1940 in baseball

This article is currently under construction.

Champions

Major League Baseball

• World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers (4-3)
• All-Star Game, July 9 at Sportsman's Park: National League, 4-0

Other champions

• Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 11-0

Awards and honors

• Most Valuable Player
  • Hank Greenberg (AL) - OF, Detroit Tigers
  • Frank McCormick (NL) - 1B, Cincinnati Reds
• The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
  • Bob Feller - P, Cleveland Indians
• The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award
  • Hank Greenberg (AL) - OF, Detroit Tigers
  • Frank McCormick (NL) - 1B, Cincinnati Reds
• The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
  • Bill McKechnie - Cincinnati Reds

Statistical Leaders

	American League		National League
AVG	Joe DiMaggio NYY	.352	Debs Garms PIT	.355
HR	Hank Greenberg DET	41	Johnny Mize STL	43
RBI	Hank Greenberg DET	159	Johnny Mize STL	137
Wins	Bob Feller CLE	27	Bucky Walters CIN	22
ERA	Bob Feller CLE	2.61	Bucky Walters CIN	2.48
Ks	Bob Feller CLE	261	Kirby Higbe PHI	137

Major League Baseball final standings

American League final standings

American League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB 1st Detroit Tigers 90   64 .584    -- 2nd Cleveland Indians 89   65 .578   1 3rd New York Yankees 88   68 .571   2 4th Chicago White Sox 82   72 .532   8 4th Boston Red Sox 82   72 .532   8 6th St. Louis Browns 67   87 .435   23 7th Washington Senators 64 90 .416   26.0 8th Philadelphia Athletics 54 100 .351   36.0

National League final standings

National League Rank Club Wins Losses Win %   GB 1st Cincinnati Reds 100   53 .654    -- 2nd Brooklyn Dodgers 88   65 .575   12.0 3rd St. Louis Cardinals 84   69 .549   16.0 4th Pittsburgh Pirates 78   76 .506   22.5 5th Chicago Cubs 75   79 .487   25.5 6th New York Giants 72   80 .474   27.5 7th Boston Bees 65   87 .428   34.5 8th Philadelphia Phillies 50   103 .327   50.0

Events

• September 24 - Jimmie Foxx hits 500th home run.

Births

• February 25 - Danny Cater
• February 25 - Ron Santo
• March 6 - Willie Stargell
• March 22 - Dick Ellsworth
• April 15 - Willie Davis
• April 15 - Woodie Fryman
• May 20 - Sadaharu Oh
• June 2 - Jim Maloney
• July 3 - César Tovar
• July 8 - Bucky Brandon
• July 10 - Gene Alley
• July 13 - Jack Aker
• July 18 - Joe Torre
• July 21 - Denis Menke
• September 12 - Mickey Lolich
• September 15 - Frank Linzy
• October 9 - Joe Pepitone
• October 12 - Glenn Beckert
• October 14 - Tommy Harper
• November 23 - Luis Tiant
• December 26 - Ray Sadecki

Deaths

• February 13 - Walter Barnes, 79, sports editor for several Boston newspapers from 1891 to 1933 who was that city's first regular sports columnist
• August 21 - Ernest Thayer, 77, newspaper editor whose 1888 poem "Casey at the Bat" became a staple of baseball culture
• October 17 - George Davis, 70, shortstop for the Giants and White Sox who set records for career hits (2600+) and RBI (1437) by a switch-hitter, and ranked third in total games upon retirement; batted .308 in 1906 World Series as White Sox upset Cubs
• December 15 - Billy Hamilton, 74, center fielder and leadoff hitter for Philadelphia and Boston who batted .344 lifetime, winning two batting titles; led NL in runs four times and in walks and steals five times each; had eleven 100-run seasons including record 192 in 1894, and his 1690 career runs - over one per game - ranked second in history upon retirement; batted .343 and .369 for 1897-98 Boston champions