1904 New York Giants (vs. St. Louis Cardinals) Program with Joe McGinnity and John McGraw on Cover

Rare 1904 New York Giants regular-season program featuring portrait images of manager John McGraw, pitcher Joe McGinnity, and catcher Jack Warner on the front cover. Major League programs dating from the turn of the century are all scarce, but few are as exceptional and ideal for display as this example. This particular program was issued for a game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and the interior preprinted scorecard pages include Bresnahan, Dahlen, Devlin, and McGinnity for New York, and Nichols, Brain, Farrell, and Shannon for St. Louis. Neatly scored in pencil. The Giants won a franchise-record 106 games in 1904, finishing thirteen games in front of Chicago. However, despite a previous agreement between the two leagues, the Giants refused to meet the American League champion Boston Pilgrims in the World Series. In a statement issued by Giants owner John T. Brush, and supported by John McGraw, he disparages the American League by saying the Giants “are entitled to the honor of champions of the United States without being called upon to contend with or recognize clubs from minor leagues.” It was the only year since the start of the modern World Series in 1903, with the exception of the strike-torn season of 1994, that the Series was not played. The eight-page program (6 x 9 inches) has a heavy center fold, several creases, and a small stain on the lower-right corner. In Fair to Good condition overall. This is both an extremely rare and extremely striking New York Giants program dating from the greatest season in franchise history.