Elections to the Baseball Hall of Fame for 1988 followed the system in place since 1978.
The Baseball Writers Association of America

Baseball Writers Association of America

The Baseball Writers' Association of America is a professional association for baseball journalists writing for daily newspapers, magazines and qualifying Web sites. The BBWAA was founded on October 14, 1908, to improve working conditions for sportswriters in the early part of the 20th century...

 (BBWAA) voted by mail to select from recent major league players and
elected Willie Stargell

Willie Stargell

Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...

.
The Veterans Committee

Veterans Committee

The Veterans Committee is the popular name of the National Baseball Hall of Fame Committee to Consider Managers, Umpires, Executives and Long-Retired Players, a committee of the U.S...

 met in closed sessions to consider older major league players as well as managers, umpires, executives, and figures from the Negro Leagues.
It selected no one.

BBWAA election

The BBWAA was authorized to elect players active in 1968 or later, but not after 1982; the ballot included candidates from the 1987 ballot who received at least 5% of the vote but were not elected, along with selected players, chosen by a screening committee, whose last appearance was in 1982. All 10-year members of the BBWAA were eligible to vote.

Voters were instructed to cast votes for up to 10 candidates; any candidate receiving votes on at least 75% of the ballots would be honored with induction to the Hall. The ballot consisted of 44 players; a total of 427 ballots were cast, with 321 votes required for election. Those candidates receiving less than 5% of the vote will not appear on future BBWAA ballots, but may eventually be considered by the Veterans Committee.

Candidates who were eligible for the first time are indicated here with a †. The candidate who received at least 75% of the vote and was elected is indicated in bold italics; candidates who have since been elected in subsequent elections are indicated in italics. The 20 candidates whoe received less than 5% of the vote, thus becoming ineligible for future BBWAA consideration, are indicated with a *.

Roger Maris

Roger Maris

Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...

, Elston Howard

Elston Howard

Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...

 and Don Larsen

Don Larsen

Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...

 were on the ballot for the 15th and final time.

Key to colors

	Elected to the Hall. These individuals are also indicated in bold italics.
	Players who were elected in future elections. These individuals are also indicated in plain italics.
	Players not yet elected who returned on the 1989 ballot.
	Eliminated from future BBWAA voting. These individuals remain eligible for future Veterans Committee consideration.

