The series is best known for the Game 1 pinch-hit walk-off home run by star Dodgers outfielder Kirk Gibson, who did not start because of injuries to both legs yet hit the winning homer against Athletics closer Dennis Eckersley.

The staff was anchored by Cy Young Award-winner Orel Hershiser, who led league in wins, won-loss percentage (23–8, .864), complete games (15), shutouts (8), and sacrifice hits (19).

It was intensity and fortitude, however, that defined the 1988 Dodgers, a trend that began when Kirk Gibson was signed as a free agent over the winter from the Detroit Tigers, the team he helped lead to the 1984 World Championship.

Moreover, the invincible Hershiser threw shutouts in five of his last six regular season starts en route to a record 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched, breaking the mark held by former Dodger great Don Drysdale.

Hershiser would dominate the Mets in the NLCS, while Gibson hobbled through on bad knees and a bruised hamstring but would produce a memorable, if not the greatest, at-bat (in Game 1) of the World Series.

In 1981, Nolan Ryan tossed his record-breaking fifth no hitter (breaking the mark of four set by Ex-Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax) against a Dodger team that won the World Series.

After spending the previous 12 years as a starter, mostly for the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, Dennis Eckersley would be converted into a closer in 1987 and would lead the American League in saves in 1988 with 45.

After allowing a leadoff single to Glenn Hubbard and striking out Walt Weiss, Belcher's control problems continued as he walked both Stewart and Carney Lansford to load the bases.

After Dave Henderson struck out, Canseco crushed a 1–0 pitch for a grand slam to almost dead center, denting an NBC game camera in the process and giving the A's a 4–2 lead.

[9] At some point during the game, television cameras scanned the Dodger dugout and commentator Vin Scully, working for NBC for the 1988 postseason, observed that Gibson was "nowhere to be found".

[12][13] After Davis walked, Lasorda called back Anderson and sent a hobbled Kirk Gibson to the plate, amid cheers from the Dodger Stadium crowd.

Oakland manager Tony La Russa then brought in right-hander Gene Nelson to face Hamilton, who forced Heep out at home.

The Athletics got their winning run in the bottom of the ninth when Mark McGwire deposited a one-out fastball from closer Jay Howell, who had struggled in the NLCS and also was suspended for illegally using pine tar, into the left-center field seats.

Without injured sluggers Kirk Gibson (25 HR) and Mike Marshall (20), the Dodgers started the game with what was statistically one of the weakest hitting World Series teams since the Dead-ball era.

The Dodgers got two runs in the first when Steve Sax walked, went to third on a Mickey Hatcher single, and scored on a passed ball by Athletics catcher Terry Steinbach.

Los Angeles went up 3–1 when Franklin Stubbs doubled and scored when Oakland shortstop Walt Weiss couldn't field a liner by Mike Davis (the play was ruled an error.)

With Alfredo Griffin on third and Steve Sax on first with one out, pinch-hitter Tracy Woodson hit what looked to be an inning ending double play grounder.

Later (while being interviewed by NBC's Marv Albert), after the Dodgers had won Game 4, Lasorda sarcastically suggested that the MVP of the 1988 World Series should be Bob Costas.

Orel Hershiser capped one of the greatest seasons ever by a starting pitcher and one of the most improbable World Series wins in history by pitching a complete game, allowing only four hits, two runs, and striking out nine.

In addition to Hershiser's performance, the Dodgers won because Mickey Hatcher stepped in for the hobbled Kirk Gibson in left field and provided spark, enthusiasm, and unexpected offense.

The only drama of the game briefly arose in the 8th inning: after Javier's single brought the lead to 5–2, Hershiser walked Dave Henderson to bring the tying run to the plate in the form of 42-homer man José Canseco.

Beginning in 1990, NBC would be shut out of Major League Baseball coverage completely, after CBS signed a four-year, exclusive television contract.

[21] As previously mentioned, Bob Costas, who along with Marv Albert, hosted NBC's World Series pregame coverage and handled postgame interviews made on-air statements that enraged many in the Dodgers' clubhouse (especially manager Tommy Lasorda).

After the Dodgers won Game 4, Lasorda (during a postgame interview with Marv Albert) sarcastically said that the MVP of the World Series should be Bob Costas.

During the second inning of Game 1, NBC affiliate WMGT-TV in Macon, Georgia, had its on-air feed hijacked by an unidentified technician who formerly worked for the station's video department.

The station's production manager, L.A. Sturdivant, released a statement explaining that the broadcast intrusion was triggered by accident rather than deliberately planned, and was being "treated as a serious matter.

Following this confrontation, both teams appeared on Family Feud with Ray Combs for a special sweeps week billed as a World Series Rematch.

Honeycutt's 14 years as the Dodgers pitching coach (under four different managers) tied Ron Perranoski for the longest tenure in that role in the organization's history.

[29] In Game 4 of the 2018 World Series between the Dodgers and the Red Sox, 30 years after that 1988 World Series walk-off home run, Dennis Eckersley (who was there covering the Red Sox as a NESN color commentator and analyst) and Kirk Gibson reunited for the ceremonial first pitch at Dodger Stadium and Gibson had a bat ready before catching Eckersley's pitch.

The next time the Dodgers advanced to the World Series (2017), Charley Steiner was now the radio play-by-play announcer and went on to call Los Angeles's victory over Tampa Bay in 2020 (Scully had retired from broadcasting after the 2016 season).