American); John Franco (CIN, National).

Player of the Month

Pitcher of the Month

MLB statistical leaders

Standings