Extremely rare program for the 1905 World Series, 10.25 x 6.75, featuring an image of the National League Champion New York Giants on the front cover, a team that featured the likes of Christy Mathewson, John McGraw, Joe ‘Iron Man’ McGinnity, and Roger Bresnahan. Most remarkable is that this program was scored in pencil for the fifth and final game of the series on October 14, 1905, in which Mathewson threw his third complete game shutout to clinch the championship. The program is in fine condition with only minor handling wear, and touches of color have been added at strategic edge points.
The 1905 World Series was just the second ever played; the Boston Americans had won in 1903, and the 1904 World Series would have seen them attempt to defend their championship against the Giants. The Giants, however, boycotted the would-be series, and the famously disagreeable John McGraw claimed his Giants were already 'world champions' since they were the champions of the 'only real major league.' In reaction to outrage and criticism from the New York fans, team owner John T. Brush initiated a formal plan for a yearly championship series that pitted the top teams from each league against each other. The 'Brush Rules,' as they were known, have endured nearly unchanged for over century—under this plan it was decided that it would be a seven-game series, versus the eight-game series of 1903. This is the only known example of this program scored for game five, which is only appropriate—the 1905 World Series was dominated by pitching, with every game being a shutout, and Christy Mathewson's wild success thrust him into superstardom en route to a Hall of Fame career.
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