Headline events of the year
The Chicago Cubs became the first Major League Baseball franchise to install a music organ for fan entertainment. It was one of the only innovations ever to be introduced at Wrigley Field, which 47 years later earned a backward reputation as the last ballpark to install lights. Joe DiMaggio hits in 56 consecutive games. After being hitless in the 57th game, he hit safely in 16 more consecutive games for a streak of 72 of 73 games. Ted Williams ended the season with a .406 batting average. No hitter (qualifying for the batting title) has hit over .400 since the 1941 season.
Champions
Major League Baseball
World Series: New York Yankees over Brooklyn Dodgers (4-1) All-Star Game, July 8 at Briggs Stadium: American League, 7-5
Other champions
IV World Cup of Baseball: Venezuela
Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 8-3
Awards and honors
MLB Most Valuable Player Award
Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF
Dolph Camilli, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award
Joe DiMaggio, New York Yankees, OF
Dolph Camilli, Brooklyn Dodgers, 1B
The Sporting News Player of the Year Award
Ted Williams (AL) – OF, Boston Red Sox
The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award
Billy Southworth (NL) – St. Louis Cardinals
MLB statistical leaders
Major league baseball final standings
American League final standings
National League final standings
Negro league baseball final standings
Negro American League final standings
Negro National League final standings
Washington won first half; Cubans won second half. Washington beat New York 2 games to 0 games in a play-off.
Events
January
January 8 – The BBWAA announces in The Sporting News the poll names for the 1940 All-Star team: Hank Greenberg‚ LF; Joe DiMaggio‚ CF; Ted Williams‚ RF; Frank McCormick‚ 1B; Joe Gordon‚ 2B; Luke Appling‚ SS; Stan Hack‚ 3B; Harry Danning‚ C. The pitchers are Bob Feller‚ Bucky Walters‚ and Paul Derringer. January 21 – Bob Feller signs with the Cleveland Indians for a reported $30,000.
February
February 25 – Days after the start of spring training, the New York Yankees sell Babe Dahlgren to the Boston Braves. Dahlgreen, best known as‚the man who took over first base from Lou Gehrig in , would be replaced by Johnny Sturm.
March
March 8 – Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Hugh Mulcahy becomes the first Major League Baseball player drafted into the Armed Forces in the draft established by President Roosevelt in anticipation of World War II. More than 100 major leaguers will be drafted within the next two years, and two of them, Washington Senators outfielder Elmer Gedeon and Philadelphia Athletics catcher Harry O'Neill, will be killed in action. March 23 – New York Yankees outfielder Joe DiMaggio, a hold out and late arrival in spring training, plays his first Grapefruit League game.
April
April 13 – In the final pre-season tune-up game, the New York Yankees win their 3rd game in a row over the host Brooklyn Dodgers at Ebbets Field, 3–0. The Dodgers had come into this final series with an 11-game winning streak, including four games against the Yankees at their training camp. April 15 – Shortstop Lou Stringer made four errors in his debut with the Chicago Cubs, setting a National League record for a player in his first game. Stringer does better on offense, adding a pair of hits and two runs batted in. Chicago beat the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7–4, backed by strong pitching from starter Claude Passeau and a clutch home run by Bill Nicholson. Besides, the win is the first for Jimmie Wilson while making his managerial debut. April 20 : At the Polo Grounds, the New York Giants attracted an attendance of 56,314, to date the biggest crowd ever to view a single game, even though they lost to the Brooklyn Dodgers, 10–9. The Brooklyn Dodgers became the first club in Major League Baseball history to wear a protective headgear, as each player cap featured a special plastic lining designed to fend off the effects of beanballs. It was a cautious response to the numerous beanball wars of the 1940 season which saw hospitalized players such as Joe Medwick and Billy Jurges, among others. Nevertheless, the liners in the caps are thin enough to be hardly noticeable, so most players disdained the protection.