Champions
Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Oakland Athletics (4–1); Orel Hershiser, MVP
American League Championship Series MVP: Dennis Eckersley National League Championship Series MVP: Orel Hershiser All-Star Game, July 12 at Riverfront Stadium: American League, 2–1; Terry Steinbach, MVP
Other champions Baseball World Cup: Cuba Caribbean World Series: Leones del Escogido (Dominican Republic) College World Series: Stanford Japan Series: Seibu Lions over Chunichi Dragons (4–1) Korean Series: Haitai Tigers over Binggrae Eagles Big League World Series: Taipei, Taiwan Junior League World Series: Mexicali, Mexico Little League World Series: Tai Ping, Taichung, Taiwan Senior League World Series: Pingtung, Taiwan Summer Olympic Games at Seoul, South Korea (demonstration sport): United States (1st), Japan (2nd), Puerto Rico (3rd)
Awards and honors Baseball Hall of Fame Willie Stargell Most Valuable Player Jose Canseco, Oakland Athletics, OF (AL) Kirk Gibson, Los Angeles Dodgers, OF (NL) Cy Young Award Frank Viola, Minnesota Twins (AL) Orel Hershiser, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) Rookie of the Year Walt Weiss, Oakland Athletics, SS (AL) Chris Sabo, Cincinnati Reds, 3B (NL) Manager of the Year Award Tony La Russa, Oakland Athletics (AL) Tommy Lasorda, Los Angeles Dodgers (NL) Woman Executive of the Year (major or minor league): Mindy Rich, Buffalo Bisons, American Association Gold Glove Award Don Mattingly (1B) (AL) Harold Reynolds (2B) (AL) Gary Gaetti (3B) (AL) Tony Fernández (SS) (AL) Kirby Puckett (OF) (AL) Gary Pettis (OF) (AL) Devon White (OF) (AL) Bob Boone (C) (AL) Mark Langston (P) (AL)
MLB statistical leaders American League National League Type Name Stat Name Stat AVG Wade Boggs BOS .366 Tony Gwynn SD .313 HR Jose Canseco OAK 42 Darryl Strawberry NYM 39 RBI Jose Canseco OAK 124 Will Clark SF 109 Wins Frank Viola MIN 24 Orel Hershiser LADDanny Jackson CIN 23 ERA Allan Anderson MIN 2.45 Joe Magrane STL 2.18
Major League Baseball final standings
American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st Boston Red Sox 89 73 .549 – 2nd Detroit Tigers 88 74 .543 1.0 3rd Milwaukee Brewers 87 75 .537 2.0 3rd Toronto Blue Jays 87 75 .537 2.0 5th New York Yankees 85 76 .528 3.5 6th Cleveland Indians 78 84 .481 11.0 7th Baltimore Orioles 54 107 .335 34.5 West Division 1st Oakland Athletics 104 58 .642 – 2nd Minnesota Twins 91 71 .562 13.0 3rd Kansas City Royals 84 77 .522 19.5 4th California Angels 75 87 .463 29.0 5th Chicago White Sox 71 90 .441 32.5 6th Texas Rangers 70 91 .435 33.5 7th Seattle Mariners 68 93 .422 35.5
National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win % GB East Division 1st New York Mets 100 60 .625 – 2nd Pittsburgh Pirates 85 75 .531 15.0 3rd Montreal Expos 81 81 .500 20.0 4th Chicago Cubs 77 85 .475 24.0 5th St. Louis Cardinals 76 86 .469 25.0 6th Philadelphia Phillies 65 96 .404 35.5 West Division 1st Los Angeles Dodgers 94 67 .584 – 2nd Cincinnati Reds 87 74 .540 7.0 3rd San Diego Padres 83 78 .516 11.0 4th San Francisco Giants 83 79 .512 11.5 5th Houston Astros 82 80 .506 12.5 6th Atlanta Braves 54 106 .338 40
Events
January
January 4: First baseman Bob Horner, 30, a member of the November 1986 "Collusion II" class of free agents, rejoins the majors after spending the season in Japan, signing with the St. Louis Cardinals; 1988 will be Horner's final season in "Organized Baseball." The defending World Series champion Minnesota Twins sign free-agent catcher Brian Harper, 28, released by the Oakland Athletics last October 12. Harper will bat .306 in 730 games over the next six seasons with the Twins, and earn a World Series ring. January 5: The Milwaukee Brewers and their future Hall-of-Fame third baseman, Paul Molitor, agree on a new, two-year contract worth up to $3.7 million. Molitor, 31, batted .353 in 1987; his 39-game hitting streak was the American League's longest since Joe DiMaggio's fabled 56-game skein 46 years earlier. He had been granted free agency on November 9, 1987. Right-hander Don Sutton, 42, himself a future Hall of Famer, returns to his original