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 war. And yet B. B. Johnson was big enough and broad enough to extend his aid in ridding the game of Freedmanism at that time, and had the full moral support of the American League. A smaller-minded man would have seen in that case an opportunity to twist the knife blade that had been inserted into the body of his rival and helped the enemies of its own household to kill it outright. But he was not that kind of man. Throughout that entire struggle he stood by me most royally, and I am glad of this opportunity thus publicly to express my appreciation of his unselfish, patriotic efforts to preserve the integrity of our National Game.

It was not a great while after the coming together of the two big Leagues in a mutual understanding until a series of World's Championship games was proposed. So long as a bitter fight had been in progress this was impossible, of course. But, in 1903, the Boston and Pittsburg teams, winners of the American and National League pennants, respectively, met for an after-season schedule of games. To the very great surprise of the friends of the National League, who, up to that time, had regarded the players of the American League as not in the same class as those of the older organization, Boston took five games to three won by Pittsburg, and immediately the fortunes of the American League advanced by leaps and bounds. The contest of 1903 had established the equality if not the superiority of the players in the new League.

In 1904 there was no World's Championship series, the New York team, winners of the National League