1940 World Series
Encyclopedia
The 1940 World Series matched the Cincinnati Reds
against the Detroit Tigers
, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal
-tainted victory in . Bill Klem
worked the last of his record eighteen World Series as an umpire.
It was a closely contested Series, especially the final game, which was a heartbreaker for the Tigers, as losing pitcher Bobo Newsom
had lost his father, who died in a Cincinnati
hotel room the day after watching his son win Game 1. Newsom pitched a shutout "for dad" in his next start, Game 5. Newsom also pitched well in Game 7, but his one day of rest caught up to him in the seventh inning, when the Reds scored two runs to take the lead and eventually the game and the Series.
The Reds' win in Game 2 snapped a ten-game losing streak for the National League
in the Series, tying the ten-game streak by the NL from 1927–1929.
Willard Hershberger
, who had been the backup catcher
for Ernie Lombardi
in the 1939 Series, committed suicide during the season. One of the Reds
' coaches, forty-year-old Jimmie Wilson
, took over as Lombardi's backup. During the Series, Wilson batted .353 and was credited with the only stolen base
.
Reds' manager Bill McKechnie
became the first manager to win World Series with two different teams; in 1925 he had won the Series as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates
.
in Cincinnati, Ohio
in Cincinnati, Ohio
in Cincinnati, Ohio
in Cincinnati, Ohio
(N.L.) over Detroit Tigers
(A.L.)
was the fourth National League
pitcher to hit a home run during a World Series game. The others were:
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
against the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
, with the Reds winning the Series in seven games for their second championship, their first since the scandal
Black Sox Scandal
The Black Sox Scandal took place around and during the play of the American baseball 1919 World Series. Eight members of the Chicago White Sox were banned for life from baseball for intentionally losing games, which allowed the Cincinnati Reds to win the World Series...
-tainted victory in . Bill Klem
Bill Klem
William Joseph Klem, born William Joseph Klimm , known as the "father of baseball umpires", was a National League umpire in Major League Baseball from 1905 to 1941...
worked the last of his record eighteen World Series as an umpire.
It was a closely contested Series, especially the final game, which was a heartbreaker for the Tigers, as losing pitcher Bobo Newsom
Bobo Newsom
Louis Norman Newsom was an American starting pitcher in Major League Baseball. Also known as "Buck", Newsom played for a number of teams from 1929 through 1953...
had lost his father, who died in a Cincinnati
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
hotel room the day after watching his son win Game 1. Newsom pitched a shutout "for dad" in his next start, Game 5. Newsom also pitched well in Game 7, but his one day of rest caught up to him in the seventh inning, when the Reds scored two runs to take the lead and eventually the game and the Series.
The Reds' win in Game 2 snapped a ten-game losing streak for the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
in the Series, tying the ten-game streak by the NL from 1927–1929.
Willard Hershberger
Willard Hershberger
Willard McKee Hershberger was a catcher for Major League Baseball's Cincinnati Reds from 1938 to 1940.He has the distinction of being the only major league player to date to commit suicide during the season.-Life and career:...
, who had been the backup catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
for Ernie Lombardi
Ernie Lombardi
Ernesto Natali "Ernie" Lombardi , was a Major League Baseball catcher for the Brooklyn Robins, the Cincinnati Reds, the Boston Braves and the New York Giants during a Hall of Fame career that spanned 17 years, from 1931 to 1947. He had several nicknames, including "Schnozz", "Lumbago", "Bocci",...
in the 1939 Series, committed suicide during the season. One of the Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
' coaches, forty-year-old Jimmie Wilson
Jimmie Wilson
James Wilson , nicknamed "Ace," was an American professional athlete in soccer and baseball.He began his professional sports career as a soccer outside right in the National Association Football League and American Soccer League before becoming a catcher, manager and coach in Major League Baseball...
, took over as Lombardi's backup. During the Series, Wilson batted .353 and was credited with the only stolen base
Stolen base
In baseball, a stolen base occurs when a baserunner successfully advances to the next base while the pitcher is delivering the ball to home plate...
.
Reds' manager Bill McKechnie
Bill McKechnie
William Boyd McKechnie was an American third baseman, manager and coach in Major League Baseball. He was the first manager to win World Series titles with two different teams , and remains one of only two managers to win pennants with three teams, also capturing the National League title in 1928...
became the first manager to win World Series with two different teams; in 1925 he had won the Series as manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
.
Summary
Game 1
Wednesday, October 2, 1940 at Crosley FieldCrosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
Game 2
Thursday, October 3, 1940 at Crosley FieldCrosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
Game 3
Friday, October 4, 1940 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Game 4
Saturday, October 5, 1940 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Game 5
Sunday, October 6, 1940 at Briggs Stadium in Detroit, MichiganDetroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
Game 6
Monday, October 7, 1940 at Crosley FieldCrosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
Game 7
Tuesday, October 8, 1940 at Crosley FieldCrosley Field
Crosley Field was a Major League Baseball park located in Cincinnati, Ohio. It was the home field of the National League's Cincinnati Reds from 1912 through June 24, 1970, and the original Cincinnati Bengals football team, members of the second and third American Football League...
in Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
Composite box
1940 World Series (4–3): Cincinnati RedsCincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(N.L.) over Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
(A.L.)
Home runs by pitchers
Bucky WaltersBucky Walters
William Henry "Bucky" Walters was an American Major League Baseball All-Star pitcher. A native of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Walters played for the Boston Braves , Boston Red Sox , Philadelphia Phillies and Cincinnati Reds...
was the fourth National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
pitcher to hit a home run during a World Series game. The others were:
| Name/Team | Date | Game/Inning |
|---|---|---|
| Rosy Ryan Rosy Ryan Wilfred Patrick Dolan Ryan was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1919–1933, appearing in three consecutive World Series for the New York Giants from 1922-1924. He managed in the minor leagues from 1941–1942 and 1944–1945 and was later a minor league general manager... (NYG San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... ) |
October 6, | Game 3, fourth |
| Jack Bentley Jack Bentley (baseball) John Needles Bentley was a professional baseball player. He was a left-handed pitcher over parts of nine seasons with the Washington Senators, New York Giants and Philadelphia Phillies. For his career, he compiled a 46-33 record in 138 appearances, with a 4.01 earned run average and 259... (NYG San Francisco Giants The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division.... ) |
October 8, | Game 5, fifth |
| Jesse Haines Jesse Haines Jesse Joseph "Pop" Haines, was a right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher and knuckleballer. He played briefly in 1918, then from 1920 to 1937.-Career:... (STL St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to... ) |
October 5, | Game 3, fourth |