team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on a one-year contract; he had been released by the California Angels last October 30. Sutton won 230 games and was a four-time All-Star as a Dodger between and . The Boston Red Sox sign 12-year veteran relief pitcher Dennis Lamp, granted free agency from the Oakland Athletics last October 19. January 6 – In a move that "shatters the two-year calm" in free agency since the dawn of the collusion era in November 1985, the New York Yankees sign National League slugger Jack Clark to a two-year contract worth as much as $4 million with incentives. First baseman Clark, 32, is a 4x All-Star who'll be the Yanks' designated hitter in 1988. He had been granted free agency from the St. Louis Cardinals last November 9. January 7: The Minnesota Twins re-sign All-Star, Gold Glove Award-winning third baseman Gary Gaetti, 29, voted MVP of the 1987 ALCS, granted free agency last November 9. He signs a three-year $4.3 million contract. The Kansas City Royals re-sign 16-game-winning left-hander Charlie Leibrandt, 31, a November 9 free agent, to a two-year contract. January 8: On deadline day for November 9's free agents to sign with their 1987 teams—or wait until May 1 to do so—the Houston Astros come to terms with three important members of their 1987 pitching staff, retaining starter Danny Darwin, set-up man Larry Andersen, and ace closer Dave Smith. The New York Yankees, however, lose free agent starting pitcher Bill Gullickson to the Yomiuri Giants of Nippon Professional Baseball; he rejects the Bombers' two-year, $1.8 million offer and signs with the Japanese team for two years and $3.3 million. January 12: Former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Willie Stargell is the only player elected to the Hall of Fame by the Baseball Writers' Association of America. Stargell becomes the 17th player to be elected in his first year of eligibility. Pitcher Jim Bunning garners 317 votes (74.2%), and falls four votes shy of the 321 needed for election in his 13th year on the ballot. The Milwaukee Brewers unconditionally release five-time AL All-Star Cecil Cooper, ending the 38-year-old first baseman's 17-year MLB playing career. January 15 – The New York Yankees sign 13-year MLB veteran southpaw John Candelaria, granted free agency from the New York Mets on November 9. January 19 – For the third consecutive off-season, the Major League Baseball Players Association files a collusion-related grievance, alleging that the 26 team owners are illegally working together to depress player salaries; "Collusion III" deals with an "information bank" the owners have created to compare salary offers being made to free agents. January 22: Four months after he ruled in favor of the MLBPA in its "Collusion I" grievance, arbitrator Thomas T. Roberts declares seven players no-risk, "new-look" free agents, enabling them to sign with competing clubs despite their already having contracts. The seven are Juan Beníquez, Tom Brookens, Carlton Fisk, Kirk Gibson, Donnie Moore, Joe Niekro and Butch Wynegar. All were members of the "Class of 1985," granted freedom by the CBA to "test the market," but who encountered the owners' "gentleman's agreement" to restrict player movement, salaries and contract terms. Catcher Lance Parrish returns to the Philadelphia Phillies on a one-year, $1 million contract. Last year, Parrish was one of seven marquee members of free-agency's "Class of 1986" whose negotiations were affected by owner collusion. January 25 – Veteran outfielder Juan Beníquez is the first of January 22's "new-look" free agents to negotiate a new contract—although he remains with the Toronto Blue Jays. January 29 – One week after being declared a new-look free agent, outfielder Kirk Gibson abandons the Detroit Tigers to sign a three-year, $4.5 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Gibson, 30, will have a massive impact on the 1988 Dodgers, winning the National League MVP Award, authoring one of the most dramatic moments in World Series history, and earning his second career world-championship ring.
