The 1940

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

season was their 40th since they entered the American League in 1901. The team won the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league b ...

pennant with a record of 90–64, finishing just one game ahead of the

Cleveland Indians The Cleveland Guardians are an American professional baseball team based in Cleveland. The Guardians compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central division. Since , they have ...

and just two games ahead of the

New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one ...

. It was the sixth American League pennant for the Tigers. The team went on to lose the

1940 World Series The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds against the Detroit Tigers, with the Reds winning a closely contested seven-game series. The victory secured the Reds the second championship in their franchise history and came 21 years after th ...

to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

4 games to 3.

Offseason

* December 9, 1939:

Wally Moses Wallace Moses (October 8, 1910 – October 10, 1990) was an American professional baseball right fielder, who played Major League Baseball for the Philadelphia Athletics (1935–41; 1949–51), Chicago White Sox (1942–46) and Boston Red Sox (1 ...

was traded by the Tigers to the

Philadelphia Athletics The Philadelphia Athletics were a Major League Baseball team that played in Philadelphia from 1901 to 1954, when they moved to Kansas City, Missouri, and became the Kansas City Athletics. Following another move in 1967, the team became the Oakla ...

for

Benny McCoy Benjamin Jenison McCoy (November 9, 1915 – November 9, 2011) was a second baseman in Major League Baseball who played for the Detroit Tigers (1938–1939) and Philadelphia Athletics (1940–1941). Listed at . 170 lb., he batted left-handed ...

. The trade was voided on January 14, 1940. * January 14: Baseball commissioner Judge Landis ruled that 91 players on the Tigers roster or in the Detroit farm system were free agents, due to misconduct by the team in restricting its minor league players. The players awarded free agency included

Roy Cullenbine Roy Joseph Cullenbine (October 18, 1913 – May 28, 1991) was an American professional baseball outfielder and first baseman. He played ten seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers, Brooklyn Dodgers, St. Louis Browns, Washin ...

‚

‚ Lloyd Dietz‚ and Steve Rachunok from the team's major league roster. Landis also ordered the team to pay compensation of $47‚250 to 14 players. The minor league players awarded free agency included

Johnny Sain John Franklin "Johnny" Sain (September 25, 1917 – November 7, 2006) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who was best known for teaming with left-hander Warren Spahn on the Boston Braves teams from 1946 to 1951. He ...

. * February 15: The Tiger released a roster showing

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

as an outfielder. Greenberg's move to the outfield made room for

Rudy York Preston Rudolph York (August 17, 1913 – February 5, 1970) was an American professional baseball player, coach, scout, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher and a first baseman between and , most notably as a member of the ...

to take over at first base.

Regular season

The 1940 Tigers were led by:

, who won his second American League MVP award;

, who was #2 in the AL behind Greenberg in RBIs, total bases and extra base hits;

Barney McCosky William Barney McCosky (April 11, 1917 – September 6, 1996) was an outfielder in Major League Baseball. From 1939 through 1953, he played for the Detroit Tigers (1939–42, 1946), Philadelphia Athletics (1946–1948, 1950–1951), Cincinnati Re ...

, who led the major leagues in hits and triples; and

Bobo Newsom Louis Norman "Bobo" Newsom (August 11, 1907 – December 7, 1962) was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for nine of the 16 then-existing big-league teams from 1929 through 1953 over all o ...

, who led the major leagues in

Adjusted ERA+ Adjusted ERA+, often simply abbreviated to ERA+ or ERA plus, is a pitching statistic in baseball. It adjusts a pitcher's earned run average (ERA) according to the pitcher's ballpark (in case the ballpark favors batters or pitchers) and the ERA of ...

and was #2 in the AL behind

Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...

in ERA, wins, and winning percentage. With the expansion of

Briggs Stadium Tiger Stadium, previously known as Navin Field and Briggs Stadium, was a multi-purpose stadium located in the Corktown neighborhood of Detroit. The stadium was nicknamed "The Corner" for its location at the intersection of Michigan and Trum ...

