Vice President and Republican candidate George Bush Sr. defeated Massachusetts governor Michael Dukakis in the presidential race to become the forty-first President of the United States.
The investment firm of Kohlberg-Kravis-Roberts paid nearly $30 billion dollars for the R.J. Reynolds-Nabisco Company, which had merged in 1985, in the largest leveraged buyout ever. The investment deal went on to become the subject of a best-selling novel and television movie entitled "Barbarians at the Gate".
Undefeated heavyweight boxing champion "Iron Mike" Tyson's problems outside boxing started to gain prominence after his marriage to Robin Givens ended admidst a media circus. The highly publicized divorce set in motion a series of bizarre events that not only dimished his skills in the ring, but ultimately ended his career after repeated acts of reckless behavior and criminal violence.
The Anaheim Angels signed University of Michigan pitcher Jim Abbott, who was a member of the U.S. Olympic baseball team despite being born without a right hand.
Minnesota Twins reliever Jeff Reardon became the first pitcher in Major League history with forty saves in both leagues after finishing off the Chicago White Sox 3-1 on September 17th. In 1985, Reardon recorded forty-one saves with the National League's Montreal Expos.
The Oakland Athletics' Jose Canseco became the first player to hit at least forty home runs and steal forty bases in the same season. His thirty-ninth and fortieth stolen bases as well as his forty-first home run came in a 9-8, fourteen-inning marathon against the Milwaukee Brewers on September 23rd.
On August 30th Kent Tekulve, the side-arm reliever of the Philadelphia Phillies, pitched two innings for a 7-5 victory over the San Francisco Giants in his 1000th game. Only one other player in baseball history, Hoyt Wilhelm, had reached the one-thousand milestone to date.
Tom Browning, of the Cincinnati Reds, tossed the first perfect nine-inning game in the National League in twenty-three years against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Riverfront Stadium. The young lefty threw one-hundred two pitches and finished with a 1-0 victory and seven strikeouts.
The Los Angeles Dodgers' Orel Hershiser broke Don Drysdale's Major League record after pitching ten shutout innings against the San Diego Padres extending his string to fifty-nine. Hershiser had begun his streak with four shutout innings against the Montreal Expos. Then he beat the Atlanta Braves 3-0, the Cincinnati Reds 5-0, the Braves again 1-0, the Houston Astros 1-0 and the San Francisco Giants 3-0.
Chicago's Board of Alderman finally approved the addition of lights at Wrigley Field. After a vote of 29-19, the members repeal the anti-noise laws that had kept the Cubs' ballpark as the only Major League stadium without lights. The decision resulted in the introduction of night games to the other half of the "Windy City" and the promise of the 1990 All-Star Game at Wrigley.
Willie "Pops" Stargell became the only player inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. The team captain / outfielder / first baseman played twenty-one years for the Pittsburgh Pirates and hit .282 with 475 home runs and 1,540 runs batted in. He led the National League in slugging average in 1974 with .646, led the Senior Circuit in home runs twice and played in two World Series while batting .315.
In December, Major League Baseball signed a four-year, $1.05 billion dollar television deal with the Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) making it one of the largest agreements (to date) between the sport of baseball and the business of broadcasting.
The game-winning RBI was dropped as an official statistic by the rules and regulations committee.
