1946 in sports describes the year's events in world sport. Although World War II had ended in 1945, a number of major sporting events were still precluded by planning difficulties, which the war had produced, the 1946 FIFA World Cup being perhaps the best known. However, the year is still notable as several sporting events resumed for the first time since the start of the war.
The thirdEuropean Athletics Championships held from August 22 to August 25 at theBislett Stadion in Oslo. For the first time, it is a combined event for men and women; and for the first time a city in Scandinavia hosts the championships.
January 23 –Hall of Fame election – the writers' vote again fails to select an inductee, despite a newly revamped voting process. Voting again favors earlier candidates from the 1900s and 1910s, but none is able to gain 75% of the vote.
April 23 – the Hall of Fame Committee clears the deadlock at the top of the writers' ballot by selecting 11 new inductees, primarily from the popular candidates of the 1900s and 1910s:Jesse Burkett,Frank Chance,Jack Chesbro,Johnny Evers,Clark Griffith,Tommy McCarthy,Joe McGinnity,Eddie Plank,Joe Tinker,Rube Waddell andEd Walsh. Selections of 19th century players are largely postponed. It is decided that the writers will henceforth select only players retired within the more recent past, rather than from the entire 20th century.
June 15 – when some ballplayers jump to theMexican League, MLB CommissionerHappy Chandler mentions a lifetime suspension for them, but his penalty is later reduced (1949).
July 14 – player–managerLou Boudreau ofCleveland Indians hits fourdoubles and onehome run, butTed Williams wallops three HRs and drives in eight runs, as theBoston Red Sox top the Indians 11–10. In the Sox second–game win, the famous "Boudreau Shift" is born. Boudreau shifts all his players, except thethird baseman andleft fielder, to the right side of the diamond in an effort to stop Williams, who grounds out and walks twice while ignoring the shift.
On June 6 the NBA is founded as theBasketball Association of America. Unlike the NBL, this second major professional league attempts to operate primarily in large arenas in major cities.
29 March: With the end of the war,Test cricket is played for the first time since August 1939, andAustralia destroysNew Zealand by an innings and 103 runs on a rain-affected pitch.
Australia
Although first-class cricket was resumed after the lifting of bans on weekday sport in 1945–46, theSheffield Shield was not awarded.
a Although Torino'sscudetto is considered official, becauseSerie B teams fromsouthern Italy played it is not usually included in statistics. b This is the first of only two instances where a team other than the "Big Three" haswon the Primeira Liga.
United States 5–0
Australia atKooyong Stadium (grass)Melbourne, Australia