Player	Votes	Percent
†Willie Stargell Willie Stargell Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell , nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...	352	82.4
Jim Bunning Jim Bunning James Paul David "Jim" Bunning is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher and politician.During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1955 to 1971, most notably with the Detroit Tigers and the Philadelphia Phillies. When he retired, he had the second-highest total of career...	317	74.2
Tony Oliva Tony Oliva Tony Pedro Oliva is a former Major League Baseball right fielder and designated hitter. He played his entire 15-year baseball career for the Minnesota Twins . He batted left-handed and threw right-handed...	202	47.3
Orlando Cepeda Orlando Cepeda Orlando Manuel Cepeda Pennes is a former Puerto Rican Major League Baseball first baseman.Cepeda was born to a poor family. His father, Pedro Cepeda, was a baseball player in Puerto Rico, which influenced his interest in the sport from a young age. His first contact with professional baseball was...	199	46.6
Roger Maris Roger Maris Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...	184	43.1
Harvey Kuenn Harvey Kuenn Harvey Edward Kuenn was an American player, coach and manager in Major League Baseball. As a shortstop and outfielder, he played with the Detroit Tigers , Cleveland Indians , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies . He batted and threw right-handed...	168	39.3
Bill Mazeroski Bill Mazeroski William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...	143	33.5
†Luis Tiant Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega , born November 23, 1940 in Marianao, Cuba, , is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cleveland Indians , Minnesota Twins , Boston Red Sox , New York Yankees , Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels...	132	30.9
Maury Wills Maury Wills Maurice Morning "Maury" Wills is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and switch-hitting batter who played most prominently with the Los Angeles Dodgers , and also with the Pittsburgh Pirates and Montreal Expos...	127	29.7
Ken Boyer Ken Boyer Kenton Lloyd Boyer was an American Major League Baseball third baseman and manager. During a 15-year baseball career, he played for 1955-1969 for four different teams, playing primarily for the St. Louis Cardinals...	109	25.5
Mickey Lolich Mickey Lolich Michael Stephen Lolich is a former Major League Baseball pitcher from 1962 until 1979 who played the majority of his career with the Detroit Tigers.-Baseball career:...	109	25.5
Ron Santo Ron Santo Ronald Edward Santo was an American professional baseball player and long-time radio sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball from 1960 to 1974, most notably as the third baseman for the Chicago Cubs. A nine-time All-Star, he was a powerful hitter who was also a good defensive...	108	25.3
Minnie Miñoso	90	21.1
Roy Face Roy Face Elroy Leon Face is a former Major League Baseball right-handed relief pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953–1969, pitching primarily for the Pittsburgh Pirates...	79	18.5
Vada Pinson Vada Pinson Vada Edward Pinson, Jr. was an American center fielder and coach in Major League Baseball. Pinson played in the major leagues for 18 years, from 1958 through 1975, and his greatest seasons were with the Cincinnati Redlegs/Reds, for whom he played from 1958–68.Pinson combined power, speed and...	67	15.7
Joe Torre Joe Torre Joseph Paul Torre is a former American professional baseball player and manager who currently serves as Major League Baseball’s Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations. A nine-time All-Star, he played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and a third baseman for the...	60	14.1
†Sparky Lyle Sparky Lyle Albert Walter "Sparky" Lyle is an American former left-handed relief pitcher who spent sixteen seasons in Major League Baseball . He was a closer from 1969 to 1977, first for the Boston Red Sox and then the New York Yankees. A three-time All-Star, he won the American League Cy Young Award in 1977...	56	13.1
Elston Howard Elston Howard Elston Gene Howard was an American Negro League and Major League Baseball catcher, left fielder and coach. During a 14-year baseball career, he played from 1955–1968, primarily for the New York Yankees...	53	12.4
Dick Allen Dick Allen Richard Anthony Allen is a former Major League Baseball player and R&B singer. He played first and third base and outfield in Major League Baseball and ranked among his sport's top offensive producers of the 1960s and early 1970s...	52	12.2
Curt Flood Curt Flood Curtis Charles Flood was a Major League Baseball player who spent most of his career as a center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. A defensive standout, he led the National League in putouts four times and in fielding percentage twice, winning Gold Glove Awards in his last seven full seasons...	48	11.2
Thurman Munson Thurman Munson Thurman Lee Munson was an American Major League Baseball catcher. He played his entire 11-year career for the New York Yankees...	32	7.5
Don Larsen Don Larsen Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...	31	7.3
Wilbur Wood Wilbur Wood Wilbur Forrester Wood, Jr. is a former knuckleball pitcher in Major League Baseball for the Boston Red Sox, Pittsburgh Pirates, and most notably the Chicago White Sox, where he got 163 of his 164 wins...	30	7.0
Bobby Bonds Bobby Bonds Bobby Lee Bonds was an American right fielder in Major League Baseball from to , primarily with the San Francisco Giants...	27	6.3
†Manny Mota Manny Mota Manuel Rafael Mota Geronimo, more commonly known as Manny Mota was a Major League Baseball Outfielder for the San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, Montreal Expos and most notably the Los Angeles Dodgers, best known for his pinch hitting abilities... *	18	4.2
†Mark Belanger Mark Belanger Mark Henry Belanger was an American shortstop in Major League Baseball who played almost his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles... *	16	3.7
†Bill Lee Bill Lee (left-handed pitcher) William Francis Lee III , nicknamed "Spaceman", is an American former Major League Baseball pitcher. He played for the Boston Red Sox from - and the Montreal Expos from -... *	3	0.7
†Lee May Lee May Lee Andrew May is a former first baseman in Major League Baseball. From through , May played for the Cincinnati Reds , Houston Astros , Baltimore Orioles and Kansas City Royals . He batted and threw right-handed. He is the brother of former Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees outfielder... *	3	0.7
†Reggie Smith Reggie Smith Carl Reginald Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder, coach and front office executive. During a 17-year big league career , Smith appeared in 1,987 games, hit 314 home runs and batted .287. He was a switch-hitter who threw right-handed. In his prime, he had one of the strongest... *	3	0.7
†Al Hrabosky Al Hrabosky Alan Thomas "Al" Hrabosky is a former Major League Baseball player from - for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves and is currently the color commentator on Cardinals regular season broadcasts on FSN Midwest... *	1	0.2
†Stan Bahnsen Stan Bahnsen Stanley Raymond Bahnsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. Nicknamed the "Bahnsen Burner," he once made 118 starts over a three year stretch while playing with the Chicago White Sox in the mid 1970s.-New York Yankees:... *	0	0.0
†Ross Grimsley Ross Grimsley Ross Albert Grimsley II is a former left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Cincinnati Reds , Baltimore Orioles , Montreal Expos and Cleveland Indians... *	0	0.0
†Larry Hisle Larry Hisle Larry Eugene Hisle is a former outfielder in Major League Baseball who played with the Philadelphia Phillies , Minnesota Twins and Milwaukee Brewers . He batted and threw right-handed... *	0	0.0
†Grant Jackson*	0	0.0
†Randy Jones*	0	0.0
†John Mayberry John Mayberry John Claiborn Mayberry is a former Major League Baseball player who played for the Houston Astros, Kansas City Royals, Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees from 1968 to 1982.-High school and minor leagues:... *	0	0.0
†Lynn McGlothen Lynn McGlothen Lynn Everett McGlothen was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. From 1972 through 1981, McGlothen played for the Boston Red Sox , St. Louis Cardinals , San Francisco Giants , Chicago Cubs , Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees... *	0	0.0
†Doc Medich Doc Medich George Francis "Doc" Medich in Aliquippa, Beaver County, Pennsylvania, is a former professional baseball player who pitched in the Major Leagues from 1972-1982... *	0	0.0
†John Milner John Milner John David Milner was an American first baseman and left fielder in Major League Baseball. A native of Atlanta, Georgia, he grew up a huge Hank Aaron fan, even appropriating his idol's nickname, "The Hammer." He was a member of the "We Are Family" Pittsburgh Pirates team that won the World Series... *	0	0.0
†Willie Montanez Willie Montañez Guillermo Montañez Naranjo is a former Major League Baseball first baseman. Even though he was productive, Montañez often carried the label "hot dog" for the whimsical manner in which he approached the game. After hitting home runs, he would trot very slowly around the bases, shuffling his feet on... *	0	0.0
†Joe Rudi Joe Rudi Joseph Oden Rudi is a former left fielder in Major League Baseball who played for the Kansas City & Oakland Athletics , California Angels and Boston Red Sox . He batted and threw right-handed... *	0	0.0
†Jim Spencer Jim Spencer James Lloyd Spencer was a Major League Baseball first baseman. Born in Hanover, Pennsylvania, the left-handed Spencer was recognized for his excellent fielding ability, but also served in later years as a designated hitter.... *	0	0.0
†Del Unser Del Unser Delbert Bernard Unser is a retired Major League Baseball center fielder and utility player who had a 15-year career from 1968 to 1982. Unser played for the Washington Senators from 1968 to 1971 and the Cleveland Indians in 1972... *	0	0.0
†Rick Wise Rick Wise Richard Charles Wise is a former right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball for 18 seasons... *	0	0.0

