Editing 1903 World Series (section)

==Background==

===A new league===
In 1901, [[Ban Johnson]], president of the [[Western League (1885–1899)|Western League]], a minor league organization, formed the [[American League]] to take advantage of the National League's 1900 contraction from twelve teams to eight.  Johnson and fellow owners raided the National League and signed away many star players, including [[Cy Young]] and [[Jimmy Collins]].  Johnson had a list of 46 National Leaguers he targeted for the American League; by 1902, all but one had made the jump.<ref name="devaleria95"/>{{rp|page=99}} The constant raiding, however, nixed the idea of a championship between the two leagues. Pirates owner [[Barney Dreyfuss]], whose team ran away with the 1902 National League pennant, was open to a postseason contest and even said he would allow the American League champion to stock its roster with all-stars.<ref name="devaleria95"/>{{rp|page=105}}  However, Johnson had spoken of putting a team in [[Pittsburgh]] and even attempted to raid the Pirates' roster in August 1902, which soured Dreyfuss.  At the end of the season, however, the Pirates played a group of American League All-Stars in a four-game exhibition series, winning two games to one, with one tie.<ref name="devaleria95"/>{{rp|page=102}}

The leagues finally called a truce in the winter of 1902–03 and formed the [[National Baseball Commission|National Commission]] to preside over organized baseball. The following season, the Boston Americans and Pittsburgh Pirates had secured their respective championship pennants by September. That August, Dreyfuss challenged the American League to an 11-game championship series.  Encouraged by Johnson and National League President [[Harry Pulliam]], Americans owner Henry J. Killilea met with Dreyfuss in Pittsburgh in September and instead agreed to a best-of-nine championship, with the first three games played in Boston, the next four in Allegheny City, and the remaining two (if necessary) in Boston.<ref name="devaleria95"/>{{rp|page=122}}

One significant point about this agreement was that it was an arrangement primarily between the two clubs rather than a formal arrangement between the leagues. In short, it was a voluntary event, a fact which would result in no Series at all for {{wsy|1904}}. The formal establishment of the Series as a compulsory event started in {{wsy|1905}}.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/ws/wsmenu.shtml|title=World Series: Every World Series in Major League Baseball History |website=Baseball Almanac |access-date=2017-02-03}}</ref>