1940 Mexican League season

1940 Mexican League season
LeagueMexican League
SportBaseball
Number of teams8
Season championsAzules de Veracruz
LMB seasons
← 1939
1941 →

The 1940 Mexican League season was the 16th season in the history of the Mexican League. It was contested by eight teams. Azules de Veracruz won the first championship in their history by finishing the season first with a record of 61 wins and 30 losses, led by the team's owner and manager Jorge Pasquel.[1]

There were several team changes in the league. Prior to the beginning of the season, six clubs left the Mexican League to form their own competition, known as Liga Cismática (Schismatic League) or Liga del Golfo (Gulf League). Cafeteros de Córdoba, the 1939 champions, and El Águila de Veracruz, did not approve the arrival of businessman Jorge Pasquel and his team Azules de Veracruz, thus, decided to leave the Mexican League, joined by Alijadores de Tampico, Agrario de México, Tigres de Comintra and Puebla, that would play in the Liga Cismática.[2][3]

Four new teams were established ahead of the season: Rojos del México owned by Salvador Lutteroth and Enrique Carmona, Azules de Veracruz owned by Pasquel, La Junta de Nuevo Laredo and Unión Laguna de Torreón. Later in the season, Alijadores left the Liga Cismática and rejoined the Mexican League, keeping their Liga Cismática record that counted towards the Mexican League standings; also, Dorados de Chihuahua bought the Gallos de Santa Rosa franchise and joined the league.[3][4]

  1. ^ Kerlegand, Enrique (25 March 2019). "Jorge Pasquel y sus Azules de Veracruz". MiLB.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  2. ^ González Gómez, César (30 January 2017). "El cisma que provocó Jorge Pasquel y su semejanza con la crisis actual en la Liga Mexicana de Beisbol". Vice (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  3. ^ a b Kerlegand, Enrique (16 March 2020). "Los trabucos de Jorge Pasquel en los años cuarenta". MiLB.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 11 March 2024.
  4. ^ "Chihuahua, pasado sombrío en la LMB". El Ágora (in Spanish). 5 November 2009. Retrieved 11 March 2024.