, the Tigers set a major league attendance record with 1,112,693 fans attending games in 1940. The 1940 Tigers were the first team to draw over 1,000,000 fans.

Season summary

The 1940 Tigers won the American League pennant with a record of 90–64. They narrowly beat the

led by Bob Feller in a tight pennant race that went back-and-forth right down to the end of the season. The Tigers outscored their opponents 888 to 717 for the season. The Tigers set a major league attendance record with 1,112,693 fans attending games at Briggs Stadium during the 1940 season. The 1940 Tigers were the first team to draw 1,000,000 or more fans.

The players

Catcher: Tebbetts and Sullivan

Catcher

Birdie Tebbetts George Robert "Birdie" Tebbetts (November 10, 1912 – March 24, 1999) was an American professional baseball player, manager, scout and front office executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a catcher for the Detroit Tigers, ...

played for the Tigers from 1936 to 1947, missing the 1943–1945 seasons for military service. He was chosen four times for the AL All Star team. In 1940, Tebbetts hit .296 and led all AL catchers in assists (89), errors (17) and double plays (10). Catching duties were shared with

Billy Sullivan, Jr. William Joseph Sullivan Jr. (October 23, 1910 – January 4, 1994) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher, first baseman and third baseman with the Chicago White Sox, Cincinnati Reds, Clev ...

. He hit .309 with a .399 on-base percentage and .450 slugging percentage for the 1940 Tigers. Sullivan played in 5 of 7 games of the

for the Tigers, scoring three runs with a .389 on-base percentage. His father, Billy Sullivan, was also a catcher for the Tigers in 1916.

Infield: York, Gehringer, Bartell, and Higgins

First baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

started as a catcher in 1937. In 1940, the Tigers persuaded Hank Greenberg to move to left field, allowing York to take over at first base. The experiment was successful, as York finished 2nd in the AL in RBIs (134), total bases (343), and extra base hits (85). He also finished 8th in the AL MVP voting, 3rd in the major leagues in times on base (279) and doubles (46) and 4th in the AL in

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

(.583). York was among the

leaders in home runs for 11 consecutive seasons from 1937 to 1947, and his .503 slugging percentage as a Tiger ranks #4 in franchise history.

Charlie Gehringer Charles Leonard Gehringer (May 11, 1903 – January 21, 1993), nicknamed "the Mechanical Man", was an American professional baseball second baseman, coach, general manager, and team vice president, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) fo ...

, known as "The Mechanical Man" for his quiet consistency, was the Tigers' second baseman from 1924 to 1942. In 1940, the 37-year-old Gehringer hit .313, scored 108 runs, and was 4th in the major leagues in on-base percentage (.428) and 3rd in AL in bases on balls (101).

Shortstop Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base, which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists wh ...

Dick Bartell __NOTOC__ Richard William Bartell (November 22, 1907 – August 4, 1995), nicknamed "Rowdy Richard", was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop from to . One of the ...

was known as one of the most ferocious competitors of his era. In 1940, he hit only .233 for the Tigers, but he had 76 walks boosting his on-base percentage by 100 points to .335. He scored 76 runs and drove in 53 runs for the 1940 season. Bartell finished 12th in the AL MVP voting in 1940.

Third baseman A third baseman, abbreviated 3B, is the player in baseball or softball whose responsibility is to defend the area nearest to third base — the third of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. In the scoring system u ...

Pinky Higgins was the team's starting third baseman from 1939 to 1944. In 1940, he hit .271, drove in 76 runs, hit 13 home runs, and walked 61 times, boosting his on-base percentage to .357.

Outfield: Greenberg, McCosky, Fox, Campbell, and Averill

Left fielder In baseball, a left fielder, abbreviated LF, is an outfielder who plays defense in left field. Left field is the area of the outfield to the left of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the numbering sys ...

