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1940 Major League Baseball season
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | 1940 MLB season |
| league | American League (AL) |
| National League (NL) | |
| sport | Baseball |
| duration | Regular season:{{Bulleted list |
| no_of_games | 154 |
| no_of_teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| season | Regular season |
| MVP | AL: Hank Greenberg (DET) |
| NL: Frank McCormick (CIN) | |
| MVP_link | Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award |
| conf1 | AL |
| conf1_champ | [Detroit Tigers](1940-detroit-tigers-season) |
| conf1_runner-up | [Cleveland Indians](1940-cleveland-indians-season) |
| conf2 | NL |
| conf2_champ | [Cincinnati Reds](1940-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| conf2_runner-up | [Brooklyn Dodgers](1940-brooklyn-dodgers-season) |
| finals | World Series |
| finals_link | 1940 World Series |
| finals_champ | [Cincinnati Reds](1940-cincinnati-reds-season) |
| finals_runner-up | [Detroit Tigers](1940-detroit-tigers-season) |
| seasonslist | List of MLB seasons |
| seasonslistnames | MLB |
| prevseason_link | 1939 Major League Baseball season |
| prevseason_year | 1939 |
| nextseason_link | 1941 Major League Baseball season |
| nextseason_year | 1941 |
National League (NL) | April 16 – September 29, 1940}}World Series:{{Bulleted list | October 2–8, 1940}} NL: Frank McCormick (CIN) | conf1_runner-up = Cleveland Indians | conf2_runner-up = Brooklyn Dodgers | finals_runner-up = Detroit Tigers The 1940 major league baseball season began on April 16, 1940. The regular season ended on September 29, with the Cincinnati Reds and Detroit Tigers as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 37th World Series on October 2 and ended with Game 7 on October 8. The Reds defeated the Tigers, four games to three, capturing their second championship in franchise history, since their previous in . Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the New York Yankees from the season.
The eighth Major League Baseball All-Star Game was held on July 9 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, Missouri, hosted by the St. Louis Cardinals. The National League won, 4–0.
Schedule
The 1940 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the season (except for ) and would be used until in the American League and in the National League.
Opening Day, April 16, featured all sixteen teams, the first since the season. The final day of the regular season was on September 29, which also saw all sixteen teams play, the first since the season. This was the first time since that all sixteen teams played their first and last games on the same days. The World Series took place between October 2 and October 8.
Rule changes
The 1940 season saw the following rule changes:
- The scoring sacrifice fly, exempting a batter from a time at bat when a runner scored after the putout on a fly ball, was eliminated after being reimplemented the previous season, given that sacrifices nearly doubled. The sacrifice fly would be reimplemented in .
- When a run scores as result of a batter hitting into a double play, he is no longer awarded a run batted in.
- In the American League, a rule attempting to curb the four-consecutive World Series winning New York Yankees was implemented, limiting any defending champion team from trading with other American League teams, except through waivers. A champion team could purchase a player outright only when the other seven teams waived such transaction. The rule would eventually be repealed following the season.
Teams
An asterisk () denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at*
| League | Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Manager | American League}};" | Boston Red Sox | Chicago White Sox | Cleveland Indians | Detroit Tigers | New York Yankees | Philadelphia Athletics | St. Louis Browns | Washington Senators | National League}};" | Boston Bees | Brooklyn Dodgers | Chicago Cubs | Cincinnati Reds | New York Giants | Philadelphia Phillies | Pittsburgh Pirates | St. Louis Cardinals | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston, Massachusetts | Fenway Park | 33,817 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Comiskey Park | 50,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cleveland, Ohio | Cleveland Stadium | 78,811 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| League Park* | 22,500* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Detroit, Michigan | Briggs Stadium | 58,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Yankee Stadium | 71,699 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington, D.C. | Griffith Stadium | 32,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston, Massachusetts | National League Park | 45,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Ebbets Field | 35,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chicago, Illinois | Wrigley Field | 38,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cincinnati, Ohio | Crosley Field | 29,401 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York, New York | Polo Grounds | 56,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Shibe Park | 33,000 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania | Forbes Field | 33,537 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| St. Louis, Missouri | Sportsman's Park | 34,023 |
Standings
American League
National League
Tie games
8 tie games (3 in AL, 5 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
- Chicago White Sox, 1
- Cleveland Indians, 1
- Detroit Tigers, 1
- New York Yankees, 1
- St. Louis Browns, 2
National League
- Brooklyn Dodgers, 3
- Cincinnati Reds, 2
- Pittsburgh Pirates, 2
- St. Louis Cardinals, 3
Postseason
The postseason began on October 2 and ended on October 8 with the Cincinnati Reds defeating the Detroit Tigers in the 1940 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| RD1-seed1=AL | RD1-team1=Detroit Tigers | RD1-score1=3 | RD1-seed2=NL | RD1-team2=Cincinnati Reds | RD1-score2=4
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | Philadelphia Athletics | Pittsburgh Pirates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earle Mack | Connie Mack | |||
