1988 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season

1988 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season
Head coach	Al Bruno
Home field	Ivor Wynne Stadium
Results
Record	9–9
Division place	3rd, East
Playoff finish	Lost East Semi-Final
Team MOP	Earl Winfield
Team MOC	Rocky DiPietro
Team MOR	Darrell Corbin
Uniform

The 1988 Hamilton Tiger-Cats season was the 31st season for the team in the Canadian Football League and their 39th overall. The Tiger-Cats finished in third place in the East Division with a 9–9 record and lost the East Semi-Final to the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Earl Winfield tied Steve Stapler's record for most touchdowns in one season with 13 (which Tony Champion broke the year later). It would be Stapler's final season with the Tiger-Cats, and he finished ranked fourth all-time in franchise history in touchdowns. Paul Osbaldiston would set a franchise record (which he would break on three separate occasions) for the most converts in one season with 49 made.

Preseason

Week	Date	Opponent	Score	Result	Record
B	June 28	at Toronto Argonauts	16–12	Loss	0–1
C	July 6	vs. Ottawa Rough Riders	36–34	Loss	0–2

Regular season

Season standings

East Division

Team	GP	W	L	T	PF	PA	Pts
Toronto Argonauts	18	14	4	0	571	326	28
Winnipeg Blue Bombers	18	9	9	0	407	458	18
Hamilton Tiger-Cats	18	9	9	0	478	465	18
Ottawa Rough Riders	18	2	16	0	278	618	4

Season schedule

Week	Date	Opponent	Score	Result	Record
1	July 16	vs. Toronto Argonauts	29–24	Win	1–0
2	July 21	at Winnipeg Blue Bombers	21–9	Loss	1–1
3	July 30	at Calgary Stampeders	45–20	Win	2–1
4	Aug 5	vs. Calgary Stampeders	38–14	Loss	2–2
5	Aug 12	vs. Edmonton Eskimos	22–14	Win	3–2
6	Aug 16	at Toronto Argonauts	19–5	Loss	3–3
7	Aug 27	vs. Ottawa Rough Riders	51–24	Win	4–3
8	Sept 1	at Ottawa Rough Riders	46–20	Win	5–3
8	Sept 5	vs. Toronto Argonauts	56–28	Win	6–3
9	Sept 11	at Edmonton Eskimos	37–13	Loss	6–4
10	Sept 18	vs. Ottawa Rough Riders	35–25	Win	7–4
11	Sept 25	at Saskatchewan Roughriders	26–24	Loss	7–5
12	Oct 1	vs. BC Lions	24–23	Loss	7–6
13	Oct 6	at BC Lions	25–21	Loss	7–7
14	Oct 16	vs. Winnipeg Blue Bombers	35–29	Loss	7–8
15	Oct 21	vs. Saskatchewan Roughriders	24–21	Win	8–8
16	Oct 29	at Ottawa Rough Riders	23–15	Win	9–8
17	Nov 6	at Toronto Argonauts	49–9	Loss	9–9

Postseason

Schedule

Game	Date	Opponent	Score	Result
East Semi-Final	Nov 13	at Winnipeg Blue Bombers	35–28	Loss

Awards and honours

• Ralph Sazio was elected into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame as a Builder on March 5, 1988.
• CFL's Most Outstanding Defensive Player Award – Grover Covington (DE)

1988 CFL All-Stars

• DE – Grover Covington
• DB – Howard Fields
• DT – Mike Walker
• ST – Earl Winfield