"Hammerin' Hank" Greenberg was the team's and the league's MVP. He was awarded the AL Most Valuable Player award for the second time in his career, the first person to win the MVP award at two different positions (1935 at first base, 1940 at left field). In 1940, Greenberg led the major leagues in RBIs (150), extra base hits (99), slugging percentage (.670), OPS (1.103), total bases (384), doubles (50), and runs created (166). He also led the AL in home runs (41) and at bats per home run (14.0). He was 4th in AL in batting average (.340) and 2nd in the major leagues in on-base percentage (.433), runs scored (134), and times on base (289). Greenberg was drafted into the military in early 1941 (one of the first major league players to be drafted) and lost parts of five seasons (1941–1945) to military service.

Center fielder A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the baseball and softball fielding position between left field and right field. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the ...

also had a tremendous year. For the 1940 season, McCosky led the major leagues in hits (200) and triples (19). He was also 3rd in the major leagues in runs scored (123), and 4th in the AL in times on base (268), 5th in the AL in batting (.340). In the World Series, he hit .304 (7-for-23) with five runs. McCosky finished 16th in the 1940 AL MVP voting. Since 1940, the only Tiger to exceed McCosky's 19 triples is Curtis Granderson in 2007.

Right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In ...

Pete Fox played 82 games in right field, hitting .289 with a .403 slugging percentage.

Bruce Campbell Bruce Lorne Campbell (born June 22, 1958) is an American actor and director. He is known for portraying Ash Williams in Sam Raimi's ''Evil Dead'' franchise, beginning with the 1978 short film ''Within the Woods''. He has starred in many low-b ...

was traded to the Tigers in January 1940. Campbell played 74 games in right field for the Tigers, sharing the position with Pete Fox. During the regular season, Campbell hit .283 with a .381 on-base percentage and .448 slugging percentage. Campbell played all 7 games of the 1940 World Series and hit .360 with a slugging percentage of .520 in the Series, with a home run and five RBIs. Hall of Famer

Earl Averill Howard Earl Averill (May 21, 1902 – August 16, 1983) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a center fielder from 1929 to 1941, including 11 seasons for the Cleveland Indians. He was a six-ti ...

was acquired by the Tigers in 1938 and was a backup outfielder for the 1940 team. Averill retired in 1941.

Pitching: Newsom, Bridges, Rowe, Gorsica, Newhouser, and Trout

finished 4th in the AL MVP voting in 1940 and was the ace of the Tigers' pitching staff. After losing on Opening Day, Bobo won 13 straight games during the regular season before injuring his thumb. He finished the season as the major league leader in

(167), second in the major leagues in strikeouts (164), and second in the AL in ERA (2.83), wins (21), and winning percentage (.808). Newsom gave a historic effort in the 1940 World Series, pitching three complete games with a 1.38 ERA. After watching his son win Game 1, Bobo's father died in a Cincinnati hotel. Bobo promised to win Game 5 for his father and shut out the Reds, 5–0. Newsom started Game 7 on only one day's rest, and held the Reds to 2 runs, but the Tigers scored only once. The Reds won the game and the World Series, but Newsom's performance was one of the greatest efforts in World Series history.

Schoolboy Rowe Lynwood Thomas "Schoolboy" Rowe (January 11, 1910 – January 8, 1961) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, primarily for the Detroit Tigers (1932–42) and Philadelphia Phillies (1943, 1946–49). He was a three-time A ...

finished 7th in the AL MVP voting in 1940 and was the AL leader in winning percentage (.842) with a 16–3 record. He started two games in the 1940 World Series. He lasted a combined 3-2/3 innings in his two starts and lost both games with an ERA of 17.18.

