:1940 Major League Baseball season

{{See also|Major League Baseball 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 {{mlby|1904}} season (except for {{mlby|1919}}) and would be used until {{mlby|1961}} in the American League and {{mlby|1962}} in the National League.

Opening Day, April 16, featured all sixteen teams, the first since the {{mlby|1936}} season. The final day of the regular season was on September 29, which also saw all sixteen teams play, the first since the {{mlby|1938}} season. This was the first time since {{mlby|1934}} 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.

The 1940 season saw the following rule change:

• 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 re-implemented the previous season. The sacrifice fly would be reimplemented in {{mlby|1954}}.{{Cite web |last=admin |title=The Sacrifice Fly – Society for American Baseball Research |url=https://sabr.org/journal/article/the-sacrifice-fly/ |access-date=2024-05-28 |language=en-US}}

An asterisk (*) denotes the ballpark a team played the minority of their home games at

{{Flexbox wrap|start}}

{{1940 American League standings|highlight=Detroit Tigers}}

{{Flexbox wrap|break}}

{{1940 National League standings|highlight=Cincinnati Reds}}

{{Flexbox wrap|end}}

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.

{{Flexbox wrap|start}}

{{Flexbox wrap|break}}

¹ American League Triple Crown pitching winner

{{Flexbox wrap|end}}

{{Flexbox wrap|start}}

{{Flexbox wrap|break}}

{{Flexbox wrap|end}}

File:Hank Greenberg 1937 cropped.jpg, Hall of Famer and 2-time MVP]]

File:Frank McCormick 1949.jpg 1940 NL MVP and 9x All-Star]]

• 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 {{mlby|1984}}. This was the first number retired by the team.

• April 16, 1940 – Bob Feller pitches his first career no-hitter on opening day against the Chicago White Sox. This no-hitter remains the only no-hitter ever on opening day.
• April 23, 1940 – Pee Wee Reese makes his Major League Baseball debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers. Pee Wee Reese later in his career goes into the Hall of Fame.
• June 6, 1940 – Warren Spahn signs with the Boston Bees. Spahn later becomes a pitcher icon and wins the Cy Young Award.
• July 9, 1940 – All-Star Game held at Sportsman Park in St. Louis, Missouri. The National League beat the American League 4–1 with help from Max West's home run.
• September 24, 1940 – Jimmie Foxx "The Beast" hits his 500th career home run.
• October 8, 1940 – The Cincinnati Reds defeat the Detroit Tigers in game 7 of the World Series. This is the second time the Reds have won the World Series, they were led by NL MVP Frank McCormick.

{{reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/MLB/1940-schedule.shtml 1940 Major League Baseball season schedule at Baseball Reference]

{{1940 MLB season by team}}

{{MLB seasons}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:1940 Major League Baseball Season}}

Category:Major League Baseball seasons