The newly-eligible players included 21 All-Stars, two of whom were not included on the ballot, representing a total of 44 All-Star selections. Among the new candidates were 7-time All-Stars Willie Stargell and Reggie Smith, who were the only candidates to have been selected at least five times. The field included one MVP (Stargell), two Cy Young Award-winners (Randy Jones and Sparky Lyle) and one Rookie of the Year (Stan Bahnsen).

Players eligible for the first time who were not included on the ballot were: John D'Acquisto

John D'Acquisto

John Francis D'Acquisto , is a former Major League Baseball player who pitched for six teams in his ten year career that spanned from to ....

, Barry Foote

Barry Foote

Barry Clifton Foote is a former American professional baseball player, scout, coach and minor league manager. Foote played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Montreal Expos , Philadelphia Phillies , Chicago Cubs , and New York Yankees...

, Tom Griffin

Tom Griffin (baseball)

Thomas James Griffin is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played all or part of fourteen seasons in Major League Baseball, from 1969–82, for the Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, California Angels, San Francisco Giants, and Pittsburgh Pirates.-External links:...

, Mick Kelleher

Mick Kelleher

Michael Dennis Kelleher is the first base coach for the New York Yankees. He succeeded Tony Peña, who became the bench coach....

, Len Randle, Ken Reitz

Ken Reitz

Kenneth John Reitz is a former third baseman in Major League Baseball. A right-handed hitter, Reitz played for the St...

, Dave Roberts, Eddie Solomon

Eddie Solomon (baseball)

Eddie Solomon, Jr. , nicknamed "Buddy J," was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1973-1982. Born in Perry, Georgia, he died in a car accident in Macon, Georgia at age 34.-External links:...

, Don Stanhouse

Don Stanhouse

Donald Joseph Stanhouse is a retired baseball pitcher who had a ten-year major league career from 1972–1980, 1982...

, Fred Stanley, and Frank Taveras

Frank Taveras

Franklin Crisostomo Taveras Fabian , is a former Major League shortstop from - for the Pittsburgh Pirates, New York Mets and Montreal Expos.-Pittsburgh Pirates:...

.

External links

• 1988 Election at www.baseballhalloffame.org