Tommy Bridges Thomas Jefferson Davis Bridges (December 28, 1906 – April 19, 1968) was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career with the Detroit Tigers from 1930 to 1946. During the 1930s, he used an outstanding cu ...

was fourth in the AL in both strikeouts (133) and

(140). He was also second in the major leagues in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (6.06). He started one game of the 1940 World Series, pitching a complete game for the win. Closer

Al Benton John Alton Benton (March 18, 1911 – April 14, 1968) was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Detroit Tigers, Cleveland Indians, and Boston Red Sox. The right-hander ...

led the major leagues in saves (17) and was second in the major leagues in games finished (35).

Hal Newhouser Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal," was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he pitched 17 seasons on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, from 1939 through 19 ...

was the youngest player in AL in 1940 at age 19. The future two-time AL MVP started 20 games for the 1940 Tigers and had a record of 9–9. Rookie

Floyd Giebell Floyd George Giebell (December 10, 1909 – April 28, 2004) was an American baseball player who is best remembered as the pitcher who, in his third career start, shut out Bob Feller and the Cleveland Indians to clinch the 1940 American League pe ...

was one of the most interesting stories of the 1940 season. Giebell made his major league debut in September 1940 as a 30-year-old rookie. Giebel pitched a pair of complete game victories and gave up only two runs in 18 innings for an

earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the numb ...

of 1.00. On September 27, 1940, the Tigers needed one more win to clinch the pennant. With Bob Feller scheduled to pitch for the Indians, Detroit

manager Management (or managing) is the administration of an organization, whether it is a business, a nonprofit organization, or a government body. It is the art and science of managing resources of the business. Management includes the activitie ...

Del Baker Delmer David Baker (May 3, 1892 – September 11, 1973) was an American professional baseball player, coach, and manager. During his time as a player, he spent three years (1914–1916) in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a backup catcher for the ...

decided to start Giebell rather than "waste" his aces

. ''Time'' magazine described Giebell at the time as "a gawky stringbean" — Geiebell was 6'2½" (189 cm) and 172 pounds (78 kg) —who "looked like a sacrificial lamb as he ambled out to the mound." But, as ''Time'' reported after the game, Giebell was "no lamb" that day. Instead, " th cunning change of pace and the control of an oldtimer, the green-as-grass rookie shut out the Indians 2-to-0." Feller gave up only 3 hits for the day, but one of them was a 2-run wind-blown home run by

. Giebell shut out the Indians for 9 innings in one of the great "David vs. Goliath" moments in baseball history.

Season chronology

* April 16: On Opening Day in Detroit, the Tigers draw the largest crowd, 49,417, in the major leagues. The Tigers lose to the St. Louis Browns, 5–1, as Detroit castoff

Slick Coffman George David "Slick" Coffman (December 11, 1910 – May 8, 2003) was an American baseball pitcher. He played 18 years of professional baseball, including four years in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1937–1939) and St. Louis Bro ...

won over

. * April 25: The Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns, 4–2, for their fourth consecutive win. Bobo Newsom got the win for Detroit.

Elden Auker Elden LeRoy "Submarine" Auker (September 21, 1910 – August 4, 2006) was an American Major League Baseball pitcher with the Detroit Tigers, Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Browns between 1933 and 1942. Auker batted and threw right-handed. Auker w ...

, who helped the Tigers win the 1935 World Series, was the losing pitcher from the Browns. * April 29: At Detroit‚

walked in the winning run in the 8th inning and lost to the Tigers‚ 4–3. Cotton Pippen was the winner with 8-1/3 innings of relief. * May 20: Pinky Higgins hit three consecutive home runs and drove in seven runs to lead Detroit to a 10–7 victory over the first place Red Sox.

