Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Fall Classic

The World Series has been played annually since 1903 with two exceptions.

In 1994, labor strife between club owners and players resulted in a cancellation of the playoffs and much of the season.

The more interesting case happened in 1904.

John McGraw, influential manager of the New York Giants of the National League (the Giants moved to San Francisco in 1958) simply refused to have his club play Boston of the upstart American League (winners of the first World Series in 1903 over Pittsburgh).

McGraw (through his team president John Brush) declared the Bostonians "inferior," but the true reason for his refusal to play the Series was his immense dislike of American League president Ban Johnson.


John McGraw

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