Editing Detroit Tigers (section)

====1940 American League Champions====
{{Main|1940 Detroit Tigers season}}
In a tight three-team race, the 90–64 Tigers won the 1940 AL pennant by one game over the [[1940 Cleveland Indians season|Cleveland Indians]] and two games over the [[1940 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]].<ref>{{cite web|title=1940 American League Season Summary|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1940.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=August 4, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201613/https://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/AL/1940.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to the season, first baseman Hank Greenberg was persuaded to move to left field to make room for [[Rudy York]], whom the Tigers had deemed no longer suitable to be their catcher.<ref name="Greenberg 1940">{{cite web|first=Alex|last=Coffey|title=Tigers move first baseman Hank Greenberg to the outfield|url=https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/hank-greenberg-moves-to-left-field|website=Baseball Hall of Fame|access-date=August 4, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804233053/https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/hank-greenberg-moves-to-left-field|url-status=live}}</ref> The move proved successful. York hit .316 with 33 home runs and 134 RBIs. Greenberg batted .340 and slammed 41 home runs while driving in 150.<ref name="1940 Tigers stats">{{cite web|title=1940 Detroit Tigers Statistics|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1940.shtml|website=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=August 4, 2018|archive-date=August 4, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180804201704/https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/DET/1940.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Greenberg won his second AL MVP award, becoming the first major leaguer to win the award at two different positions.<ref name="Greenberg 1940"/> Charlie Gehringer batted .313 while collecting 101 walks (for a .428 on-base percentage) and scoring 108 runs.<ref name="1940 Tigers stats"/>

[[Bobo Newsom]] was the ace of the Tiger pitching staff in 1940, going 21–5 with a 2.83 ERA.<ref name="1940 Tigers stats"/> An unlikely hero on the mound this season was 30-year-old rookie [[Floyd Giebell]]. Making just his third major league start on September 27, Giebell was called upon to pitch the pennant-clinching game against [[Bob Feller]] of the Indians. Feller surrendered just three hits, one being a 2-run homer by Rudy York, while Giebell blanked the Tribe for a 2–0 victory.<ref>{{cite magazine| url=http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,802057,00.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071207222736/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,802057,00.html | url-status=dead | archive-date=December 7, 2007 | magazine=Time | title=Sport: Vegetable Plate | date=October 7, 1940 | access-date=April 20, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Joseph|last=Wancho|title=September 27, 1940: Tigers clinch American League pennant behind Floyd Giebell|url=https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-27-1940-tigers-clinch-american-league-pennant-behind-floyd-giebell|website=Society for American Baseball Research|access-date=August 6, 2018|archive-date=August 6, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180806145619/https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/september-27-1940-tigers-clinch-american-league-pennant-behind-floyd-giebell|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Tigers lost the [[1940 World Series]] to the [[1940 Cincinnati Reds season|Cincinnati Reds]] in seven games.<ref name="1940 World Series">{{cite web|title=1940 World Series|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1940|website=MLB.com|access-date=August 4, 2018|archive-date=February 24, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224165229/http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/postseason/mlb_ws_recaps.jsp?feature=1940|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Newson">{{cite web|first=Richard|last=Bak|title=1940 World Series was a heartbreaker for Bobo Newsom and Detroit|url=https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2012/10/21/1940-world-series-was-a-heartbreaker-for-bobo-newsom-and-detroit/|website=Vintage Detroit|date=October 21, 2012|access-date=January 15, 2020|archive-date=January 15, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200115222042/https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/2012/10/21/1940-world-series-was-a-heartbreaker-for-bobo-newsom-and-detroit/|url-status=live}}</ref> Despite a heroic effort by Bobo Newsom, the Tigers came up short in the deciding game, losing 2–1.<ref name="1940 World Series"/><ref name="Newson"/> Newsom's father had died in a Cincinnati hotel room after watching his son win Game 1.<ref name="1940 World Series"/><ref name="Newson"/> An inspired Newsom won Game 5 and pitched Game 7 on just one day's rest.<ref name="1940 World Series"/><ref name="Newson"/> This was the third time the Tigers had lost a World Series in a deciding seventh game.<ref name="Newson"/>