Jimmie Foxx James Emory Foxx (October 22, 1907 – July 21, 1967), nicknamed "Double X" and "The Beast", was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, ...

hit his 10th home run of the year‚ a 5th inning grand slam. * May 21: Jimmie Foxx hit a grand-slam for the second day in a row against Detroit in an 11–8 Red Sox win.

and

homered for Detroit, while

had a pair of triples and 2 singles. * June 13: The Indians beat the Tigers‚ 3–2‚ in 11 innings‚ winning on

's throwing error. Cleveland had their best month of the year‚ settling into first place‚ which they will hold until the final two weeks of the season. * June 14: The Indians beat the Tigers, 8–0, as Johnny Allen held the Tigers to two hits. * June 23: Bobo Newsom won his 9th straight game for the Tigers, holding the Yankees to four hits. The Tigers moved to a game and a half behind the first place Indians. * June 27: Bobo Newsom (10–1) won his 10th in a row after losing on Opening Day, as the 2nd place Tigers beat St. Louis, 2–1. Detroit had only three hits, but two of them were home runs by Hank Greenberg and Charlie Gehringer. * July 1: Bobo Newsom notched his 11th victory in a row‚ 3–1‚ over the Chicago White Sox. * July 2: Detroit took over 1st place as the Indians lost to the Browns and the Tigers beat the White Sox‚ 10–9‚ taking advantage of 10 walks. * July 4: The Tigers drew the largest crowd in their history‚ 56‚272‚ for the first-place showdown with the Indians. Detroit took the opener‚ 5–3‚ behind

' complete game. The Indians bounced back to win the second game in 11 innings‚ 2–1‚ to regain first place. * July 6: The Tigers swept a pair from the Browns and moved within 2 percentage points of the Indians. In an 11–2 win‚ Bobo Newsom allowed three hits in winning his 12th straight complete game win. Johnny Gorsica got the win for the Tigers in the second game. * July 7: The Tigers beat the St. Louis Browns, 5–2, to move into a tie for first place. * July 13: In the second game of a doubleheader, Bobo Newsom won 13th straight game. Bobo allowed two hits in shutting out Washington‚ 4–0‚ in the nightcap of 2. The Tigers also won the opener and moved within a point of 1st place. * July 17: Going for his 14th straight win‚ Bobo Newsom broke his right thumb in the 4th inning against Boston. Newsom was covering first and injured his thumb taking a throw from Rudy York. Newsom left with a 3–2 lead, and

took the loss, 8–3, in relief of Newsom in the first game of a double header. Detroit also lost the second game‚ 8–5‚ and dropped into a 2nd place tie with the Red Sox. The doctor predicted Newsom would be out four weeks but Bobo says 10 days. * July 18: A triple play and three walks in the final inning helped the Tigers top the Red Sox‚ 10–8‚ and return to first place. * July 31: Detroit beat the Yankees, 7–6, in 11 innings to remains in a tie for first place with Cleveland. Pinky Higgins hit a bases-loaded triple in the 8th inning to make it 5–4, but the Yankees tied it. The Tigers won it in the 11th‚ with two walks by

Lefty Gomez Vernon Louis "Lefty" Gomez (November 26, 1908 – February 17, 1989) was an American professional baseball player. A left-handed pitcher, Gomez played in Major League Baseball (MLB) between 1930 and 1943 for the New York Yankees and the Washingt ...

a game-winning single by

. * August 1, 1940:

Red Kress Ralph "Red" Kress (January 2, 1905 – November 29, 1962) was an American shortstop, third baseman, first baseman and coach in Major League Baseball. From through , he played for the St. Louis Browns (1927–1932; 1938–1939), Chicago White So ...

was released by the Tigers. * August 2: In Detroit‚ the Red Sox beat the Tigers‚ 12–9. Shortstop

Joe Cronin Joseph Edward Cronin (October 12, 1906 – September 7, 1984) was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a shortstop, most notably as a member of the Boston Red Sox. Cronin sp ...

hit for the cycle for the second time in his career. Cronin's 8th inning homer‚ off

Archie McKain Archie Richard "Happy" or "Hap" McKain (May 12, 1911 – May 21, 1985) was a left-handed Major League Baseball pitcher with the Boston Red Sox, Detroit Tigers and the St. Louis Browns between 1937 and 1943. McKain was born in Delphos, Kansas, i ...

won it for the Sox. * August 5: St. Louis Browns pitcher John Whitehead pitched a 6-inning rain-shortened no-hitter against the Tigers‚ winning 4–0. The game was Whitehead's only win in 1940, as an ankle injury sidelined him. Detroit won the first game of the double header‚ 9–2. * August 12: Cleveland and Detroit‚ deadlocked for first place (64–44)‚ met in a pitching duel between Bob Feller and

. Cleveland won‚ 8–5‚ as Feller became the majors' first 20-game winner. * August 13: The Indians moved two games in front by beating the Tigers again‚ 6–5. * August 24: The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 12–1, at Fenway Park.

