Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Cincinnati Reds over Detroit Tigers (4-3) All-Star Game, July 9 at Sportsman's Park: National League, 4-0 Other champions Amateur World Series: Cuba Negro League Baseball All-Star Game: East, 11-0 Awards and honors Most Valuable Player Hank Greenberg (AL) – OF, Detroit Tigers Frank McCormick (NL) – 1B, Cincinnati Reds The Sporting News Player of the Year Award Bob Feller – P, Cleveland Indians The Sporting News Most Valuable Player Award Hank Greenberg (AL) – OF, Detroit Tigers Frank McCormick (NL) – 1B, Cincinnati Reds The Sporting News Manager of the Year Award Bill McKechnie – Cincinnati Reds 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 Events January January 1 - Kenesaw Mountain Landis voids a trade that would have sent pitcher George Coffman and second baseman Benny McCoy to the Philadelphia A's in exchange for outfielder Wally Moses. Landis claims the Tigers hid McCoy as his reason for voiding the trade, setting in motion a decision he would make later that month. January 10- The Brooklyn Dodgers signed pitcher Wes Ferrell as a free agent. January 14 – Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis declares 87 players from the Detroit Tigers' farm system free agents because they had been "hidden" from other teams. The move allows Benny McCoy to sign with the Philadelphia A's as a free agent. January 31 - Catcher and future spy for the U.S. Government, catcher Moe Berg, is released by the Boston Red Sox. February February 2 - The election of a Negro National League president ends in a deadlock, with three owners voting for incumbent Tom Wilson and three voting for New York City businessman C. B. Powell. February 23 - A compromise by Alex Pompez ended a three-week stalemate between the Negro National League clubs over the election of a league president and the role of promoter Eddie Gottlieb. League president Tom Wilson, vice president Ed Bolden, and secretary Cumberland Posey were all reelected for the 1940 season. Newark Eagles owner Abe Manley, who opposed Wilson's reelection, became league treasurer. Gottlieb was allowed to continue promoting the majority of games at Yankee Stadium, but the New York Black Yankees were allowed to promote a double-header at their own home field. February 24 - The Brooklyn Dodgers work