February
February 9: New-look free agents Tom Brookens, Carlton Fisk, Donnie Moore, Joe Niekro and Butch Wynegar sign new contracts to return to their 1987 teams. The St. Louis Cardinals obtain right-hander José DeLeón from the Chicago White Sox for southpaw Ricky Horton, outfielder Lance Johnson and cash. The Oakland Athletics sign DH Don Baylor, unconditionally released by the Minnesota Twins last December 21. February 12 – The Chicago Cubs trade infielder Mike Brumley and outfielder Keith Moreland to the San Diego Padres in exchange for pitchers Goose Gossage and Ray Hayward. February 15 – The Cincinnati Reds trade pitcher Jeff Montgomery to the Kansas City Royals for outfielder Van Snider. February 17 – In Tallahassee, Florida, legendary broadcaster Red Barber, enshrined in Cooperstown as one of the first winners of the Ford C. Frick Award, is honored on his 80th birthday by the state where he grew up. He's lauded by Howard Cosell as a man who "always told it like it is." February 18: Veteran southpaw starter Frank Tanana, a 15-game winner in 1987, wins his arbitration case and returns to the Detroit Tigers; he had been granted free agency November 9 and opted for arbitration. The Kansas City Royals sign first baseman/DH Steve Balboni as a free agent, after unconditionally releasing him last December 21. February 20 – The Tigers sign outfielder/third baseman Luis Salazar, granted free agency from the San Diego Padres last October 20. February 25 – Outfielder José Cruz, 40, a two-time NL All-Star who has spent the 14 seasons with the Houston Astros, signs with the New York Yankees. He had been granted free agency last November 9. February 26 – Despite bitter neighborhood opposition, the Chicago City Council votes 29–19 to allow night baseball at 72-year-old Wrigley Field this coming season. The Cubs will be permitted to host eight night games in 1988, and 18 from through . In response, MLB magnates award Wrigley the 1990 All-Star Game, which will be played under the lights. February 27 – The Baltimore Orioles trade third baseman Ray Knight to the Detroit Tigers for pitcher Mark Thurmond. February 28 – The Cleveland Indians sign 28-year-old outfielder/first baseman/DH Terry Francona, granted free agency from the Cincinnati Reds last November 2. Francona, whose father, Tito, was a Cleveland stalwart from –, will return there in to manage the Indians/Guardians for 11 seasons, winning 921 games—the most of any skipper in the club's 125-year history—and the 2016 American League pennant.
March
March 1 – For the first time since 1956, the Special Veterans Committee does not elect anyone to the Hall of Fame. Phil Rizzuto, Leo Durocher, Joe Gordon and Gil Hodges are among the candidates passed over. March 7: Jim Abbott, a junior left-handed pitcher for the University of Michigan who was born without a right hand, wins the James E. Sullivan Award as 1987's top amateur athlete in the U.S. Abbott, now 20, will forge a ten-year MLB career beginning in and win 87 games. American League umpires, instructed to more strictly enforce the balk rule during the coming season, call 12 such infractions in an exhibition game between the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays. Knuckleballer Charlie Hough commits nine balks in only four innings of work—including seven in the second. March 11 – Veteran manager Gene Mauch, 62, takes an abrupt medical leave from the California Angels' spring training camp for treatment of bronchitis; he will formally retire from managing on March 26. Advance scout and former MLB second baseman Cookie Rojas, 49, takes his place. Mauch spent 26 seasons as a big-league skipper for four clubs; his teams never won a pennant. March 17: