The 1940 Tigers were led by: Hank Greenberg, who won his second American League MVP award; Rudy York, who was #2 in the AL behind Greenberg in RBIs, total bases and extra base hits; Barney McCosky, who led the major leagues in hits and triples; and Bobo Newsom, who led the major leagues in Adjusted ERA+ and was #2 in the AL behind Bob Feller in ERA, wins, and winning percentage.
They narrowly beat the Cleveland Indians led by Bob Feller in a tight pennant race that went back-and-forth right down to the end of the season.
[citation needed] Catcher Birdie Tebbetts played for the Tigers from 1936 to 1947, missing the 1943–1945 seasons for military service.
Sullivan played in 5 of 7 games of the 1940 World Series for the Tigers, scoring three runs with a .389 on-base percentage.
In 1940, the Tigers persuaded Hank Greenberg to move to left field, allowing York to take over at first base.
York was among the American League 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.
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).
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).
Bobo Newsom 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.
Newsom gave a historic effort in the 1940 World Series, pitching three complete games with a 1.38 ERA.
Newsom started Game 7 on only one day's rest, and held the Reds to 2 runs, but the Tigers scored only once.
With Bob Feller scheduled to pitch for the Indians, Detroit manager Del Baker decided to start Giebell rather than "waste" his aces Bobo Newsom or Schoolboy Rowe.
Instead, "[w]ith cunning change of pace and the control of an oldtimer, the green-as-grass rookie shut out the Indians 2-to-0.
Giebell shut out the Indians for 9 innings in one of the great "David vs. Goliath" moments in baseball history.
Infielders Other batters Coaches Note: Pos = Position; G = Games played; AB = At bats; H = Hits; Avg.
= Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Note: pitchers' batting statistics not included Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts Note: G = Games pitched; W = Wins; L= Losses; SV = Saves; GF = Games Finished; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts The 1940 World Series featured the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds, with the Tigers losing in 7 games.
Newsom's father, visiting from South Carolina, died in a Cincinnati hotel room the day after watching his son win Game 1.
The concluding game was a loss for the Tigers, as Bobo Newsom was called on to start on only one day's rest.
= Batting average; HR = Home runs; RBI = Runs batted in Note: G = Games pitched; IP = Innings pitched; W = Wins; L = Losses; ERA = Earned run average; SO = Strikeouts 1940 Major League Baseball All-Star Game 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 in 2001: [5]