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 193 ...

pitched the last two innings, allowing 3 hits and one run scored when third baseman

Charlie Gelbert Charles Magnus Gelbert (January 26, 1906 – January 13, 1967) was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of ten seasons in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals (1929–32 and 1935–36), Cincinnati Reds (1937), Detroi ...

juggled a double play grounder. Williams struck out Tiger slugger Rudy York‚ who had driven in 5 Detroit runs, on three pitches * September 3: Detroit‚ in third place behind the Indians and Yankees‚ beat the Indians and Bob Feller, 7–2, at Briggs Stadium. Charlie Gehringer‚ Hank Greenberg and

all hit home runs.

got the win. * September 4: In Detroit‚ the Tigers beat the Indians again, 11–2. Bruce Campbell and Charlie Gehringer both hit three-run home runs. Tommy Bridges and Al Benton combined for the win. * September 6: Bobo Newsom won his 18th game as the Tigers handed Cleveland its 5th straight loss‚ 10–5. The Indians lead was reduced to one game. * September 7: The Tigers beat the Browns 5–4‚ scoring three runs in the 9th inning to win. Hank Greenberg hits his 29th home run of the year. With the Indians losing their 6th straight game, the Tigers trailed by only .011 percentage points. * September 9: The Indians lost their 7th straight, and the Tigers took over first place with the Yankees one game back. * September 10: The Tigers lost to the Red Sox, 6–5 in 13 innings, and Cleveland moves back into first by .001 percentage points.

Lefty Grove Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove (March 6, 1900 – May 22, 1975) was an American professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's P ...

got the win over Bobo Newsom. * September 11: The Tigers beat the Red Sox, 11–7, to briefly take over first place. But the Yankees and Indians split a double-header in Cleveland. The day ended with three teams (Yankees, Indians, and Tigers) tied for first place. * September 12: The Tigers beat the Yankees, 6–3, in Detroit. Hank Greenberg hit his 32nd home run. * September 13: Tommy Bridges shut out the Yankees‚ 8–0‚ for his 16th victory and Detroit's 8th win in 9 games. Hank Greenberg hits his 33rd home run of the year. * September 14: The Yankees beat the Tigers, 16–7, exploding on Bobo Newsom.

Joe DiMaggio Joseph Paul DiMaggio (November 25, 1914 – March 8, 1999), nicknamed "Joltin' Joe", "The Yankee Clipper" and "Joe D.", was an American baseball center fielder who played his entire 13-year career in Major League Baseball for the New York Yank ...

had two doubles among his four hits as he took over the AL batting lead from

Rip Radcliff Raymond Allen Radcliff (January 19, 1906 – May 23, 1962) was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and first baseman who appeared 1,081 games over ten seasons for the Chicago White Sox (–), St. Louis Browns (–) and Detroit Tigers (� ...

. The Tigers led the AL by a half game as Red Sox rookie Earl Johnson stopped the Indians‚ 2–1. * September 15: The Tigers lost, 6–1, to Washington knuckleballer Dutch Leonard. The Indians swept a double header from the A's‚ 5–0 and 8–5. Bob Feller pitched a one-hitter with no walks in the opener. * September 17: The Tigers beat Washington, 6–3, to regain first place. Schoolboy Rowe (15–3) got the win, and Rudy York hit his 29th home run. * September 18: The Tigers split a double header with the A's (14–0, 6–13), and Bob Feller won his 26th game as Cleveland swept the Senators, to push the Indians a half game ahead of the Tigers. * September 19: The Tigers swept the A's‚ 13–2 and 10–1.