| Pie Traynor | Frankie Frisch |
In-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager | St. Louis Cardinals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray Blades | Mike González | ||
| Mike González | Billy Southworth |
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Joe DiMaggio (NYY) | .352 |
| OPS | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 1.103 |
| HR | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 41 |
| RBI | Hank Greenberg (DET) | 150 |
| R | Ted Williams (BOS) | 134 |
| H | Doc Cramer (BOS) | |
| Barney McCosky (DET) | ||
| Rip Radcliff (SLB) | 200 | |
| SB | George Case (WSH) | 35 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Feller1 (CLE) | 27 |
| L | George Caster (PHA) | |
| Dutch Leonard (WSH) | 19 | |
| ERA | Bob Feller1 (CLE) | 2.61 |
| K | Bob Feller1 (CLE) | 261 |
| IP | Bob Feller (CLE) | 320.1 |
| SV | Al Benton (DET) | 17 |
| WHIP | Bob Feller (CLE) | 1.133 |
1 American League Triple Crown pitching winner
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Debs Garms (PIT) | .355 |
| OPS | Johnny Mize (STL) | 1.039 |
| HR | Johnny Mize (STL) | 43 |
| RBI | Johnny Mize (STL) | 137 |
| R | Arky Vaughan (PIT) | 113 |
| H | Stan Hack (CHC) | |
| Frank McCormick (CIN) | 191 | |
| SB | Lonny Frey (CIN) | 22 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 22 |
| L | Hugh Mulcahy (PHI) | 22 |
| ERA | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 2.48 |
| K | Kirby Higbe (PHI) | 137 |
| IP | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 305.0 |
| SV | Joe Beggs (CIN) | |
| Jumbo Brown (NYG) | ||
| Mace Brown (PIT) | 7 | |
| WHIP | Bucky Walters (CIN) | 1.092 |
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Frank McCormick (CIN) | Hank Greenberg (DET) |
Other awards
| *The Sporting News* Awards | Award | National League | American League |
|---|---|---|---|
| Most Valuable Player | Frank McCormick (CIN) | Hank Greenberg (DET) | |
| Player of the Year | — | Bob Feller (CLE) | |
| Manager of the Year | Bill McKechnie (CIN) | — | |
| Executive of the Year | — | Walter Briggs Sr. (DET) |
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Detroit Tigers | 90 | 11.1% | 1,112,693 | 33.1% | 14,085 | |||
| url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYY/attend.shtml | title=New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors | access-date=September 8, 2020 | publisher=Baseball-Reference.com}} | 88 | −17.0% | 988,975 | 15.0% | 13,013 |
| Brooklyn Dodgers | 88 | 4.8% | 975,978 | 2.1% | 12,049 | |||
| Cleveland Indians | 89 | 2.3% | 902,576 | 60.1% | 11,007 | |||
| Cincinnati Reds | 100 | 3.1% | 850,180 | −13.4% | 11,041 | |||
| New York Giants | 72 | −6.5% | 747,852 | 6.5% | 9,840 | |||
| Boston Red Sox | 82 | −7.9% | 716,234 | 25.0% | 9,066 | |||
| Chicago White Sox | 82 | −3.5% | 660,336 | 11.1% | 8,466 | |||
| Chicago Cubs | 75 | −10.7% | 534,878 | −26.4% | 6,946 | |||
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 78 | 14.7% | 507,934 | 34.8% | 6,772 | |||
| Philadelphia Athletics | 54 | −1.8% | 432,145 | 9.4% | 6,087 | |||
| Washington Senators | 64 | −1.5% | 381,241 | 12.4% | 4,951 | |||
| St. Louis Cardinals | 84 | −8.7% | 324,078 | −19.0% | 4,209 | |||
| Boston Bees | 65 | 3.2% | 241,616 | −15.5% | 3,222 | |||
| St. Louis Browns | 67 | 55.8% | 239,591 | 119.5% | 3,112 | |||
| Philadelphia Phillies | 50 | 11.1% | 207,177 | −25.5% | 2,622 |
Venues
Over 82 home games, the Cleveland Indians played 49 games at Cleveland Stadium and 33 games at League Park. All Sunday home games took place at Cleveland Stadium. This would be the 6th of 12 seasons since that saw the Indians play at both venues.
Retired numbers
- Willard Hershberger had his No. 5 retired by the Cincinnati Reds, though his number would enter circulation just two years later. His number would later be re-retired to honor Johnny Bench in . This was the first number retired by the team.
References
References
- Schwartz, John. "The Sacrifice Fly – Society for American Baseball Research".
- Long, Jason C.. "1939 Winter Meetings: Tie Goes To The Commissioner – Society for American Baseball Research".
- (December 8, 1939). "American League Bars Champion's Trades With Rival Clubs Except on Waiver". [[The New York Times]].
- (2008-10-10). "Regulating the Yankees: Baseball and Antitrust in 1939 – Marquette University Law School Faculty Blog".
- "1940 Major League Managers".
- "1940 American League Batting Leaders".
- "1940 American League Pitching Leaders".
- "1940 National League Batting Leaders".
- "1940 National League Pitching Leaders".
- "Most Valuable Player Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Major League Player of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Manager of the Year Award by The Sporting News {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "MLB Executive of the Year Award {{!}} Baseball Almanac".
- "Detroit Tigers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "New York Yankees Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Los Angeles Dodgers Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cleveland Indians Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Cincinnati Reds Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "San Francisco Giants Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Boston Red Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago White Sox Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Chicago Cubs Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Pittsburgh Pirates Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Oakland Athletics Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Minnesota Twins Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "St. Louis Cardinals Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Atlanta Braves Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Baltimore Orioles Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Philadelphia Phillies Attendance, Stadiums and Park Factors". [[Baseball-Reference.com]].
- "Seamheads.com Ballparks Database — 1940 Season".
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