"That's a lot of bombs (sixty-one home runs). The stars and planets have to be lined up just right for that." - Mo Vaughn
1988 American League Player ReviewHitting Statistics League Leaderboard |
||||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
Base on Balls | Wade Boggs | Boston | 125 | Top 25 |
Batting Average | Wade Boggs | Boston | .366 | Top 25 |
Doubles | Wade Boggs | Boston | 45 | Top 25 |
Hits | Kirby Puckett | Minnesota | 234 | Top 25 |
Home Runs | Jose Canseco | Oakland | 42 | Top 25 |
On Base Percentage | Wade Boggs | Boston | .480 | Top 25 |
RBI | Jose Canseco | Oakland | 124 | Top 25 |
Runs | Wade Boggs | Boston | 128 | Top 25 |
Slugging Average | Jose Canseco | Oakland | .569 | Top 25 |
Stolen Bases | Rickey Henderson | New York | 93 | Top 25 |
Total Bases | Kirby Puckett | Minnesota | 358 | Top 25 |
Triples | Harold Reynolds | Seattle | 11 | Top 25 |
Willie Wilson | Kansas City | |||
Robin Yount | Milwaukee | |||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
1988 American League Pitcher ReviewPitching Statistics League Leaderboard |
||||
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
Complete Games | Roger Clemens | Boston | 14 | Top 25 |
Dave Stewart | Oakland | |||
ERA | Allan Anderson | Minnesota | 2.45 | Top 25 |
Games | Chuck Crim | Milwaukee | 70 | Top 25 |
Saves | Dennis Eckersley | Oakland | 45 | Top 25 |
Shutouts | Roger Clemens | Boston | 8 | Top 25 |
Strikeouts | Roger Clemens | Boston | 291 | Top 25 |
Winning Percentage | Frank Viola | Minnesota | .774 | Top 25 |
Wins | Frank Viola | Minnesota | 24 | Top 25 |
Statistic | Name(s) | Team(s) | # | Top 25 |
1988 American LeagueTeam Standings |
||||||
East | Team [Click for roster] | Wins | Losses | WP | GB | Payroll |
Boston Red Sox | 89 | 73 | .549 | 0 | $15,629,592 | |
Detroit Tigers | 88 | 74 | .543 | 1 | $15,597,071 | |
Toronto Blue Jays | 87 | 75 | .537 | 2 | $14,098,725 | |
Milwaukee Brewers | 87 | 75 | .537 | 2 | $10,864,000 | |
New York Yankees | 85 | 76 | .528 | 3½ | $21,524,152 | |
Cleveland Indians | 78 | 84 | .481 | 11 | $10,244,500 | |
Baltimore Orioles | 54 | 107 | .335 | 34½ | $11,370,404 | |
West | Team [Click for roster] | Wins | Losses | WP | GB | Payroll |
Oakland Athletics | 104 | 58 | .642 | 0 | $11,628,083 | |
Minnesota Twins | 91 | 71 | .562 | 13 | $13,444,800 | |
Kansas City Royals | 84 | 77 | .522 | 19½ | $14,058,873 | |
California Angels | 75 | 87 | .463 | 29 | $12,382,388 | |
Chicago White Sox | 71 | 90 | .441 | 32½ | $7,736,952 | |
Texas Rangers | 70 | 91 | .435 | 33½ | $7,105,500 | |
Seattle Mariners | 68 | 93 | .422 | 35½ | $6,545,950 | |
American League Team Standings |
1988 American League Team ReviewHitting Statistics League Leaderboard |
||
Statistic | Team | # |
Base on Balls | Boston | 623 |
Batting Average | Boston | .283 |
Doubles | Boston | 310 |
Hits | Boston | 1,569 |
Home Runs | Toronto | 158 |
On Base Percentage | Boston | .360 |
Runs | Boston | 813 |
Slugging Average | Minnesota | .421 |
Stolen Bases | Milwaukee | 159 |
Triples | Toronto | 47 |
1988 American League Team ReviewPitching Statistics League Leaderboard |
||
Statistic | Team | # |
Complete Games | Texas | 41 |
ERA | Oakland | 3.44 |
Fewest Hits Allowed | Texas | 1,310 |
Fewest Home Runs Allowed | Kansas City | 102 |
Fewest Walks Allowed | Milwaukee | 437 |
Saves | Oakland | 64 |
Shutouts | Toronto | 17 |
Strikeouts | Boston | 1,085 |
Seasonal Events: All-Star Game | Draft | Home Run Derby | World Series Navigation: Year in Review Menu | Previous Season | Next Season Miscellaneous: N.L. Leaderboard | Retirements | Rookies List Average Salary: $438,729.00 Minimum Salary: $62,500.00 |
On June 11, 1988, Rick Rhoden, a pitcher for the New York Yankees, became the first pitcher to start at the designated hitter position, remain as the designated hitter, and he hit a sacrifice fly.
On June 25, 1988, a young player started in his one-thousandth career game. That player was none other than Cal Ripken, Jr..
On September 23, 1988, Jose Canseco stole two bases and became the first player in history with forty stolen bases and forty home runs during a single season.