‚ 30‚ just up from Buffalo where he went 15–16‚ won the opener and Dizzy Trout won the second game. The Indians also won and with 8 games left‚ the Tigers and Indians are tied with equal records of 85–61. * September 20: The Tigers beat the Indians, 6–5, in Detroit. The Tigers score five runs off Bob Feller, who was pitching in relief. The Tigers failed to hit a home run for the first time in 18 games. * September 21: With the Tigers‚ Indians‚ and Yankees in a tight pennant race‚ the Tigers beat the Indians, 5–0, behind the solid pitching of Schoolboy Rowe. Rowe got his 16th win, and the Tigers extended their lead to two games. * September 22: The Indians beat the Tigers, 10–5, in front of 56,771 fans in Detroit. Bob Feller got the win. Hank Greenberg hit his 40th home run, but the Indians had home runs by Feller,

Hal Trosky Harold Arthur Trosky Sr. (born Harold Arthur Trojovsky; November 11, 1912 – June 18, 1979) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a first baseman for the Cleveland Indians (1933–1941) and the Chi ...

‚

Roy Weatherly Cyril Roy Weatherly (February 25, 1915 – January 19, 1991), nicknamed "Stormy", was an American professional baseball player whose career extended for two decades (1934–1943; 1946–1954; 1958). The native of Tyler County, Texas, an outfielder ...

‚ Ben Chapman‚ and

Ken Keltner Kenneth Frederick Keltner (October 31, 1916 – December 12, 1991) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a third baseman from 1937 to 1950, most prominently as a member of the Cleveland Indians where ...

. Detroit's lead was reduced to one game. * September 24: Former Tiger

led the Red Sox over the Indians. * September 25: In Detroit‚ Bobo Newsom won both games of a double header against the White Sox. Detroit won the opener, 10–9, as Newsom pitched 2 innings of relief for his 20th win. Rudy York had the game-winning double in the 10th inning. Newsom pitched a complete game in the nightcap, a 3–2 win. Hank Greenberg hit his 41st home run and collected his 150th RBI. Detroit led by 2 games. * September 27: In one of the most famous games in Tigers history, the Tigers needed one win to clinch the pennant. Bob Feller was set to start for the Indians at Cleveland. Detroit manager

chose to start rookie Floyd Giebell against Feller. Giebell went the distance and beat Feller and the Indians, 2–0. Feller gave up only three hits, but one of the hits was a wind-blown two-run home run by Rudy York. During the game‚ unruly Cleveland fans showered the field with fruit and vegetables delaying the game. Hank Greenberg was hit by a tomato while in the field. At one point‚ a basket of green tomatoes was dropped into the Detroit bullpen, landing on

' head and knocking him out. * October 26: Hank Greenberg was named the AL MVP with 292 points. Greenberg also won the MVP honors in 1935 as a first baseman. Bob Feller was second in the MVP voting with 222 points.

Season standings

Record vs. opponents

Roster

Player stats

Batting

Starters by position

''Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Other batters

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in'' ''Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included''

Pitching

Starting pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Other pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Relief pitchers

''Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games Finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

1940 World Series

World Series summary

The

featured the Detroit Tigers and the

, with the Tigers losing in 7 games. In Game 1, the Tigers beat the Reds, 7–2. It was the 10th straight World Series loss for a National League team. The Tigers scored five runs in the 2nd inning, and

added a two-run home run.

held the Reds to eight hits. Newsom's father, visiting from South Carolina, died in a

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line w ...

hotel room the day after watching his son win Game 1. In Game 2,

Bucky Walters William Henry "Bucky" Walters (April 19, 1909 – April 20, 1991) was an American professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1931 to 1950. He was a six-time All-Star and the 1939 National League Most Valuable Player. ...

gave the NL its first World Series game victory, 5–3, since

Carl Hubbell Carl Owen Hubbell (June 22, 1903 – November 21, 1988), nicknamed "the Meal Ticket" and "King Carl", was an American Major League Baseball player. He was a pitcher for the New York Giants of the National League from 1928 to 1943, and remained o ...

beat the Yankees in 1937.

Jimmy Ripple James Albert Ripple (October 14, 1909 – July 16, 1959) was an American professional baseball player who played as an outfielder in Major League Baseball for seven seasons from 1936 to 1943. He played for the New York Giants (1936–1939), the Br ...

hit a two-run home run in the 3rd inning, and Walters gave up only 3 hits. In Game 3, the Tigers won, 7–3, before a crowd of almost 53,000 at Briggs Stadium. The Tigers had 9 hits and 19 total bases in the 7th and 8th innings off the Reds.

pitched a complete game. In Game 4, the Reds won, 5–2. Paul Derringer‚ who had lost 4 World Series starts going back to 1931‚ finally got a win. Detroit starter Dizzy Trout did not make it out of the third inning. In Game 5, Bobo Newsom got the start for Detroit, just three days after his father's death. Bobo said he was going to pitch the game for his dad. In front of 55,000 fans in Detroit, he shut out the Reds, as the Tigers won 8–0, and took a 3–2 lead in the Series. In Game 6, Bucky Walters got the win for the Reds with a 4–0 shutout. The concluding game was a loss for the Tigers, as Bobo Newsom was called on to start on only one day's rest. Detroit got an unearned run in the 3rd inning to take a 1–0 lead. Newsom pitched well, allowing only two runs in the 7th inning. The Tigers scored only once, and the Reds won, 2–1.

Postseason player stats

Batting

''Note: G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg. = Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in''

Pitching

''Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts''

Awards and honors

: AL Most Valuable Player award

1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the eighth playing of the mid-summer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July ...

, Pitcher *

, Outfielder *

, Pitcher

League leaders

: MLB leader in saves (17) *

: AL leader in home runs (41) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in RBIs (150) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in extra base hits (99) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in slugging percentage (.670) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in OPS (1.103) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in total bases (384) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in doubles (50) * Hank Greenberg: MLB leader in runs created (166) * Hank Greenberg: AL leader in at bats per home run (14.0) *

: MLB leader in hits (200) * Barney McCosky: MLB leader in triples (19) *

: MLB leader in

(167) *

: AL leader in winning percentage (.842) *

: AL leader in assists (89), errors (17) and double plays (10) by a catcher

Players ranking among top 100 all time at position

The following members of the 1934 Detroit Tigers are among the Top 100 of all time at their position, as ranked by

The New Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'' is a reference book written by Bill James featuring an overview of professional baseball decade by decade, along with rankings of the top 100 players at each position. The original edition was publi ...

in 2001: *

: 64th best catcher of all time *

: 8th best first baseman of all time *

: 56th best first baseman of all time *

: 8th best second baseman of all time *

: 37th best shortstop of all time *

: 14th best center fielder of all time (played 64 games for 1940 Tigers) *

: 70th best center fielder of all time * Pete Fox: 96th best right fielder of all time (played 93 games for 1940 Tigers) *

: 98th best right fielder of all time (played 103 games for 1940 Tigers) *

: 77th best pitcher of all time *

: 36th best pitcher of all time

Farm system

Johnson, Lloyd, and Wolff, Miles, ed., ''The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball'', 2nd and 3rd editions. Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, 1997 and 2007

References

External links

Baseball-Reference.com 1940 Detroit Tigers Regular Season Statistics

Baseball-Reference.com 1940 World Series Statistics, Box Scores and Play by Play

BaseballLibrary.com 1940 Tigers season page

Baseball Almanac on 1940 World Series
{{Detroit Tigers Detroit Tigers seasons Detroit Tigers season American League champion seasons

1940 in Detroit